After a six-year journey of preparation and discernment, parishioner Michael P. Kaufman is now a deacon! He is assigned to serve at All Saints Parish.

Bishop David A. Zubik ordained Mike and 16 other men to the permanent diaconate at a special Mass  on Oct. 1, 2022, at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh.

The following day, Deacon Mike served at Masses at St. Peter and St. Paul with our pastor, Father Kevin Fazio. A reception was held after the 10am Mass at St. Paul.

As ordained ministers of the Catholic Church, deacons assist priests at Mass, preach on occasion, and preside as needed at baptisms, weddings, funeral services, and other liturgical functions.

They also help provide pastoral care to people in hospitals and nursing homes, jails and prisons, and various other settings, sharing the faith by word and example.

Permanent deacons coordinate what is typically part-time ministry with job and family responsibilities.

Deacon Mike is employed as a supervisor for care in the community for the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department in Butler. He and his wife, Jayni, have a daughter. In the parish, he has served as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, altar server, and lector.

“These men have been deeply immersed in the diocesan Deacon Formation Program for more than five years,” Bishop Zubik said. “The process has helped them discern their vocation to this ministry, deepen their relationship with the Lord, and model their lives on Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve.”

The ministry of deacons dates back to the earliest days of the Church. The New Testament recounts that, when faced with the need for help in caring for the practical well-being of the faithful, the apostles prayed and designated certain men for special service to the community.

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