JOHNS ISLAND — Twenty-two men will be ordained to the permanent diaconate at Holy Spirit Church, 3871 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, at 11 a.m. May 19.
Bishop Robert J. Baker will be the celebrant and Msgr. Joseph Roth, vicar general, and director of the Permanent Diaconate program for the Diocese of Charleston, will concelebrate.
The formation for the permanent diaconate takes four years. A deacon can assist a priest in the administrative and pastoral care of Catholics including baptizing infants, distributing Holy Communion at Mass and to the sick, witnessing marriages in the absence of a priest, and presiding at funeral services outside of the Mass.
The candidates for diaconate ordination include: Thomas Berney, Stephen Burdick, Richard Campana Sr., Mario Cardenas, John Heuser, Robert Hookness, Matthew Houle, Carl Johnson, Michael Kulungowski, P. Charles LaRosa Jr., Paul Mahefky, Charles Olimpio, Raymond Perham, Jerome Remkiewicz, Steven Rhodes, Lawrence Roberts, J. Wescoat Sandlin, Robert Smith, Robert Starr, John Stetar, David Thompson and Gregory Weigold.