Bishop Joseph A. Galante has approved 11 men for Institution of the Ministry of Reader as a part of their advancement in diaconate formation.
The rite will be held within the context of Evening Prayer on Thursday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m., in Transfiguration Church, West Collingswood. The public is invited to attend.
Institution to Reader is one of three canonical steps that precede a man’s ordination to the diaconate. The men received Admission to Candidacy last year and will be eligible for Institution to Acolyte next year.
Each step requires academic preparation along with demonstration of readiness to serve in the ministry. Every man has written a paper on the significance of Sacred Scripture in the church and the role of the reader throughout history and today.
In addition, each candidate has surveyed needs of his local community and met with his pastor to develop a plan for enhancing parishioners’ understanding and use of Scripture in their daily lives.
The men being instituted are all members of the St. Philip Group and are in their second year of the Candidacy phase of formation.
Candidacy consists of five years of academic classes along with programs of spiritual growth, human development and pastoral care formation. Classes are held on Saturdays at the Diaconate Center in Paulsboro.
Currently, there are 31 men in various stages of diaconate formation. In addition, there is a group of men being evaluated for admission to the pre-Candidacy phase of formation which is expected to commence early next year.
Information on the ministry of deacon is available from the Office of the Diaconate, 631 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102.
Men approved for Institution of the Ministry of Reader:
Craig Arthur Bickel, St. Rose of Lima Parish, Haddon Heights
Edward David Cole, St. Isidore Parish, Vineland
Fernando Sumera Encarnado, St. Jude Parish, Blackwood
James Joseph Hallman, St. Mary Parish, Williamstown
Robert William Hamilton, St. Rose of Lima Parish, Haddon Heights
Mark Jude Lacy, St. Bartholomew Parish, Camden
John Michael Lynch, Transfiguration Parish, West Collingswood
Robert George Oliver, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing
Joseph Gerard Rafferty, St. Mary Parish, Gloucester
Aaron Gene Smith, St. Rose of Lima Parish, Haddon Heights
J. Peter Traum, Incarnation Parish, Mantua
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