Three deacons vow to serve Riordan community

By Ryan Lee ’24

The word deacon originates from the Greek word “diakonos,” which means to serve. Deacons are Roman Catholic men who are ordained as members of the Catholic clergy. Their purpose is to be of service.

Currently, Riordan has three deacons: Deacon Joe LeBlanc, Deacon Chris Mariano, and Deacon Iwan Soegiharto. Each of these deacons is of great service to the Riordan community, not only in their participation in Riordan’s church services, but also in their work in classrooms, clubs, and Campus Ministry.

Deacon Joe is a religious studies instructor, while Deacon Chris is a Campus Ministry associate who supports logistics, events, drives, and the LIFE, CORE, and Liturgy teams.

Deacon Chris stated, “We are in the process of creating an entry level team for the Soph/ Fresh divisions called SALT,” an opportunity to work with the three other teams.

Finally, Deacon Iwan works in Riordan’s finance office, but he is also the co-moderator of the Chess Club and teaches chess at summer camp.

By Edward Ramos ’23

The Catholic Church is in the midst of a synod, a process where bishops from around the world convene to discuss various issues affecting the church. The current synod is focused on the topic of “synodality,” or how the church can be more collaborative and inclusive in its decision making.

Deacon Chris Mariano, a member of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and campus ministry, believes that the synod is not just for clergy, but is intended to gather input, creating dialogue between individuals of all backgrounds.

“What I believe the pope wanted is to get input from people, particularly the ladies,” he said.

The synod is focused on understanding why young people are leaving the church and whether they are being addressed in the right manner.

Emphasizing his point, Mariano stated, “It’s not just about clergy making decisions, but it’s also about input from the youth and ladies.”

Arthur Kazaryan ’23, a student at Archbishop Riordan High School, believes that the synod’s

Other than that, these three deacons assist the archbishop or priest during mass. They can also administer the sacrament of baptism, perform pastoral emphasis on hearing multiple perspectives is essential.

“I became a deacon because I want to serve God. God has given me everything, and it is time to return it to Him by serving Him” visits for the sick, officiate in the Catholic marriage ceremony, and bless the rosary.

Deacon Iwan said, “I became a deacon because I want to serve God. God has given me everything, and it is time to return it to Him by serving Him.”