16 to be ordained permanent deacons

By ROB HERBST
The Catholic Week
MOBILE — The Archdiocese of Mobile will celebrate the ordination of 16 men to the permanent diaconate at 10 a.m. June 11 at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
The ordinations will come one week after Archdiocese of Mobile seminarian Thomas LaPointe is ordained to the transitional diaconate, one of the final steps to be ordained to the priesthood. For more on Thomas LaPointe, see the May 20 edition of "The Catholic Week."
This will be the first permanent diaconate class ordination since 2018. 
"Upon ordination of the 16 deacon candidates on June 11, I will be truly honored and happy to call them Brother Deacons," said Deacon Ronnie Hathorne, director of the permanent diaconate program for the Archdiocese of Mobile. 
"For I know that there is much work for them to do in the vineyard of the Lord, through serving in Engaged Encounter Ministry, Hispanic Ministry, Hispanic Formation Program, Hospital Ministry, Nursing Home Ministry, Prison Ministry and many other areas of service in their parish and the Archdiocese of Mobile. Having these wonderful Deacons to serve the needs of the people within the Archdiocese of Mobile will mean a great deal to those of us who are already serving the needs of God’s people. For these newly ordained deacons will help us ensure that even more of God’s people will receive his helping hands, through their service and ministry to others in need.  So, I pray that God will bless each newly-ordained deacon,  their wife and their family.