Archbishop Wilton Gregory ordained eight men to the Permanent Diaconate on Saturday, February 6th.  These men will serve the Archdiocese in parishes all around North Georgia.  Congratulations to these new Deacons!

  
Men who are in formation for ordination to the permanent diaconate or the priesthood receive two “Institutions” during their formation.  The first is Reader, which occurs after training to proclaim the scripture at Mass.  The second is Acolyte, which enables the man to assist at the Altar during Mass, setting the Altar, clearing it after communion and purifying the sacred vessels.  It is a step that used to be considered a ‘minor order.’  

These men were scheduled to receive Institution two weeks ago but inclement weather postponed the Mass nail this evening.   Should the men continue to discern their vocation as Catholic Permanent Deacons and be accepted by the Archbishop, they will be ordained in February of 2018.  Congratulations on this important step in you formation journey!

We just got word that the Institution of Reader and Acolyte that was scheduled in the Archdiocese of Atlanta for tonight has been cancelled due to anticipated winter weather in North Georgia.  Some of the men in formation live in the affected area and might not be able to attend.  This Mass will be rescheduled.

Now, I know that some of our brethren north of our fair State of Georgia will get a chuckle out of that!  But we gentle Southerners know that mountain roads, black ice and automobiles just don’t  mix well together.  If we would just get snow, rather than ice it could be a different story.

Don’t worry guys, you can be “Institutionalized” later…

At the end of his life, St. Francis was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church and he was never ordained  a Priest.  Despite the example of St. Francis, over the years most men ordained as Deacons from religious orders were later ordained Priests, but that is not always the case.  On Monday, January 18th at Mount St. Francis, Indiana Br. Nicholas Wolfla was ordained by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz as a Permanent Deacon for the Church.  Unlike St. Francis, Deacon Nick is not at the end of his life!  We look forward to him serving the Church for many years to come. Continue reading “Franciscan Permanent Deacon Nicholas Wolfla” →