By GRETCHEN KEISER

Fourteen men preparing to serve the church as permanent deacons took a step toward that day when they were instituted to the ministry of acolyte in McDonough April 16.

The parish of St. James, home parish for two of the 14, hosted the Saturday morning celebration presided over by Archbishop John F. Donoghue.

A class displaying the geographic scope of the archdiocese, it has only one member from an Atlanta parish, while the rest come from small cities and suburbs of the North Georgia area.

Three-quarters come from parishes or missions with no permanent deacon or only one, said Alfred Mitchell, director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate.

“This is the first group I’ve spent this much time with. I’ve gotten to know this group better. It has been interesting to watch them progress,” Mitchell said.

They were installed as lectors last year and will be admitted to candidacy in May 1995.

The first name of each man was displayed inside St. James Church on banners handmade by the parish Confirmation class, said Redemptorist pastor Father George Phillips.

Robert Readdy and Robert Rich, both of Locust Grove, are St. James parishioners in the class, which is scheduled to be ordained June 10, 1995.

Proud families and friends, along with priests from their home parishes, filled the church while Archbishop Donoghue celebrated Mass, called the candidates by name and after preaching the homily, symbolically presented each with the vessels used on the altar.

The role of acolyte is “a logical step” on the road to the diaconate, the archbishop said in his homily, because at the altar acolytes can consider “the ongoing sacrifice and memorial of our Lord Jesus Christ” which brigs salvation to souls and strength to the Church.

“I can tell you from personal experience,” he added, “that an increasing involvement in the mystery of the Eucharist will provide you with more strength, with more durability, with more courage than any other spiritual tonic you could receive.”

The archbishop also told the class, 13 of whom are married, that their marriages enhance their ministry and are a good example, particularly to youth. “How can they not be moved to an understanding of good, when they see a devout Catholic couple, the man offering himself to the ordained service of the Church, and the wife, whose ministry is also constant, offering strength in time of weakness, providing support in times of isolation, counsel in the shadow of doubt, and consolation in the time of defeat,” the archbishop said.

Preparation for the permanent diaconate has been extended from three years to four after a review of the formation process was carried out by Archbishops Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, and James P. Lyke, OFM. Also only one class is in formation at a time, which means that this is the first since the class of 1991 and, at this time, the only group in process.

The fourth year of study has permitted the addition of another year of homiletics, a segment on the Order of Christian Initiation, a second year of New Testament study, and additional ministry time, said Mitchell. All the men attend a full day of study 20 Saturdays a year, are required to have a spiritual director and mentor, and complete two summer ministry projects over the four years, he said. To be accepted for the class, they also undergo psychological screening, a family interview and must be recommended by their pastor. Forty-five applied for the class originally.

The fourteen, in addition to the two from St. James parish are: Michael Capozza, St. Oliver Plunkett, Snellville; John Jansen, St. Pius X, Conyers; Jerry Korte, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Hartwell; William Lange, St. Benedict’s, Duluth; William McCarthy, St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro; Tilton Meuninck, St. Gabriel Mission, Fayetteville; Michael Mobley, St. John the Evangelist, Hapeville; Stanley Prawdzik, Sacred Heart, Griffin; Thomas Shuler, Holy Spirit, Atlanta; James Stone, St. John Neumann, Lilburn; Jim Weeks, St. Matthew’s, Fairburn; and Eugene Whitmeyer, Corpus Christi, Stone Mountain.