A group of 14 men from North Georgia parishes completed the second of four years of preparation for ordination to the permanent diaconate recently.

They were installed in the ministry of lector at a Mass celebrated by visiting Bishop W. Thomas Larkin, retired ordinary of St. Petersburg, Fla., June 4 at Holy Spirit Church in Atlanta.

The class and their wives then took part in a weekend retreat at Holy Spirit Church in Atlanta.

The class and their wives then took part in a weekend retreat at Carmel Retreat Center in Hoschton.

Formerly a three-year program, preparation now has been extended to four years with half of the final year spent in supervised ministry. Continued scrutiny of the candidates also takes place, according to Alfred Mitchell, director of the office of the permanent diaconate. The current group was selected from 48 applicants, he said.

Those receiving the ministry of lector at Holy Spirit Church in Atlanta were Michael Capozza from St. Oliver Plunkett parish, Snellville; John Jansen from St. Pius X, Conyers; Jerry Korte from Sacred Heart of Jesus parish, Hartwell; William Lange from St. Benedict’s, Duluth; William F. McCarthy, from St. Philip Benizi parish, Jonesboro; Tilton Meuninck from St. Gabriel Mission, Fayetteville; Michael Mobley from St. John the Evangelist, Hapeville; Stanley Prawdzik from Sacred Heart, Griffin; Robert Readdy and Robert Rich, both from St. James the Apostle, McDonough; Thomas Shuler from Holy Spirit, Atlanta; James E. Stone from St. John Neumann, Lilburn; Jim G. Weeks from St. Matthew’s, Fairburn; and J. Eugene Whitmeyer from Corpus Christi, Stone Mountain.

At the same ceremony, seminarian Luis Zarama received the ministries of lector and acolyte.