Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney ordained 10 men Saturday as permanent deacons to serve the diocese at a Mass in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. He urged the new deacons to be “witnesses of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist” and to “keep the Eucharist at the center of your lives, families, and ministries.”
Bishop Sweeney ordained the following men to the permanent diaconate: Deacon Karl Alorbi and Deacon James Edward Caulfield, both of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany; Deacon Kevin J. DeCoursey of Holy Family Parish in Florham Park; Deacon David Galdi of St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester; Deacon Paweł Halat of Holy Trinity Parish in Passaic; Deacon Eric Kispert of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township; Deacon Victor Javier Piedrasanta of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Hardyston; Deacon John J. Robayo and Deacon George M. Sensale, both of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Sparta; and Deacon Frank Vezzuto of St. Mary Parish in Dover.
As men of faith called by the Church to serve God and his people, these deacons are responsible for helping the bishop and his priests in the ministry of the Word, the altar, and charity. They are to proclaim the Gospel, prepare and dispense the Eucharist, give instruction in holy doctrine, prepare for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and to preside over baptisms, marriages, funerals, and public prayer. Deacons also carry out acts of charity in the name of the bishop and pastor.
“Live the Mass. You are to invite, bring back and welcome so many to Mass, the sacraments, and Holy Communion by example to a deeper appreciation of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist,” Bishop Sweeney, main celebrant, and homilist for the Mass, told the deacons — and all baptized Catholics.
Bishop Sweeney made this directive before the Paterson Diocese held an Evening of Eucharistic Revival the next day, on the Feast of Corpus Christi at Corpus Christi parish in Chatham Township. It is part of the diocese’s participation in what is now the second year of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival in the Church in the United States. The bishop also referred to a Pew study in 2019 that found only 31 percent of Catholics believed in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
The bishop presided over the Rite of Ordination, steeped in the rich traditions and rites of the early Church. Concelebrants of the Mass included pastors of the candidates and priests from around the diocese. At the Mass, deacons assisted, and many of the newly ordained deacons’ wives took part in the celebration as readers, gift bearers, and servers.
One of the newly ordained, Deacon Kispert of Notre Dame, said, “I’m excited, grateful for God’s call, and relieved that five years of formation are over.”
“As a deacon, I want to get more involved in bringing others to Christ through my [diaconal] responsibilities and through retreats, small-group faith sharing, and personal witness — at Notre Dame and beyond,” Deacon Kispert said.
After the Mass, Deacon Peter Cistaro, director of the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate, told The Beacon, “This is an outstanding group of men.”
“Their faith, perseverance, and support of each other through formation were exemplary. The new deacons will be a great asset to their parishes,” said Deacon Cistaro, who also thanked their wives and families for their continued support.