May 22, 2006

Convert to Catholicism to be Ordained to Permanent Diaconate

Three area men will be ordained permanent deacons in the Catholic Church on Saturday, June 10. At a 10 a.m. Mass with Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo, these men will become members of clergy, joining more than 100 other deacons in the Diocese of Buffalo. The Mass will be held at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo.

A convert to Catholicism is one of the candidates for ordination. David H. Harvey of Ransomville, converted to Catholicism in 1989 after participating in the RCIA program. He and his wife Constance are members of Immaculate Conception Parish where he has been active for many years. In addition to teaching religion, lectoring and serving as a Eucharistic minister, he has been a member of the parish council and the parish retreat team. He is employed by the Town of Lewiston and works at the Water Pollution Control Center. Harvey and his wife have three adult sons, Adam, Ethan and Jason. While preparing for the diaconate, Harvey’s field ministry was in pastoral care at Mount St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston.

East Amherst resident John D. Leardon is a veteran of the United States Air Force who is administrative vice president at M & T Bank. He and his wife Laraine, members of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Williamsville, have three adult children, Keith, Brian and Lisa. Leardon’s preparation for the diaconate included field ministry as a hospital chaplain at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital and visiting the homebound. Active in both the community and his parish, Leardon has served as United Way co-chair of the Strengthening Families Community Care Fund and in several ministries at St. Gregory Church including serving as a lector, Eucharistic minister, marriage preparation team member, and school board member and president.

Henry Moscicki, the father of two young boys, Erik and Bryan, is the final candidate for the permanent diaconate. He and his wife Elyn are members of St. Mary Church, Batavia. Moscicki, a self-employed nurse practitioner who owns Genesee Health Care in Batavia, has been active both in his parish and the community. He has served as an acolyte, Eucharistic minister and lector at church as well as holding positions on the parish council, liturgy committee, and parish retreat team. He belongs to several medical organizations and is a 2^nd degree member of the Knights of Columbus. As part of his training for the diaconate, Moscicki was active in migrant ministry and the parish liturgy committee.

Permanent deacons, men who are ordained as deacons but do not continue on to the priesthood, can officiate at weddings, baptisms, funerals and wakes. They may also preach and distribute Holy Communion. The United States leads the world in the number of permanent deacons. Of the 31,524 permanent deacons worldwide, 15,027 are in the United States, more than in any single country.

Permanent deacons study for four years and complete two years of supervised pastoral field ministry formation before being ordained to the diaconate. After ordination, many deacons work in prison ministry, health care and in education. In addition to their church responsibilities, many deacons maintain their secular jobs.

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