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Bishop to ordain 13 men as deacons this weekend ∙ Bishop O'Connell's message for Pentecost
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May 16, 2024BISHOP DAVID M. O'CONNELL, C.M., WILL ORDAIN 13 MEN AS DEACONS during a 10 a.m. Mass May 18 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.
Of the 13, one man, Seminarian Alan Bridges, will mark another step on his journey toward priesthood when he is ordained a transitional deacon by Bishop O’Connell.
Ordination as a transitional deacon generally occurs after a seminarian has completed several years of study in theology and takes place usually one year prior to priestly ordination. As a deacon, he will be an ordinary minister of Baptism, and will be able to preside at weddings, assist the priest at Mass, proclaim the Gospel and preach as well as preside at wakes and funeral services.
As a man who is committed to becoming a priest, transitional deacons make a promise of celibacy.
The remaining 12 men will be ordained as permanent deacons for the Diocese. When Bishop O'Connell confers the Sacrament of Holy Orders on them, the men will have the faculties to preach and preside over weddings, Baptisms, wakes and committals. From various careers and life experiences, the men are all married with families. Their five years of formation has included completing studies that are consistent with the intellectual norms established in the National Directory of Formation, Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States.
Read more about the men who will be ordained this weekend HERE.
Watch the livestream HERE.
A MESSAGE FOR PENTECOST FROM BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.
This weekend, we cele
brate with the Church throughout the world the great feast of Pentecost, the feast that commemorates the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church.
The word itself, Pentecost, means “50th day” and it was originally used to identify the annual festival that took place 50 days after the Hebrew Passover when the Jewish people presented thanks to God for the first fruits of the harvest. In the Old Testament, the ancient Hebrews celebrated the arrival of a new agricultural season, 50 days after Passover. In the New Testament, the first Christians celebrated the arrival of a new season of grace through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a new era of salvation history, 50 days after Easter.
Read the full message HERE:
