Suburban deacons among 19 Cardinal Blase Cupich to ordain May 12 at Holy Name Cathedral

The United States Diaconate is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the Archdiocese of Chicago maintaining the largest diaconate worldwide

Submitted by Susan Thomas, Archdiocese of Chicago

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, will ordain 19 permanent deacons at 10 a.m., on Saturday, May 12, at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St., Chicago. The newly ordained deacons will be assigned to their home parishes, which this year includes parishes in: Arlington Heights, Berwyn, Brookfield, Chicago, Cicero, Des Plaines, Glenview, Grayslake, Ingleside, Oak Forest, Orland Park, Mundelein and Round Lake Beach.

"Deacons give life to the mission of the Church through proclaiming the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments and performing works of charity and service," said Cardinal Cupich. "In this jubilee year of the United States' diaconate, we celebrate and honor the invaluable contributions that deacons and their wives make in our parishes and communities, particularly through their example of generous love and their service to the poor and needy."

The 19 newly ordained deacons will assist the bishop and his priests in ministries of the Word, Sacraments and Charity. This includes proclaiming the Gospel, leading intercessions, preaching and preparing the altar, celebrating baptisms, leading the faithful in prayer, distributing holy communion, witnessing marriages and conducting wake and funeral services. Deacons also identify the needs of poor and underserved, and shepherd the Church's resources to meet those needs.

Diaconate formation requires completion of a comprehensive four-to six-year program through the Institute for Diaconal Studies or the Instituto de Liderazgo Pastoral, both located at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein. The programs include human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions of formation and a yearlong parish pastoral ministry internship. The program is mandated by both the Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The following is a list of this year's candidates for the diaconate:

English-speaking permanent deacons, their wives and home parishes:

• Deacon Thomas and Virginia Biegel, St. Gilbert, Grayslake

• Deacon Patrick and Julie Brenner, St. Monica, Chicago

• Deacon Mark and Regina Buckley, St. Bede, Ingleside

• Deacon William and Paula Burns, St. Viator, Chicago

• Deacon Thomas and Pam Carlson, St. Barbara, Brookfield

• Deacon Kurt and Jennifer Davis, St. Thomas the Apostle, Chicago

• Deacon Colin and Sarah Huie, St. Michael, Orland Park

• Deacon Richard and Laura Korepanow, St. Damian, Oak Forest

• Deacon Peter and Jan LeTourneau, Our Lady of the Wayside, Arlington Heights

• Deacon Paul and Lisa Onischuk, Our Lady of the Wayside, Arlington Heights

• Deacon David and Le-Lieu Pham, St. Henry, Chicago

• Deacon Ronald B. Stricker, St. Ita, Chicago

• Deacon Christopher and P.J. Weiland, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Glenview

• Deacon Conrad and Linda Wojnar, St. Stephen Protomartyr, Des Plaines

• Deacon Kevin Thomas Zajdel, Assumption, Chicago

Spanish-speaking permanent deacons, their wives and home parishes:

• Deacon Juan and Rosa Rosales, Blessed Sacrament, Chicago

• Deacon Manuel and Luz María Salgado, St. Simon, Chicago

• Deacon Jesús and Silvia Garcia, Mary Queen of Heaven, Cicero

• Deacon Ramón and Reyna Cazales, St. Mark, Chicago

The Archdiocese of Chicago has the largest Catholic diaconate in the world with more than 530 active deacons involved in 260 parishes and agencies. Since 1972, the Archdiocese of Chicago has ordained more than 1,400 men as permanent deacons. Active, retired and inactive deacons total 745 which includes 77 deacons active in dioceses around the country, from Florida to Arizona, who remain incardinated in Chicago.

The Archdiocese of Chicago, the third largest in the United States, serves more than 2.2 million Catholics in 344 parishes in Cook and Lake counties, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese, pastored by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, has more than 15,000 employees in its systems and ministries, including Catholic Charities, the region's largest nonprofit social service agency. The Archdiocese also has one of the country's largest seminaries. The Archdiocese's 214 elementary and secondary schools comprise one of the largest U.S. private school systems and have garnered more U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Awards than any system of any type.