November 27, 2023 — This year, 17 U.S., Canadian and Haitian Jesuits were ordained to the diaconate at several different Masses in the U.S., Canada and Haiti. For a Jesuit in formation, ordination to the diaconate is the final step in preparation for priestly ordination in the Society of Jesus.
On May 13, Matthew Hendzel, SJ, and Raymond Parcon, SJ, were ordained deacons at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Toronto by Bishop Ivan Camilleri, auxiliary bishop of Toronto.
That same day, Brook Stacey, SJ, and Maréus Tousséliat, SJ, were ordained to the diaconate at St. Ignatius Church in Paris by Archbishop Theodoros Kontidis, SJ, of Athens.
Curtis McKenzie, SJ, was ordained to the diaconate on May 27 at the Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut, by Most Rev. Paul Chomnycky, O.S.B.M., Eparch of Stamford.
On August 5, Ketler Lysius, SJ, was ordained a deacon in Haiti, at the same Mass where Fr. Robenson Siquitte, SJ, was ordained to the priesthood.
Three U.S. Jesuits, along with two others, were ordained to the diaconate on September 23 at St. Ignatius Church at Boston College by the Most Reverend Mark O’Connell, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston: Thomas Elitz, SJ; Brendan Gottschall, SJ; and Minh-Hoang Le, SJ.
The new deacons are studying theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.
Joseph Dickan, SJ, was ordained to the diaconate on October 11 at the Church of Our Lady of the Cedars of Lebanon in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, by Most Reverend Gregory Mansour, Bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn.
On October 21, seven U.S. Jesuits, along with two others, were ordained to the diaconate at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, by the Most Reverend Michael C. Barber, SJ, Bishop of Oakland: Christopher Alt, SJ; Brendan G. Coffey, SJ; L. Ryen Dwyer, SJ; Daniel J. Everson, SJ; Chia-Yang “C-Y” Kao, SJ; Bryan D. Paulsen, SJ; and Michael J. Tedone, SJ.
They are currently studying theology at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California.
The new deacons were ordained as part of their formation to become priests, and they are authorized to proclaim the Word of God, to preach and to preside at the sacraments of baptism and marriage and at the rite of Christian burial. Learn more about the stages of Jesuit formation at BeaJesuit.org.
