After five years of formation, study and intense prayer, 14 men of the diocese were ordained to the diaconate on Saturday, receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders through the Laying on of Hands by Bishop Timothy Senior at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg.
They are the fifth cohort of permanent deacons ordained in the diocese; the others in 1978, 1983, 2010 and 2020.
“Strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, they will help me, as bishop, and our priests in the ministries of the word, of the altar, and of charity, showing themselves to be servants of all,” Bishop Senior said of the deacons’ service, which includes proclaiming the Gospel, distributing Holy Communion, administering baptism, blessing marriages, bringing Viaticum to the dying, conducting funeral rites and instructing the faithful.
“In all these duties, let them act with the help of God in such a way that you recognize them as disciples of him who did not come to be served but to serve,” he said.
The new deacons and their assignments are:
- Deacon Louis Carlson – Holy Infant Parish, Manchester
- Deacon Stephen Dietrich, Sr. – St. Patrick Parish, York, and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Spring Grove
- Deacon Edward DiPilla – St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Quarryville
- Deacon Richard Druby – Holy Spirit Parish, Palmyra, and the Diocesan Tribunal
- Deacon Carlos Espinosa – Corpus Christi Parish, Chambersburg
- Deacon Jeffrey Evich – St. Joseph Parish, Hanover
- Deacon Rudolph Geisler – Cathedral Parish of St. Patrick, Harrisburg
- Deacon Michael Heidelbaugh – Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Enola
- Deacon Samuel Nicola – Our Lady of Hope Parish, Coal Township, Mother Cabrini Parish, Shamokin, and St. Patrick Parish, Trevorton
- Deacon Michael Nowakowski – Good Shepherd Parish, Camp Hill
- Deacon Douglas Peterson – Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Harrisburg
- Deacon John Soubik – Our Lady of Hope Parish, Coal Township, Mother Cabrini Parish, Shamokin, St. Patrick Parish, Trevorton, and the Diocesan Tribunal
- Deacon Mark Sullivan – St. Columba Parish, Bloomsburg, and Christ the King, Benton
- Deacon Michael Tafelski – Holy Trinity Parish and St. Peter Parish, Columbia
Solemnity and Symbolism
A standing-room-only congregation filled the Cathedral for the Mass on September 12, which was filled with tradition and symbolism. It was streamed on the diocese’s YouTube Channel with nearly 800 people tuning in live.
The 14 men were seated across the front of the altar and were called forth during the Rite of Ordination where they received enthusiastic applause from the congregation as the bishop accepted them for ordination.
Bishop Senior then gave his homily, seated in the cathedra.
“In his homily to men being ordained deacons in February 2025, our beloved late Holy Father, Pope Francis, said, ‘Being ordained is not an ascent but a descent, whereby we make ourselves small, lower ourselves and divest ourselves,’” the bishop said.
“And so, as deacons, you are called to a particular expression of Jesus’ example of service; that is, as ministers of Jesus Christ, who appeared in the midst of the disciples as one who serves, do the will of God in charity from the heart; serve others with joy as you would serve the Lord Himself,” he said.
Once again, quoting Pope Francis’ homily, he said: “The deacon, invested in a ministry that leads him toward the world’s peripheries, must see – and teach others to see – in everyone, even those who cause suffering, a brother or sister wounded in spirit and in need of reconciliation, guidance and help.”
“Dear brothers, the Church will be blessed greatly by your witness; living the charism of the diaconate with fidelity. The community – within the Church, and beyond the Church, needs ministers who will take the risk to be servants after the heart of Jesus, and who will seek to unite and to heal the wounds of division, often spoken of as ‘polarization,’ that many in our culture experience,” Bishop Senior told the men. “The Church needs you to be those servants who will be men of communion in your ministry as deacons.”
After the homily, the candidates knelt before the bishop to pledge their obedience to him and to his successors before prostrating themselves in front of the altar as the congregation prayed the Litany of the Saints.
The Laying on of Hands and the Prayer of Ordination by Bishop Senior followed. It is through these elements that the men were ordained deacons.
As the rite continued, the deacons were given their vestments and dressed in their stole and dalmatic by a personally chosen member of the clergy before receiving the Book of the Gospels from the bishop.
The Rite of Ordination concluded with a sign of peace between all the deacons in the congregation and the newly ordained men. The embraces, prayers and good wishes illustrated encouragement and support for the new deacons before the Mass continued with the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
‘An Overpowering of the Holy Spirit’
“Just filled with the Holy Spirit.”
That’s how Deacon Richard Druby described the moment of ordination amidst the joyful celebration after the Mass.
“The formators talk about the ontological change that happens, but the feeling can’t be described until you actually experience it. It’s an overpowering of the Holy Spirit. You know you have been changed and now it’s about living up to it,” he said.
Deacon Michael Nowakowski said it was a powerfully intimate moment of receiving the Holy Spirit. “Even though we were up on the altar in front of some 800 people in a full cathedral, everything felt quiet and still for me. I felt at peace. It is so humbling, just an awesome feeling to have the Holy Spirit come down upon us.”
Deacon Druby and Deacon Nowakowski were overcome with emotion and filled with gratitude for the outpouring of love and support from family, friends and parishioners.
Deacon Druby said he was brought to tears during the sign of peace with all the deacons of the diocese – not only for their show of encouragement, but also with the knowledge that the previous cohort was ordained during COVID restrictions.
“I know the formation they went through, and they didn’t get to experience all of this celebration with a full congregation because of COVID. So it’s absolutely wonderful that they were able to share in our experience today and they certainly welcomed us into the brotherhood,” he said.
The full Cathedral, its overflow seating downstairs and the hundreds who watched live on YouTube spoke volumes to Deacon Druby. “The Church is alive, it’s well, it’s growing. You can feel it. When I turned around when we were presented to the congregation and saw all the people who are here not only for us but for the Church, it was a powerful moment.”
Deacon Nowakowski expressed the same sentiment. “I feel like I could walk on the clouds right now. The outpouring of love from all the people who have supported us and who are here today, is just incredible,” he said.
“My heart is filled with the grace of Christ,” he said. “We are blessed in this diocese, and our cohort is praying for the new class of deacons. We’ll continue to do that through their ordination,” which is expected in 2031.
“I am looking forward to serving the people, accompanying them through good times and struggles, and praying with them. I am ready to go and serve,” Deacon Nowakowski said.
(Photos by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
