On Thursday, June 26, seven men from the Diocese of Saginaw made a Profession of Faith and signed a solemn Oath of Fidelity before Bishop Robert Gruss at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw.
By signing these oaths, the men have made a public declaration of their faith and belief in all that the Catholic Church teaches. The solemn Oath of Fidelity and Profession of Faith is an important and necessary step before ordination to the Permanent Diaconate. The men promise to be faithful to that teaching in their ministry as permanent deacons. It is customary for all ordained ministers to the priesthood, diaconate, and episcopacy to take the oath before ordination. Please keep these candidates in your prayers:
- Matt Begres, Sacred Heart Parish, Mount Pleasant
- John Copes, St. Michael Parish, Maple Grove
- Hugh LeFevre, St. Dominic Parish, Saginaw
- Jason Rasmussen, Holy Spirit Parish, Shields
- Bob Sasiela, St. Joseph Parish, Saginaw
- Lenn Stankiewicz, St. Michael Parish, Maple Grove
- Bob Zondlak, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Midland
*Parish assignments will be shared soon and may differ from parishes listed above.
The ordination will be livestreamed at 2:30 p.m. at saginaw.org and on the Diocesan Facebook and YouTube pages.
About Deacons
Deacons are ministers of the Catholic Church, ordained to be sacramental signs of Christ the Servant. As members of the clergy (alongside bishops and priests), they preside at baptisms and funerals outside of Mass, witness marriages, perform works of mercy, assist at the altar, preach, teach, lead the faithful in prayer, and much more.
The Diocese of Saginaw currently has 21 permanent deacons, some of whom are married and some who are single. Men who sense that God may be calling them to serve as a permanent deacon should e-mail diaconate@diosag.org or call the Office of the Permanent Diaconate at 989.797.6662. Learn more about the permanent deacon formation program here.