ON SATURDAY, OCT. 10, the diocese welcomed a new class of permanent deacons. These 12 men come from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. They have different occupations and have traveled disparate life paths and yet they converged at this one place – Christ Cathedral.
After nearly five years of formal formation beginning in December 2021 and added years of preparation through personal reflection and consideration, the men gathered before a large gathering to be ordained as the Class of 2026 permanent deacons of the Diocese of Orange.
They join a brotherhood of 138 active and 181 overall members who make up the Office of the Diaconate.
For Jim Hart, it was legacy that drew him, at least in part. The son of a deacon and lifelong Catholic, he was an altar boy at his father’s ordination. Growing up in a devout family, he said, “it shaped how I live and how I inherited the faith.” Although it took years of contemplation, recruitment, prayer with his wife, Tracey, and the right timing with his family, when Deacon Jim committed he was all in.
“It’s a long process, but it’s been a beautiful five years,” he said.
Arturo Gonzalez said he was first approached by Bishop Kevin Vann.
“He said, ‘Arturo, maybe you should be a deacon?’ I said ‘OK,’ but I thought, maybe not.”
However, in succeeding years, Deacon Arturo said he was asked about becoming a deacon several more times, first by a parish priest and then at a funeral where he assisted.
“Three people had asked me,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘This is no coincidence, I need to answer to God.’ Now I say ‘the call came from God.’”
THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE FORMALLY WELCOMED 12 PERMANENT DEACONS (PICTURED WITH THEIR WIVES) ON OCT. 10 AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL. PHOTO BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Bob Martin said that one day while in adoration at a silent retreat, after five years of trying not to think about being a deacon, “I suddenly realized God has been courting me.”
He could no longer resist, nor did he want to.
LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
Although they may be seen by the lay community as “leaders” in the Church, the members of the new deacon class see themselves as something else. Part of that can be seen in the nickname they gave themselves as a class: Servi Christi, Latin for Servants of Christ.
Service is a theme to which members of the Class of 2026 continually refer, whether it is to Christ, the diocese, the laity or the disadvantaged communities where they volunteer. Throughout the ordination the sense of service and humility was everywhere: from the pledge of obedience to prostration during the Litany of Supplication, to the kneeling before the bishop for the laying of hands and a blessing. At several points, the wives of the 12 men were recognized, standing by their husbands as they received their vestments, receiving a blessing by the bishop and corsages from their husbands.
As the service neared conclusion, the cathedral’s carillon bells tolled the noon hour.
The permanent deacons, along with and supported by their wives, are workhorses of the faith, bringing “action to the principles and divinity of Catholicism,” according to literature from the diaconate. To complete their formation, the deacons completed theological and scriptural coursework, often taught by priests and other church leaders. They also engaged in spiritual and pastoral assignments in jails, working with the poor and homeless and ministering to the sick in hospitals and care facilities. The deacons also completed a year focused on preaching, teaching, working in parishes and participating in liturgical services.
JOINING A NEW COMMUNITY
Over 150 members of the diocesan diaconate attended the Saturday Mass. They filled the cathedral courtyard before the ceremony in a festive gathering. A large group of the deacons gathered to pray the Rosary and sing Ave Maria. When the class of 12 emerged for the processional, they received an enthusiastic ovation from the deacons and well-wishers.
When the processional for the ceremony queued up, the deacons-to-be were joined by their fellow deacons, more than 45 priests, Bishop Vann and Auxiliary Bishops Thanh Thai Nguyen and Timothy Freyer. The new deacons were scheduled to offer blessings to the faithful after the ceremony, each under an individual canopy. However, when winds kicked up in advance of a weekend storm, the deacons and faithful convened under the cover of the Cultural Center. Celebrations continued throughout the day, as most of the deacons traveled to their parishes for smaller gatherings with parishioners.
Although the ordination celebrates a kind of graduation, Deacon Chris Ciraulo, who was ordained in 2013, said is also just a beginning, and the new deacons are “launched” into a whole new level of service.
“We say they walk out configured to Christ,” said Deacon Tom Saenz, the director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate. “They will be called on to animate the church.”
CLASS OF 2026
■ Marco Cabibbo and wife, Dawn
■ Jay Carr and wife, Claudine
■ Jim Carter and wife, Jamie
■ Rigo Contreras and wife, Sonia
■ Edwin Ferrell and wife, Tanya
■ Bob Martin and wife, Stacey
■ Bernardo Reyes and wife, Delia
■ Arturo Rodriguez and wife, Anabel
■ Victor Soto and wife, Perla
■ Chris Tran and wife, Chi
■ Huy Tran and wife, Amie
Also recognized was George Haddad, a member of the Maronite Church is an Eastern Catholic Churchin full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Although ordained in 2024 by his bishop, Deacon George continued taking courses with the class after his ordination.