Permanent Diaconate

Items of Interest

Deacon Modesto Reyes Aponte

Deacon Modesto Reyes Aponte, ordained in the Class of 1975, entered eternal life on Friday, February 21, 2020.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Puerto Rico. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at st. Rocco Church, Union City, at a later date.

United in the sure hope of the Resurrection of all who are faithful, we thank God for the gift of Deacon Aponte's life and ministry, and we ask Him to touch our brother's loved ones with His peace.

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.

REVISED Procedure for Ministering Outside of the Archdiocese

Click HERE for the latest guidelines.

The memorandum dated May 8, 2013 from Deacon McKenna 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.

The Permanent Diaconate in the Archdiocese of Newark

Some general information about the Permanent Diaconate can be found HERE.

It has been more than fifty 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

Intercessory Prayer for Religious Freedom

The prayer below was composed by Deacon Jim Tobin and posted here with approval of Deaon John McKenna. It is a suggestion for use at Masses in our Archdiocese:

That American Catholics will listen to the teachings of the US Catholic Bishops; become aware of the intrinsic evil being forced on Catholic institutions by the HHS Mandate and pray that the leaders of this country will have a change of heart and allow religious liberty, "Our first and most Cherished Freedom"

Let us pray to the Lord. 

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.

 

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                          Director of Selection and Formation
                                            
                                           Rev. James Teti

                               Director of Deacon Personnel
                                             
                                   Deacon John J. McKenna

                                      Associate Directors
                                              
                  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 Andrew Zucaro

                                               Essex

                                          
       Deacon Emeruwa Anyanwu        Deacon Walter Wiggins

                                             Hudson
                                          
               Deaon Steve Lipski         Deacon Michael Missaggia

                                              Union
                                          
              Deacon David Farrell           Deacon Michael York

                                              Hispanic
                                          
             Deacon Jorg Montalvo       Deacon Pedro Herrera

                                            Publicity           
                                         
                                  Deacon Ed Campanella

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.