WHAT: Eight Men will be Ordained Permanent Deacons, a Ninth will be Ordained a Transitional Deacon
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 11 (Procession and live streaming video will begin at approximately at 2:20 p.m.)
WHERE: Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption, 615 Hoyt Ave, Saginaw
SAGINAW- Eight men will be ordained permanent deacons by the Most Rev. Joseph R. Cistone, Bishop of Saginaw, on June 11. This will be the largest group in the history of the diocese, part of a nationwide trend that has seen the number of permanent deacons rise from 898 in 1975 to 18,173 in 2016. The diocese currently has 12 permanent deacons in active ministry.
The candidates being ordained to the permanent diaconate include: Daniel Corbat, St. Brigid of Kildare Parish, Midland; Lawrence Deford, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Midland; Librado (Larry) Gayton, St. Joseph Parish, Saginaw; Steven George, Holy Spirit Parish, Shields; Timothy Hartwig, St. Jude Thaddeus Parish, Essexville; Kenneth Kochany, Our Lady of Peace Parish, Bay City; Todd Lovas, Nativity of the Lord Parish, Alma; and Richard (Rick) Warner, St. John Vianney Parish, Saginaw.
Also during the Mass, Bishop Cistone will ordain Dr. Jerome (Jerry) Green, pastoral administrator of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Shepherd, to the transitional diaconate. This means that he, unlike the other eight, plans to continue discerning priesthood for the Diocese of Saginaw.
Mr. Warner, Mr. Gayton and Dr. Green are three of nine men who will be ordained this weekend. Each has a unique story, background, call and desire to serve the Church. While the men have wide-ranging backgrounds, from the insurance industry to religious education, each has a servant's heart.
"I want to serve God's people," said Richard Warner, of Saginaw. "Whether at my job or in ministry, I seek to help and serve others. I want to ease their daily burdens."
Mr. Warner currently works as a director at Dow Chemical - a career which has taken him to four continents. Despite his often grueling work schedule, Mr. Warner has embraced the Deacon Formation Program for the past four years and looks forward to carrying out works of charity, baptizing, proclaiming the Gospel, and much more.
Mr. Librado Gayton, a semi retired attorney from Saginaw, who will also be ordained on Sunday, is equally excited.
"People have encouraged me to become a deacon and the Lord is leading me this way," said Mr. Gayton. "I'm particularly looking forward to serving the Spanish-speaking community, as well as reaching out to immigrants and others in need."
All are welcome and encouraged to attend this Mass. A live stream of the Mass also will be available on this website, and on the diocesan Facebook page.
About Deacons
Deacons are ordained ministers of the Catholic Church. They perform works of mercy, preach, teach, baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and much more. More information about the diaconate may be found at: http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/diaconate/faqs.cfm Those interested in applying for the Permanent Deacon Formation Program for the Diocese of Saginaw may contact Dr. Dan Osborn at diaconate@dioceseofsaginaw.org or 989.797.6662.