Last week I received a phone call,
followed by a letter, notifying me that Bishop Sullivan has assigned Deacon Robert Oliver to our parish as a
permanent deacon. Deacon Oliver was ordained on May 4,
2013. He has been married to his wife Shirley for 40 years. For the past 39 years the couple and their
eight children were parishioners of St.
Vincent de Paul Parish in Mays Landing.
The oldest of six children, Deacon
Bob grew up in Cologne, NJ. His wife
Shirley is the oldest of five children and grew up on a dairy farm in Southern
Lancaster County, PA. Deacon Bob worked
for the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) as an electronics engineer and his wife teaches life skills (Home Ec.) in
Galloway Township. They are awaiting the
arrival of their fifteenth grandchild.
Both Deacon Bob and Shirley
served on St. Vincent’s evangelization ministry and as catechists. Deacon Bob also served as Coordinator of Religious Education for
St. Vincent’s from June 2008 to June 2010.
Deacon Bob and Shirley serve as mentors
for engaged couples who elect to use the Preparing to Live in Love program offered by the diocese. Shirley is a certified catechist, as well as a trained lector
and extraordinary minister of the Holy
Communion.
In addition to his parish
ministry, Deacon Bob will serve with the Diocesan
Evangelization Ministry.
The obvious question at this
point is what can a permanent deacon do
within our parish?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us some insight:
Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity. (CCC 1570)
A deacon is ordained to be of service to the parish.
He can preach during Mass. He can
baptize. A deacon can help prepare
couples for marriage and assist / witness at marriage ceremonies. He can be the celebrant of liturgical and
para-liturgical services such as Christian
burials and wake services, benediction
and Stations of the Cross. He can bring Holy Communion to the sick and
dying. He can teach in religious
education classes and with the R.C.I.A.
(Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) A deacon can assist with these and various
other parish functions as well as serving in some diocesan capacity for the
bishop.
We welcome Deacon Bob and his
wife Shirley to our parish. I am sure
that they will find a home here just as I have, and will grow in love of you, our parishioners—the people that
we are called to serve.
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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