Here are some great images, above and below, of the ordination to the diaconate of 12 men from across the Diocese of Lansing at Saint Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing on Saturday, May 17. Deo gratias.
“Brothers and sons, be conformed to Christ the loving servant. Your place at table is entirely one of service, of love. Manifest that and your word will be a sound echo of the very word of the master,” said Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing in his homily.
“This, then, brothers and sons, is what must fill your words and your deeds, you who will be touched by the Lord himself: God’s very word, filled with the sap of sacrificial love. Wrap your minds around this, embrace it, and think with the very heart of Jesus Christ himself, a heart filled with the joy of the Lord.” The 12 men ordained were:
• Deacon Ron Stacey, Saint Anthony of Padua, Hillsdale | Permanent Deacon
• Deacon Peter Randolph, Christ the King, Ann Arbor | Transitional Deacon
• Deacon Leon Demers, Saint Patrick, Brighton | Permanent Deacon
• Deacon Joshua Bauer, Saint Elizabeth, Tecumseh | Transitional Deacon
• Deacon Joe Fedewa, Saint Mary, Westphalia | Permanent Deacon
• Deacon Jacob Derry, Saint John the Evangelist, Fenton | Transitional Deacon
• Deacon Andy Cocagne, Holy Family, Grand Blanc | Permanent Deacon
• Deacon Ryan Ferrigan, Saint Martha, Okemos | Transitional Deacon
• Deacon Paul Godfrey, Christ the King, Ann Arbor | Permanent Deacon
• Deacon Luke Goerge, Most Holy Trinity, Fowler | Permanent Deacon
• Deacon Larry Gjernes, Saint Joseph, Ypsilanti | Permanent Deacon
• Deacon Wayne Carpenter, Saint Mary Cathedral, Lansing | Permanent Deacon
As you will note, eight of the above men are permanent deacons while four are transitional deacons. That means they will progress to the ministerial priesthood, Deo volente.
So, what is a deacon? Deacons are members of the clergy along with priests and bishops. The deacon's ministry has three dimensions: liturgy, word, and service. At the liturgy, he assists the bishop and priests. At the Mass, the deacon proclaims the Gospel, may be invited to preach the homily, and assists at the altar.
The role of deacon has been in the Church right from the beginning of the apostles’ ministry. Deacons were originally ordained as administrators in the early Church who took on the practical tasks of organizing the Christian community, in order to leave the apostles free to pray and preach the gospel. The role of deacon had always been a part of the transition from layman to priestly ordination, but following the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council (Lumen Gentium, 29), in 1967 Pope Paul VI issued the document Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem, which revived the practice of ordaining to the diaconate men who were not candidates for priestly ordination.
Deacons, like priests and bishops, can perform baptisms and may witness at the sacrament of holy matrimony and lead funeral rites, when outside the context of the Mass. They can also preside over various services such as Benediction, Eucharistic Services, and Stations of the Cross, and they may give certain blessings. Deacons cannot hear confession, anoint the sick, or celebrate Mass.
• If you missed it, you can watch the ordination for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7pnshkTx40&t=5464s
• Bishop Boyea’s Diaconate Mass, May 17, 2025, Saint Thomas, East Lansing.
Many thanks to the St. Thomas-St. John Parish and the Diocesan staffs for their work in preparing for today’s celebration. Thanks to the choir, servers, lectors, and all others contributing to our celebration today. Thanks to Fr. Michael Cassar, Deacon Randy Desrochers and all those involved in their formation, including the professors who taught them, both at St. John Vianney Seminary in Minneapolis and at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit [Frs. Tim Laboe, Charlie Fox, and Steve Pullis]. Finally, many thanks to family members who have shared the faith, prayed, and supported these, our brothers.
My dear sisters and brothers, these your brothers and sons and friends, are now to be advanced to the Order of the Diaconate. Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, they will assist the bishop and priests in the ministry of the word, of the altar, and of charity always showing themselves to be servants of all. I know you are proud of them; please continue to give them your love and pray for them.
And now, my dear sons and brothers, allow me to reflect on the importance of the Word in our lives. Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper, that “I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.” Think of that! Jesus told them everything. He, who is one with the Father, conveyed all that to his followers.
And what is the message which has been handed on? The word which occurs nine times in our reading today is “love.” The single, simple utterance which Jesus conveyed from the Father is love. And, as we know, this was not just something from his lips. Rather, he lived it, and he died it. Love defined his very life among us and that is what he shares with you.
Jeremiah received a word from God, and he did not want to accept it nor proclaim it. I am too young. I don’t know how to speak. I am sure there were many other excuses he laid before the Lord. However, at root, what Jeremiah was protesting was the awareness that he was not merely to engage in some verbal exchange. Rather, he knew that this would involve his whole life. It was to be an act of sacrificial love for God’s people.
My brothers and sons, the Lord today is extending his hand toward each of you and touching your mouths, placing his words therein. That is the easy part. Now, as Jesus expects, we are “to go and bear fruit that will last.” This gift of the Holy Spirit will dig deep into our flesh and bones, penetrate to our heart and soul and seek to change all that we are. There will no doubt be trials and tribulations even as there were for Jeremiah, but hopefully not as deeply pain-filled as they were for him. But Jesus has called you “friends” and the Spirit is being given to you to undergo what is needed to become conformed to the word, the love, which he manifested even to the point of laying down his life. During the prayer of Ordination, I will say these words: “Send forth the Holy Spirit…that they may be strengthened by the gift of your sevenfold grace to carry out faithfully the work of ministry.” Today, you receive that great gift to be the word which Jesus hands on to you.
Brothers and sons, be conformed to Christ the loving servant. Your place at table is entirely one of service, of love. Manifest that and your word will be a sound echo of the very word of the master. You will have heard what the Father has said to his Son and what he has now handed on to you.
Some of you will exercise your ministry committed to celibacy. Know that celibacy is the gift God provides you and the Church as you live as Jesus lived, totally for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
This, then, brothers and sons, is what must fill your words and your deeds, you who will be touched by the Lord himself: God’s very word, filled with the sap of sacrificial love. Wrap your minds around this, embrace it, and think with the very heart of Jesus Christ himself, a heart filled with the joy of the Lord.
God bless you all.
