Skip to main content

Permanent Diaconate

Items of Interest

Link to the Presentation on Natural Family Planning: https://youtu.be/cMA4aFxP4JQ and Respect Life Powerpoint

Deacon James J. Puliatte Enters Eternal Life

James J. Puliatte “Deacon Jim”, 78, of Norwood, NJ, entered into the loving arms of our Lord and Savior on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. He was the devoted husband of Elaine C. (nee Cavalli). Beloved father of Jennifer Brunet, Justin, Jonathan and his wife Stacy and James and his wife Brianne. Proud and loving grandfather of James, Alex, Sara, Ella, AJ, Avary, Austin, Maverick and Atlas. Dearest brother of Rosemary Misstretta and her husband Peter. Also survived by many other loving relatives and cherished friends.

 
Jim was a Roman Catholic Deacon ordained on June 12, 1977.  He served at Immaculate Conception Church in Norwood for many years and most recently was at St. Joseph’s Church in Demarest. He owned and operated Bruno Ravioli in New York City and Hackensack before retiring. He was a graduate of Fort Lee High School and Fairleigh Dickinson College and attended Broadcasting School.
 
Jim dedicated his life to serving others. He adored his family, his community,the parishes he served and most of all, his God. He will be truly and dearly missed by all who knew him. May he rest in peace.
 
Visiting hours are Friday, May 19, 2023 from 2-7 PM at St. Joseph RC Church, 573 Piermont Road, Demarest, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 10 AM at St. Joseph Church with interment to follow at Rockland Cemetery, Sparkill, NY.
 
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.  Deacon Jim would want others to benefit from your kindness.

 

Have you seen "The Deacon?"

Since its rebirth at the Second Vatican Council, the diaconate has had a profound effect on the Church. The ministry composed of mostly married men has enhanced the liturgy, eased the pressure demanded of the priest, improved communication between the lay faithful and the clergy and helped educate the parish on matters of service to others and prayer by filling the roles of mentor, a welcoming ear and a true servant of the people of the Church.
 
The deacon, “servant,” is an ordained assistant to priests responsible for such ministerial duties as preaching, baptizing, witnessing marriages, distributing Communion, preaching and, at times, presiding at funerals. The deacon often has many duties in the parish away from the altar. These include the training of servers and other liturgical ministers; sacramental preparation classes for marriage and baptism; sometimes running the RCIA program or teaching the parish school religion classes.
 
All of this service didn’t happen by accident. The diaconate formation programs have, for the most part, over the years, improved by leaps and bounds. The National Directory for the Life of Permanent Deacons requires continuing education for deacons. Since 1975, no organization has filled that role better than the National Diaconate Institute for Continuing Education, NDICE for short. The sole mission of NDICE is to promote the continuing education of deacons.
 
 

Prayer for Deacons

We praise you, Father, Creator of all things,
Who teaches us how to love and
Who guides us on our journey of service.
 
Have mercy on us, forgive us our failings, and
Show us the way to be faithful servants.
 
We thank you for our families
and the faith communities who support us,
and we ask You to bless and watch over them.
 
Give us the grace to open our minds and hearts
as we grow in wisdom, faith and love of You
and Your Word.
 
Send down Your Spirit, Lord, to sustain us
as we accept Your call to be Heralds of Your Word,
servants at Your Table and Ministers of charity
to Your people.
 
With the intercession of Blessed Mary, Mother of God, St. John the Baptist,
who inspires us to be Your voice, and all Your saintly deacons.
 
We pray in the name of Jesus, Our Lord and Savior,
In union with the Holy Spirit.
 
Amen.
 
Composed by Deacon candidates of the Diocese of Sprinfield, MA.

Online Liturgy of the Hours

A website has the apprioved English version (ICEL 1976) of the Liturgy of the Hours available online. It is quite comprehesive with: Invitatiory Psalm, Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer and Night Prayer, as well as hymns! It gives page numbers for both the four-volume and single volume versions. A podcast is also available so you can listen if reading is inconvenient. An excellent resource anytime, but especially when traveling with your smartphone or laptop. The URL is http://divineoffice.org.

Procedure for Ministering Outside of the Archdiocese

The procedure has been incorporated into the Deacon Manual at the end of the last Appendix. See "Handbook for Permanent Deacons" in "Archives" at the right for details, or click HERE.

The Permanent Diaconate in the Archdiocese of Newark

It has been more than fifty years since the restoration of the Permanent Diaconate (Diaconatus Ordinem) in 1967, and forty-six years since the ordination of the first class of permanent deacons in 1975. At that time 77 men were ordained by Archbishop Gerety, considerably reduced from 200 who had applied and the 144 who began the probationary period. Since that time, the permanent diaconate program in Newark has seen many changes as both the theology and the praxis of the diaconate has developed and evolved under the influence of experience and guidance of the Holy Spirit. As in almost all areas of the world where the permanent diaconate has taken root, it has grown and generally has exceeded expectations, not only in the numbers of men called to this ordained ministry, but in the quality of its witness "as icons of Christ the servant." A listing of significant events in the history of the permanent diaconate in Newark is given in Appendix A from the booklet "A History of 25 Years of Service" presented at the Annual Assembly of Deacons in the Jubilee Year 2000.

Pax et Bonum

Madonna Murillo

From the Directory for Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons, Congregation for the Clergy, n. 57, we are given this exhortation: "Love for Christ and for His Church is profoundly linked to love of the Blessed Virgin Mary, handmaid of the Lord. With her unique title of Mother, she was the selfless helper of her divine Son's diaconia (cf. John 19:25-27). Love of the Mother of God, based on faith and expressed in daily recitation of the rosary, imitation of her virtues and trust in her, are indeed signs of authentic filial devotion. With deep veneration and affection Mary looks on every deacon....This love of the Virgin Mary, handmaid of the Lord, which is born and rooted in the word, will cause deacons to imitate her life. In this way a Marian dimension is introduced into the Church which is very close to the vocation of the deacon.

 


Director of Selection and Formation

Msgr. Joseph R. Chapel

Director of Deacon Personnel

Deacon John J. McKenna

Associate Directors
Joseph Yandoli No Photo Available

Deacon Joseph Yandoli Deacon James Tobin

Continuing Education

Deacon Andrew Saunders

Council of Permanent Deacons
Executive Committee

President Vice President Secretary
                         
Deacon Michael York Deacon Walter Wiggins Deacon Steve Lipski

County Representatives
Bergen

                      
Deacon Andrew Golden          Deacon Michael Giuliano

Essex

                      
Deacon Emeruwa Anyanwu      Deacon Walter Wiggins

Hudson
                       
                    Deacon Michael Missaggia

Union
                      
Deacon David Farrell            Deacon Michael York

Hispanic
                      

Deacon Jorge Montalvo            Deacon Pedro Herrera

Publicity

To be determined

For information about the diaconate program in the Archdiocese of Newark, or questions about the diaconate in general, email us at john.mckenna@rcan.orgi.

Contact Us

Comments and suggestions about the website may be directed to the webmaster, Deacon Bob Gurske at deacongurske@stbartholomewchurch.org.

For information about the diaconate program in the Archdiocese of Newark, or questions about the diaconate in general, email us at john.mckenna@rcan.org.