By Gretchen Keiser And Rita McInerney

Twenty-two permanent deacons were ordained for the archdiocese of Atlanta June 23, men who will assist the Church in sacrament and liturgy, but also bear witness to Jesus Christ at work and at home.

“Reflect each day on the ministry you are privileged to exercise. See that ministry as an opportunity to grow,” Archbishop Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, said in his homily at the Cathedral of Christ the King.

“You have the opportunity to witness to the official presence of the Church in the world. The Church will be present there because you have been configured to Jesus Christ, as one who came to serve and not to be served.”

“I urge you to conform more and more to the life of Christ,” he said, advising the deacons to read Scripture daily and allow it to nourish their own spiritual lives. “Never count the cost in sacrifice and effort that this ministry will demand of you,” he concluded. “Be faithful servants of the Church…remember – preach Jesus. Do not preach yourselves. Never be afraid, never be ashamed to proclaim that message not only in what you say and do, but in the way you live your life.”

The deacons, who undertook three years of study and formation, were ordained to serve in parishes by assisting in the celebration of the Eucharist, leading funeral rites, baptizing, witnessing the sacrament of marriage and preaching the Gospel at Mass. They may also take part in a variety of other ministries. Twenty-one of the 22 are married men. One, Robert (Tim) Ragan, who is single, also made a commitment to celibacy as part of his ordination.

Vested in white, the deacon candidates stood in the aisle at the cathedral alongside pews filled with members of their families and friends.

Deacon Walt Bedard, associate director of the archdiocesan permanent diaconate program, presented the candidates to the archbishop and this was affirmed by the applause of those who filled the cathedral.

The archbishop then invited the candidates to join him in making a profession of faith. They spoke the new profession of faith and oath of fidelity issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith this spring. In it, in addition to professing belief in the elements of faith in the Creed, the archbishop and deacons also expressed their willingness to support the authentic teachings of the Church proclaimed by the magisterium, or teaching arm of the Church.

All the deacon candidates stood and responded together to questions from the archbishop and then approached him one by one, kneeling before him and placing their hands in his. “Do you promise respect and obedience to me and my successors?” the archbishop asked. As each answered, “I do,” he said, “May God who has begun this good work in you bring it to fulfillment.”

As at an ordination to the priesthood, the men then lay prostrate in the aisle while the congregation joined in the Litany of the Saints. They then returned before the archbishop one at a time, kneeling before him while he stood and laid hands upon them. Returning to their pews, they were invested with the stole, worn diagonally across the chest, by either their wives or other friends or family members. Many taking part in this ritual, men and women, wives and mothers and grandmothers, were weeping tears of joy.

The deacons each returned before the archbishop a final time to receive the Book of Gospels, which they are now ordained to preach and proclaim.

“Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you now are,” the prayer spoken by the archbishop says. “Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.” Archbishop Marino embraced each while they knelt before him.

Several times he spoke of the solidarity needed between deacons and priests as they together serve the Church and he urged the congregation to “receive them as men call by Christ, called by their bishop to serve…”

“The ministry they exercise will be for your benefit,” he said.

A number of priests and deacons from the archdiocese came to the ordination, particularly from parishes represented by the 22 new deacons. Deacons Dick Narey and Gerardo Martorell assisted in the ceremony.

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STANLEY BARROWS, “56 years young,” is the first deacon to serve at St. Patrick’s parish in Norcross, one of two archdiocesan parishes staffed by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales.

A father of five grown and married children, and grandfather of 11, all of whom came to the ordination, he converted to Catholicism in his early twenties. Serving at an U.S. Navy facility in Paris, France, during the Korean War he “wanted a closer presence with God. I felt it in Catholic churches I went into.” He was confirmed a Catholic while in France, a move which his wife, Ruth, a Catholic, never pressured him to make, he says.

One of two deacon’s wives to complete all three years of the formation program herself, Ruth Barrows was asked by the deacons to be one of two readers at the ordination June 24.

An engineer working for the Foxboro Co., Deacon Barrows was transferred to Atlanta three and a half years ago from Houston, Texas. He had been interested in the diaconate in Texas, but in that diocese the program was not active. “I felt a calling of God to do a lot more service to the people,” he said. The job transfer to Atlanta, where he found support and an active diaconate program, enabled him to act upon the desire. He found support from St. Patrick’s pastor, Father J. Martin Griffin, MSFS, and the parish. “He was 100 percent behind me and gave me all the encouragement” needed. The parish of over 1,700 families and, at present, three priests, provides plenty of work, he said. Father Griffin said he would like the deacon to take part in the full range of ministries, marriage and baptism preparation and celebration, adult enrichment and the RCIA, which, the pastor said, was started by Stanley and Ruth Barrows at St. Patrick’s.

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HERBERT C. BERDING’S dream of a “pick your own berry farm” became sidetracked when he “got started in the diaconate” program. Deacon Berding, whose 42-acre farm is in Madison, was ordained for St. James Mission there.

When he and Jean Berding moved to the farm more than three years ago after 18 years as parishioners at St. Jude’s in Sandy Springs, there were opportunities galore for ministry at the mission. “There was no organization when we first came,” he says. Shortly he was a member of the steering committee and later the new parish council.

Father Michael Hogan, former pastor of St. Augustine Church in Covington, and the St. James’ Mission, was supportive of the Honeywell retiree’s desire to enter the diaconate program. His new pastor, Father Michael Redding, is also supportive. He has given the mission’s first deacon a list of some of the areas where he could serve. Suggestions include religious education, visiting the sick and the shut-in, and campus ministry at Emory at Oxford, a nearby branch of the Atlanta University.

Deacon Berding, 61, says he won’t try to do everything at once. He’s happy “doing the things I’ve wanted to do within the church,” and is looking forward to doing “more and more. It’s like a farm,” he recognizes, all the work never gets done. Yet he likes the thought of “harvesting people” rather than blueberries. The Berdings moved to Atlanta 21 years ago from Cincinnati. They have six children between 35 and 26, and seven grandchildren, plus “two on the way.”

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RAFAEL CINTRON, 40, has “two gifts from God that he must share with the Church.”

The first is his mother tongue, Spanish, which inspired his ministry to Hispanics. About a year ago he and his wife Ana Nilsa began evangelizing among Hispanic families in a neighborhood between Lilburn and Snellville. This developed after Ana Nilsa, an Eucharistic minister at St. John Neumann, took Communion to a woman suffering from cancer. Her visit heightened awareness the couple was experiencing that God was calling them to become involved with the poor living mainly in apartment communities nearby.

“We have learned much. We share their lives, their problems, their joys,” Deacon Cintron says. When they began, he adds, Sister Olivia Cardenas, RFR, a Mexican Franciscan, accompanied them. “She opened up a lot of doors.”

Now the Cintrons go frequently to the neighborhood. Mrs. Cintron holds Bible study, other involved parishioners teach English, some assist through the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Deacon Cintron sees the ministry as a pioneering one in Gwinnett County where other congregations are diligent in their cultivating of Hispanics. “It’s a big battle, we need so many volunteers,” he says.

His second talent has been used in installing parish computer systems. St. John Neumann benefited from this expertise since the family moved there in 1980. Earlier, he helped install a system at Holy Cross parish in Tucker.

“I was ordained to be a deacon for everyone,” he says. “I’m looking forward to being a deacon for all the parish. I’m trying, with God’s help, and I need a lot of help.” And he is quick to say that he receives much help from his wife. From Puerto Rico, the Cintrons have two sons, 8 and 11.

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ERNEST A. DIAMON, JR., 48, traces his decision to enter the diaconate program to an ultimatum from his wife Doris. It came at a time in his life when he had stopped going to church and she was concerned about the religious education of their three daughters, now aged 26 to 18.

If he didn’t take the girls to church, Doris told him, she would take them to her own church, the Church of Christ. Her challenge roused them from his indifference and started him on the journey of faith that resulted in his ordination as a deacon June 24. He had his wife’s unfailing support and prayers from the beginning.

The Diamons have lived in the area since June, 1962, and since it was begun in 1965. His ministry will be parish-centered; visiting the sick and shut-in and trying to get others involved in this ministry; teaching in the RCIA program and adult education.

He has been involved in parish CCDE, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and Cursillo. Along the way to his ordination, he has received fine support from Father Frank Giusta, pastor, and the other priest at the parish.

Deacon Diamon works for LaRoche Industries, Inc., manufacturer and distributor of fertilizer materials. He is a native of Pennsylvania.

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WILLIAM D. EDWARDS, 65, a member of Corpus Christi parish since 1982, expects to help “wherever I’m needed.”

As one of two deacons in that large Stone Mountain parish, he hopes to assist with liturgies and continue working with the marriage preparation program as a sponsoring couple with his wife Peggy.

The homeless, the aged and the sick will likely come into his helping orbit. “I’d like to do a little bit of everything,” he says.

The three years of the diaconate program were enjoyable for him. He admits there were times when he “had to dig for it” and pursue research in other books than the course text. For him it was a pleasant diversion.

Deacon Edwards says the idea of entering the diaconate had been with him for about five years and received the encouragement of his pastor, Father Thomas Kenny. Throughout the three years of his diaconate preparation both pastor and parishioners have been most supportive, he acknowledges. Fellow members of the men’s weekend organization gave him a stole he wore when he assisted at his first Mass at Corpus Christi.

The new deacon, a retired mortgage underwriter, and Peggy Edwards have two children and three grandchildren. They have lived in Atlanta for 35 years. He is a native of West Virginia.

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TIMOTHY KIRKSEY, 40, says his main ministry will be working for the handicapped and disabled in his parish, St. John Neumann in Lilburn. Although the program he heads is just beginning, “We were able to make positive changes” while the remodeling of the sanctuary and parish hall was in progress. He mentioned two changes. One was the cutting short of two front pews so people in wheelchairs could sit with their families, rather than out in the aisle. The pew cuts will also permit the elderly with diminished eyesight and hearing to participate more fully in the Mass.

Another change was the connecting of an amplifier with the sound system. This enables the hearing impaired to follow the Liturgy with a lightweight set of headphones provided by the parish while sitting anywhere in the church.

The changes, Deacon Kirksey says, “Make a statement that they (handicapped and disabled) are a viable part of our community.”

A goal of the program will be the establishment of a respite program for parents or guardians of the severely handicapped which would bring volunteers into the home to permit caretakers a few hours of relaxation.

The new deacon, a manufacturers’ representative, says his wife Julie “supports me totally in my ministry” while juggling her roles as wife, mother of two children, 11 and 12, and music teacher.

Their parish involvement includes the CCD home program. They are part of a six-family group that meets in homes after Sunday morning Mass. It is a good program, he finds, directed primarily to the education of children. In the realized home atmosphere, he says, the youngsters have the chance to see their parents actively involved.

The Kirkseys have been members of St. John Neumann for about nine years.

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DONALD W. MARICHILDON, 52 in August, is one of the deacons working fulltime in the service of the Church. He is secretary, parish administrator and coordinator of adult education for Father John Fallon at St. Joseph’s in Athens.

Along with those duties he is involved with the needs of the Hispanic community, both families in the parish and the transients, and plans to study Spanish.

There are also calls for his ministry from the hospitals in Athens so he doesn’t see any lack of work.

Deacon Marchildon retired in September, 1986, after 30 years in the federal civil service. His work was in electronics with the Department of Defense.

After his retirement, he spent eight months “as a housewife. It just didn’t work.” He went to Father Richard Kieran, then pastor at St. Joseph’s. “Here I am. What can I do?” Already in the lay ministry program, he elected to go on to the permanent diaconate at the end of two years. His wife Ellen Ruth attended some of the classes with him. She works fulltime at the University of Georgia library.

From Palatine, Ill., they have been in Athens for 15 years. They have four children, from 29 to 17 years of age.

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PATRCIK O’CONNOR, 60, on ordination day, June 24, has brought to fulfillment an interest in the permanent diaconate. Living in other dioceses in the past, he has considered the commitment, but felt other responsibilities in his life prevented it. Now that his family is grown, he sees the opportunity to serve the Church in this way.

He and his wife, Doris, have six grown children, the youngest is 26, and several grandchildren. Originally from Kansas City, he has lived in New Orleans and Shreveport, La. And Little Rock before Atlanta. Employed by Georgia Pacific, he has lived here seven years and was among a group asked by St. Catherine of Siena pastor Father Leo Herbert to consider the diaconate three years ago. Three of the original group at St. Catherine’s in Kennesaw were ordained June 24.

They will help Father Herbert and Father Richard Brennan, parochial vicar, on Sundays at the 1,500 family parish, Deacon O’Connor said. The first Sunday of the month the three deacons will preach at all five parish Masses; the other Sundays they will rotate preaching at the 11 o’clock Mass. Deacon O’Connor also expects to help in visiting the sick and hospitalized and in other liturgical celebrations at the parish, such as Benediction. “We’re planning a lot of things,” he said.

Father Herbert reminded them the order of priorities for deacons is “first your family, second your job, third your parish work.” Then the pastor said, “You must remind me of this after you’re ordained.”

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ROBERT (TIM) RAGAN, 43, was the only deacon in the group to take the vow of celibacy. He credits his ordination to Father Alan Dillmann. With the priest he visited the sick and the dying, particularly persons with AIDS (PWAs). When Father Dillmann, who is chaplain at Grady Hospital and Fulton County Jail, suggested he enter the diaconate program he at first rejected the idea. “I thought and prayed about it. He kept pursuing me, like The Hound of Heaven nipping at my heels.”

A caseworker with Family and Children’s Service of Fulton County, he has been attending the Shrine of Immaculate Conception in Downtown Atlanta for two years and is warmly supported by Father John Adamski, pastor, as well as Father Dillmann.

He is hopeful of doing more ministry in the historic downtown parish, where there is a real need to minister to PWAs, he said. “We are a servant Church and this is an area where we need to serve.”

“If God leads me to other ways of ministry, I’ll do what I’m told,” he said.

In his first homily, at a Shrine healing Mass for PWAs on June 24, he preached on the Gospel message of “taking up the Cross and giving our lives to Christ. This is what we are all called to do,” he told the congregation.

Deacon Ragan grew up in a “devout” Catholic home in Savannah and has been in Atlanta more than 10 years. He did graduate study in psychology and education at Emory University and Georgia State.

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LORIS SINANIAN, 51, baptized three infants the day after his ordination as permanent deacon. Since an entirely new pastoral staff led by Father Michael Woods has come to St. Jude’s in Sandy Springs, he is uncertain what other duties he will have. He is sure that the infant baptism program including instruction for the parents is his responsibility.

His former pastor, Father William Hoffman, whetted his interest in the lay ministry program three years ago, he said. During the second year of the program after much praying over his direction, he felt called to enter the deacon formation program.

His wife Peggy, who is in the pro-life office for the archdiocese, studied along with him in the lay ministry program and received her certificate.

Deacon Sinanian is active as spiritual director for the parish Ultreya group, works with the Respect Life committee, and the parish deferred giving. He is president of the First Friday Club of Atlanta.

He is executive director of the Faith Enrichment Institute being formed in the archdiocese to reinforce the teachings of the Church through educational programs for adults and young people.

The Sinanians have four grown children, 29 to 23. They have been in Atlanta and at St. Jude’s for 18 years. He is a financial planner with Robinson Humphrey.

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JOHN STRACHAN, 44, new deacon at St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Alpharetta, traces his journey toward the permanent diaconate back to a Cursillo weekend he made in 1985. As it has in many lives, the weekend of reflection upon the truths of Christianity, and the witness of other Catholics, “had a dramatic impact upon my life,” he said. From there began “a gentle nudge all the way up to today,” June 24, the day of his ordination.

Another significant moment came in his first diaconate class when he heard a talk on Catholic social teaching given by Father Richard Kieran. “It started a struggle in my own heart,” he said, that has continued to impel him to confront, study and speak about the Catholic Church’s teaching in the areas of peace and social justice. He would like to continue this emphasis as a permanent deacon.

A group at St. Thomas Aquinas, including Deacon Strachan, has formed since a Lenten study several years ago of the U.S. bishops’ pastoral on the American economy and Catholic social teaching. Part of their response is to continue to raise awareness in the parish and elsewhere of challenging Church teaching in this area. “You quote a social justice encyclical and people say they’ve never heard that before,” Deacon Strachan said. “That’s kind of bad. And then you say why haven’t they heard it before?…” he said he, along with other Catholics, struggles with the difficult challenge of social justice teachings.

A computer project leader for General Electric Capital Corp., he and his wife, Joy, have two children, a son, John, and a daughter, Heather. This spring, in addition to his ordination, his daughter graduated from high school and his wife received her associate’s degree from DeKalb College.

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NORMAN VIGUE, 53, is one of several of this year’s group of deacons who are serving the archdiocese of Atlanta, rather than another diocese, because of a job transfer.

A longtime employee of IBM corp., who retired in November, 1988, Deacon Vigue first became interested in studying for the diaconate when he worked in Oklahoma in 1979. The vibrancy of the Catholic Church there, as contrasted with his experiences in the Northeast for many years, drew him toward service. Two quick transfers, from Oklahoma back to New York to Atlanta, prevented his acting upon the desire. Three and a half years ago, he and his wife, Patricia, settled here and St. Catherine of Siena in Kennesaw had a candidate for the diaconate.

The Vigues ware parents of eight children; the youngest is 11 and the oldest is 30. Since retirement he has opened a woodworking shop and is making rocking horses. One of three deacons at St. Catherine, he is particularly interested in hospital ministry and ministry to the sick. Going through the hospitalization and illnesses of both his parents, now deceased, has attracted him to caring in special ways for those in hospitals. “They need special care and TLC” from visitors in addition to their family members, Deacon Vigue said.

A native of Boston, he and his family lived for 14 years in Poughkeepsie, New York, before being transferred to Oklahoma. He still recalls the impact of the man who came up to him his first Sunday in a new parish and warmly welcomed and greeted him.

(Other deacon profiles will appear in the July 20 issues.)