July 16, 2006

    At Fr. Dumont’s request, Bishop McCormack has assigned a Permanent Deacon to St. Peter and St. Paul parishes.  His name is George Borkush and lives in Atkinson, NH.  What does that mean for St. Paul Parish?

    Well, for starters, there are two kinds of deacons in the Catholic Church.  A transitional deacon is a man in transition, i.e., on his way to the priesthood.  A transitional deacon is ordained to the diaconate approximately one year before he is ordained to the priesthood.  That year is often spent living in a parish while helping a priest in his ministry.  Some transitional deacons spend their year finishing up their studies.

    There is also what we call a permanent Deacon, i.e., a man who is ordained to the diaconate as a permanent or life long vocation.  A permanent deacon can be single or married.  The ministry of deacon, both transitional and permanent, is to be of service in the Liturgy as well as in the community at large.

    What Can A Deacon Do?  A Deacon can assist at Mass with the priest, he can baptize, do weddings outside the Mass, preach, do wake services at the funeral parlor, do Eucharistic Services, and funerals without a Mass.  He can also do counseling, prepare couples for marriage, as well as work in ministries to the poor and needy.    

    A Deacon cannot celebrate Mass, hear confessions, nor can he anoint the sick.

    The ministry of a deacon is a non-salaried one.  As a parish, we are responsible for reimbursing him for travel expenses and whatever other expenses he incurs because of the needs of the parish.  In addition, the deacon receives a yearly stipend from the diocese.  This stipend is minimal.

    Who is our new Deacon?  Our newly appointed deacon is George Borkush.  George was born in Fall River, MA.  In June of 1970, he married Denise “Dede” Gumaskas, who was born in Lawrence, MA.  They have lived in Atkinson for many years, and have three sons.  George graduated from Northeastern University with a BS in Psychology in 1972.  He was employed at General Electric Company in Lynn, MA.  George was ordained a Permanent Deacon on May 14, 1983, for the diocese of Boston.
We welcome Deacon George and his wife Dede to our parish families.
    
                                Fr. C. Peter Dumont