Bishop George W. Ahr, center, poses with the first class of permanent deacons, which he ordained May 14, 1977, in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Monitor file photo
First Class
Diocese’s permanent diaconate marks 40 years of preparing servants, leaders Story by MARY MORRELL, Correspondent
A
number of years ago, Msgr. Thomas J. Mullelly received a call from a father about his son who was incarcerated in the Federal Corrections Facility, Fort Dix. The father recounted that his son had not seen any Catholic ministry in the prison for a year, since the military chaplain had been deployed. Msgr. Mullelly, who serves as diocesan vicar for clergy and consecrated life and director of seminarians, called a local parish and spoke with a deacon who immediately organized a group of six additional deacons. They began serving at the prison on a rotating basis, leading prayer services, encouraging dialogue and being the Catholic presence that had been missing. They continue to serve at the corrections facility today. The story reflects, in part, the evolution of the diaconate program in the Diocese of Trenton since its institution by Bishop George W. Ahr in 1974, just seven years after Pope Paul VI, following the desire of the Second Vatican Council, issued his apostolic letter, “Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem,” which reinstated the diaconate as a permanent office of the Latin Church. Just one year later, in 1968, U.S. bishops received permission from the Holy See to establish the diaconate in their dioceses. “Deacons are men ordained to service and to leadership in the Church,” stressed Msgr. Mullelly, explaining that today’s permanent deacons are often called to step outside the confines of their parish to serve the people of God. While addressing the many needs that exist in the parish, under the direction of the pastor, it is not unusual for deacons to undertake or coordinate ministry in jails or prisons, hospitals and nursing homes, he explained.
of the first class of deacons under the direction of Msgr. James McManimon. Deacon Hannawacker was ordained by Bishop Ahr in 1977 in St. Mary of Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. “There were 40 of us,” said Deacon Hannawacker, “and the program included three years of formation. We went to classes in the Archdiocese of Newark two nights a week.” The second year, he explained, deacons attended classes in St. Stephen Parish Center, Trenton, and later, in a location next to Sacred Heart Church, Trenton. Since 1995, classes have been held in the diocesan Chancery in Lawrenceville. Eventually, the formation process was extended to four years, following the 1984 guidelines from the U.S. bishops. Deacon Robert Tharp of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Trenton, who was ordained in 1981, recalled, “[The diaconate] was so new, there were not a lot of us who knew much about it. All of us who entered in these early years were just absolutely trusting God, not sure where we were going or where the Church was going with the diaconate program.” In 1981, almost half of the first class of ordained deacons became part of the newly established Diocese of Metuchen, which was formed from the four northernmost counties that had been in the Trenton Diocese. It was one of many transitions that deacons would face in their evolving ministry. Continued on • S50
“All of us who entered in
these early
years were
just absolutely trusting God...”
Bishop O’Connell addresses deacons and their wives during the 2013 Deacon Convocation, during which he rolled out a new vision for the diaconal ministry in the Diocese. Joe Moore photo
EARLY DAYS
Today in the Diocese, there are 197 active deacons and 70 retired deacons, most whom continue to serve in parishes and the community as they are able. Deacon Joseph A. Hannawacker of Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing, who also serves as diocesan Defender of the Bond, Office of Canonical Services, was a member JULY 27, 2017 • TrentonMonitor.com •
Lives of FAITH • S49