BY SUSAN STEVENOT SULLIVAN

Staff Writer

MARIETTA--Joseph Morris, 40, was ordained to the transitional diaconate on Nov. 21 at Transfiguration Parish. Rev. Mr. Morris completed his divinity degree at Chicago Theological Union earlier this year.

Born in St. Augustine, Fla., he worked as a high school English teacher and as a social worker before beginning his master's in divinity. Rev. Mr. Morris met Msgr. Don Kenny, vocations director for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, while at CTU.

Rev. Mr. Morris was ordained to the transitional diaconate by Archbishop John F. Donoghue at a Mass attended by more than 1,000 people two days before Thanksgiving, according to Transfiguration's pastor, Father Pat Bishop.

"At the ordination," said Father Bishop, "he told the congregation 'I thought I was happy at CTU until I came to Transfiguration. Then I really understood what happiness was.' That made me very proud."

One of the songs used for the diaconate ordination, "The Word Is In Your Heart," has been published and was dedicated to Rev. Mr. Morris by the composer Bob Moore.

Transfiguration is Rev. Mr. Morris' first pastoral assignment. Father Bishop said his duties have included marriage preparation and adult education, but new assignments will be added when he returns from a trip to Europe which followed the ordination.

"He's a good preacher," said Father Bishop. "He interacts very easily and comfortably with people and he is easy to like and spend time with. He is one of the most genuinely good persons I've met."