Bishop Michael F. Burbidge admitted 10 men as candidates for the permanent diaconate at St. James Church in Falls Church Jan. 27. The candidates are: Matthew Chapman, Andrés Colón, Michael Evans, Robert Levin Jr., Thomas Malanga, Arturo Matus, Geoffrey McGarrigle, Kelly McKeague, Victor Mendez and Christopher O’Connor.
“You know and believe it is the Lord who has chosen you. It is the Lord who has brought you forth to this special moment, this joyful day in your life,” Bishop Michael F. Burbidge said during his homily.
The Arlington diocese first opened the permanent diaconate program in 1975 but suspended it in 1985 for further study. Bishop Emeritus Paul S. Loverde reopened the program in 2005. Permanent deacons may preach, proclaim the Gospel, prepare couples for marriage, witness marriages and conduct funeral services, in addition to other duties. A permanent deacon may be celibate or married, however, if his spouse dies, he may not remarry without special permission, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Father Paul D. Scalia, director of the diocesan diaconate formation program, said that whereas the transitional diaconate is a temporary state for men on the path to priesthood, candidates for the permanent diaconate “are studying to be deacons and not go onto the priesthood. They are going to live the diaconate as a permanent state in life.”
The 10 men had spent the previous two years in aspirancy, a stage of discerning the permanent diaconate. At the Jan. 27 Mass and Rite of Candidacy for the Permanent Diaconate, Bishop Burbidge formally accepted the aspirants as candidates. The new candidates will spend the next four years studying and training before their ordination as permanent deacons.
In his homily, Bishop Burbidge told the aspirants that, as they begin their studies and training for the permanent diaconate, God will “make you a new man.”
“Your trust in God’s plan and your generous response to his call will soon be reflected, as you offer your ‘yes,’ as you promise to resolve to form your mind and heart so that you may faithfully serve the Lord and his church, the body of Christ. And in this ceremony, the church accepts your resolve with great joy,” Bishop Burbidge said.
He said the aspirants’ studies will contribute to their current state in life. “In the midst of your many responsibilities — as husband and father, and the work you carry out everyday — you are also being called at the moment to be a student,” he said.
During the rite, each aspirant stood when called by Father Scalia and presented himself before Bishop Burbidge. They then made the promises of the aspirants to complete their formation and form their hearts and minds in service to the church.
Following Mass, the candidates and their families joined Bishop Burbidge for a reception in the parish hall.
McGarrigle, a parishioner of St. Isidore the Farmer Church in Orange, said that he had felt God calling him to serve the church for years. Now, the new candidate said he eagerly anticipates his studies for the permanent diaconate. “I just love learning about our faith. It’s so deep, and there’s so many aspects,” he said.
McKeague, chairman of the board for diocesan Catholic Charities, said his desire to serve the church stemmed from his career in the U.S. Air Force. “My career in the Air Force was about servant leadership and it’s always been something where I’ve had a calling to serve others. And as I got closer and grew in my faith, I saw this call to servanthood in clearer terms than when I was in the Air Force,” McKeague said.
McKeague said that he looks forward to growing in his faith both intellectually and spiritually. “It’s that transformation of heart and mind that I look forward to in the next four years.”
