Bishop Ordained Eight Men as Permanent Deacons on Sept. 25

On Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, eight men were ordained to the Order of the Deaconate at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden.

The new deacons are:

— Deacon Omar M. Aguilar, a lawyer from Sicklerville, who is assigned at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral (his home parish), and will work in the ministries of Social Justice, Hispanic Ministries, and the Tribunal;

— Deacon Anthony R. Cioe, a Vice-President in Sales from Our Lady of Hope, Blackwood, who is assigned to St. Stephen, Pennsauken, and will serve in the ministries of Evangelization and Tribunal;

— Deacon Russell O. Davis, the diocesan Stewardship Director from St. John Bosco, Millville, who will serve at St. John Bosco and St. Mary Magdalen, Millville, in Stewardship;

— Deacon Robert P. Foley, a Field Manager in Computer Services from Our Lady of Hope, Blackwood, who will serve at Our Lady of Hope in Diocesan Scouting and Youth Ministries;

— Deacon Ken Laughlin, a Retired Educator from St. Catherine Siena in Clayton, who will serve at Corpus Christi, Carneys Point; Queen of the Apostles, Pennsville; St. Mary, Salem; and St. James, Penns Grove, serving in Religious Education;

— Deacon Roberto P. Rodriguez, a driver from Divine Mercy, Vineland, who will serve at Divine Mercy and work in Healthcare and Evangelization Ministries;

— Deacon Samuel Soto, a Community Advisor from Divine Mercy, Vineland, who is assigned to St. Bridget, Glassboro and Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and will serve in Healthcare and Hispanic Ministries; and

— Deacon Jose Rene Zayas, a landscaping foreman from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Camden, who will serve at the Cathedral in Prison and Hispanic Ministries.

Through the imposition of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit by Bishop Joseph A. Galante, the eight men were ordained. After being called by Deacon Leo McBlain, Director of the Office of the Diaconate, the men were presented to the bishop, who affirmed that “we choose these, our brothers for the Order of the Diaconate.”

Next came the Promise of the Elect, where each candidate came forward, placing his hands on the bishop, and promising obedience to the bishop. In the Litany of Supplication, the candidates prostrated themselves in prayer, as a sign of humility.

The laying on of hands and prayer of ordination followed, and the newly ordained were then vested with their stole and dalmatic. Finally, the bishop presented each deacon with a Book of the Gospels, symbolic of their duty to preach the faith in word and deed, and sealed the deacons’ admittance in their ministry with the fraternal kiss.

For newly-ordained Deacon Russell Davis, who will serve at the Millville parishes of St. Mary Magdalen and St. John Bosco, and work with a men’s prayer group and RCIA, the day was a time to reflect on “the gratitude I have, for the formation that’s occurred throughout my life, that brought me to the diaconate.”

Deacon Davis also recalled the influence loved ones have had on him, or the other seven newly-ordained, in recognizing their God-given talents.

“At one point, someone has told each of us, ‘You’d make a good deacon.’”

For Deacon Davis, who is married with three adult sons, the formal six-year formation program for the diaconate might be over, but the learning will continue, everyday.

“I want to continuously find better ways to serve,” he said. “I want to give back to God, because of the blessings of my family, community. I realize how blessed I am.”

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