Permanent Diaconate marks 50th anniversary

The Permanent Diaconate of the Paterson Diocese celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Since the first class in 1974, 339 deacons have been ordained to serve the diocese. Currently, 91 deacons serve in active ministry. There are now eight men in formation who anticipate being ordained in 2026. For the anniversary, The Beacon profiled two deacons: Deacon Stephen Marabeti from the first class in 1974 and Deacon James Caulfield from the latest class in 2023.
 

Deacon Stephen Marabeti strives “to set the scene” in his homilies. He wants to drop churchgoers of his parish, St. Joseph in Lincoln Park, in the middle of the action of bible stories from the readings each week. He tries to make them feel they are watching Jesus drive out the moneychangers in the temple or arrive in Jerusalem as King and Savior on Palm Sunday.

It takes Deacon Marabeti about eight hours to write each homily. He conducts historical and Scriptural research but spends most of his time getting every word of the story — and his faith-filled message — just right. At some point in the process, the Holy Spirit takes over.

“I memorize the homily but write it out to make it clear in my mind. When I finish writing, I say, ‘That’s not me. It’s better [thanks to the Holy Spirit].’ I still worry that it goes over well with parishioners,” said Deacon Marabeti, 84. This year, he celebrates his 50th anniversary as a permanent deacon in the Paterson Diocese serving St. Joseph’s. “Whatever I’m doing, I put my whole heart into it.”

Deacon Marabeti has been giving his “whole heart” even before he was ordained in 1974 in the first class in the diocese’s permanent diaconate. He belonged to the steering committee that helped start the program with Msgr. Kenneth Lasch, now retired, directed by Bishop Lawrence Casey, fifth bishop of Paterson. Through his work with the U.S. Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Permanent Diaconate, he traveled around the country to encourage other dioceses to start diaconate programs.

“The permanent diaconate benefits the Church. We are laymen who are ordained clergy. We have one foot in the clergy and one in the laity. We can bring the concerns of the laity to the Church. We live like they do whether single or married,” said Deacon Marabeti, who has never been married and has no children.

Since his ordination, Deacon Marabeti has “grown up with St. Joseph’s” under six pastors.

“I’m not holy, but I love doing Jesus’ work. Like we’re all called to do, I love Jesus by loving others — doing things for them so they can live better lives physically, spiritually, and mentally,” Deacon Marabeti said. “I also have learned something from all my pastors, including forgiveness, enthusiasm, and not worrying so much.”

Since his youth, Deacon Marabeti has felt a call to ordained ministry. A Franciscan priest who served in his parish, St. Ann in Fair Lawn, influenced him. He studied with the religious order but left priestly formation. Then, Deacon Marabeti pursued a career in education. He taught history at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne from 1964 to 1969. Afterward, he taught history and other subjects at Parsippany Hills High School for 32 years before retiring.

Deacon Marabeti’s influence extends beyond St. Joseph’s and the classroom. In Lincoln Park, he served as a councilman and as mayor. He inspired many people, including James Barberio, Parsippany mayor, to pursue politics.

“Deacon Stephen is affable, genuine, and extremely kind. People like him. He gives beautiful and meaningful homilies,” said Sister Ellen Byrnes, a Franciscan Sister of Peace and St. Joseph’s pastoral associate. She said Deacon Marabeti views his ministry through the deacon’s words at the end of Mass to send forth the congregation “to bring God’s message to the world by loving one another.”
 

Deacon James Caulfield of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany calls it an “explosion of faith.”

For much of his life, Deacon Caulfield felt disconnected from his faith — attending Mass but not deriving much meaning from it. But God had other plans — eventually calling this cradle Catholic to serve him and his people as a permanent deacon in the Paterson Diocese. Already, Deacon Caulfield is experiencing a burst of faith ministering at St. Peter’s since his ordination in June of last year.

“My vocation as a deacon was not part of my grand plan. This is God,” said Deacon Caulfield, 63, an elementary school music teacher in Parsippany and a married father of four and grandfather of three.

Deacon Caulfield loves performing his duties as a deacon, such as preaching at Mass, visiting the homebound, comforting the grieving, and presiding over baptisms, like one for his granddaughter, Eden, in January.

A pianist, Deacon Caulfield expressed hope for his new vocation in a hymn, “Awaken Me, Lord.” He wrote it before he was ordained last year — part of the latest class of permanent deacons of Paterson. The hymn was played at their ordination and again last month at a convocation to mark the 50th anniversary of the diocesan permanent diaconate. In the piece, Deacon Caulfield pleads, “Awaken me, Lord, with your call…your love…[and] your grace to do your will.”

That awaking took a while for Deacon Caulfield, born into a large Catholic family in Rahway. He was an altar server at his parish and went to the school. His priests, scoutmaster, parents, and large extended family in town inspired him to consider the priesthood and family life.

“They all lived lives of faith. You saw it and felt it,” said Deacon Caulfield, whose faith wandered after confirmation.

Then, Deacon Caulfield met Coleen, a flutist, in his sophomore year of music studies at Montclair State University. Ever faithful, she brought him to Mass each Sunday.

“Coleen never lost her faith, which is important to her,” Deacon Caulfield said. “I felt the Holy Spirit say, ‘Let’s get this guy back [to regular Mass].’”

They married in 1984 and had four children. Exhausted by the rigors of work and family, Deacon Caulfield again lost his connection to the faith, even though he attended Mass. Despite this, he was active at St. Peter’s, playing the organ at Mass and leading pre-Cana marriage prep with Coleen. Eight years ago, Deacon Caulfield was invited to an informational meeting about the diaconate, which “planted the seed in my heart.”

Deacon Caulfield and Coleen, media specialist of the Livingston School District, are proud of their children: Matt, 37; Jamie, 35; and twins, Chris and Michael, 30; and their three grandchildren.

Still in formation, Deacon Caufield first met Father David Pickens, St. Peter’s pastor, in 2019 when he arrived at the parish.

“Deacon Jim has grown in his work as a deacon. He is more confident now than when he was first ordained, which was to be expected. He is a welcome addition to our group of six deacons,” Father Pickens said.