March 2 Ash Wednesday Readings: Jl 2:12-18, 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17, 2 Cor 5:20—6:2, Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Invitation to Prayer: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.” (Mt 6:1) Reflection: Ash …

Deacon John R. Collins, a Deacon of the Archdiocese, died on Saturday, April 9, 2022, following an short illness. He was 79 years old. Deacon John was ordained April 28, 2007 by Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk. He was assigned to St. Joseph and St. Raphael parishes in Springfield upon ordination. …

Deacon Elmer H. Fischesser, a Deacon of the Archdiocese, died on Thursday, October 14, 2021, following an eight-month illness. He was 77 years old. Deacon Elmer was ordained June 20, 1987 by Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk. His first assignment was at the New Jerusalem Community in Cincinnati. He completed an …

When was the deacon’s role introduced in the Church, and how is it different from that of the priest? The deacon’s role (from the Greek word diakonia, meaning “service”) developed in the early Church. Deacons exercised a ministry of service and shared in Holy Orders, by which certain men are …

DEACONS GRANTED SENIOR STATUS Deacon John Corson, ordained on April 24, 2004, has been granted Senior Status effective August 1, 2020 from his assignment as a deacon at Corpus Christi Parish in Cincinnati. Deacon Corson retains his faculties as a deacon of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the title deacon. …

by Mark Danis There is a lexicon evolving in our nation’s response to COVID-19 that the Church must reject. Terms like quarantine, isolation and social distancing can lead us to retreat, withdrawal and avoidance. But Christ’s words demand a proactive response to our current situation. We must take this time …

Question: I have been told that women served as deacons in the early Church? If this is true, what was their role? Answer: Instances of women serving as deacons in the early Church, especially in Syria, are referenced in various documents. However, evidence shows deaconesses did not have the same …

Deacon Edward B. Reising, a Deacon of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, died on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. Deacon Reising was ordained to the Diaconate by Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains, Cincinnati, Ohio , on September 24, 1998. Deacon Reising served St. Columban Parish in …

By Deacon Mark Machuga In 1964, the Second Vatican Council document Lumen Gentium restored the order of deacon as a permanent rank of the hierarchy of the Church. For, strengthened by sacramental grace [deacons] are dedicated to the People of God, in conjunction with the bishop and his body of …