20 Chicago Area Deacons To Be Ordained, 8 From South Suburban Parishes

OAK FOREST, IL — Twenty new Catholic deacons from across the south suburbs will be ordained Saturday, the Archdiocese of Chicago told Patch.

Deacons will be assigned to parishes from Chicago Heights to Oak Forest and Orland Hills. For those interested, the event will be live-streamed from Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Since these 20 men are permanent deacons, they are not planning to pursue priesthood and are allowed to be married. However, once a single man becomes a permanent deacon, he must take a commit to celibacy.

The Chicago archdiocese has the largest group of permanent and transitional deacons of all Catholic diocese in the world with 514 currently serving.

"As Pope Francis has said, ‘deacons are the guardians of service in the Church’ and they serve the people of God with humility and joy and see Jesus in everyone, especially the poor and needy, the indigent and the withdrawn," said Cardinal Blase Cupich. "I’m grateful to these men, who, with the support of their wives, are answering the call to minister faithfully to their communities."

Deacons help lead worship services, baptisms, distribute communion, serve as witnesses to weddings and conduct wake and funeral services.

A list of south suburban candidates for deacon, including the name of their wife, if married, and their home parish:

Deacon Jim and Sandy Katula – St. Damian Parish, Oak Forest
Deacon Joe and Janet McCain -– St. John the Evangelist Parish, Streamwood
Deacon Kevin and Deidre Morgan – St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Parish, Oak Park
Deacon Francis and Lisa Pendergast III – St. Alexander Parish, Palos Heights
Deacon Roberto and Patricia Reyes – St. Mary Magdalene Parish, Blue Island
Deacon Manuel and Eva Ruiz – Our Lady of the Heights Parish, Chicago Heights
Deacon John F. Sobol – St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, Orland Hills
Deacon Brian and Carolyn Whiteford – St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Orland Park