Deacons celebrate jubilee anniversaries
Detroit – The Archdiocese of Detroit recognized permanent deacons who are celebrating significant anniversaries of their ordination this year at a Mass and dinner last Sunday at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.
Cardinal Adam Maida was principal celebrant.
This year two deacons are celebrating 35-year anniversaries, four are marking 30 years, six are celebrating 20 years of service, three marking 15 years, and one observing five years of service.
Cardinal Maida has often praised the permanent deacons of the diocese, saying they "are called to be icons or images of Christ the Servant."
This year's two 35-year deacon jubilarians – Deacon John J. Kenny of St. Aidan Parish, Livonia, and Deacon Norman LaLone, a senior deacon who now serves at St. John the Evangelist Parish in North Naples, Fla. – were both asked to tell about the most memorable event or aspects of their ministry. Their responses are printed below.
35 years
Deacon John J. Kenny
Deacon Kenny, 78, was born in Detroit and grew up in St. Charles Borromeo Parish on the city's near east side, with frequent Mass attendance at nearby St. Bonaventure Monastery. He attended St. Charles Grade School and St. Joseph High School, also in Detroit. He did his diaconal studies at Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and was ordained to the deaconate June 18, 1971, as one of the first group of permanent deacons to be ordained for the Archdiocese of Detroit after the restoration of the permanent diaconate in the Latin Rite Church.
In his secular career, he was involved in motion picture equipment sales through his own business, Theatre Equipment Co.
In 1950, he married his wife, Jane (Lehr), and they had nine children – Michael, Paula, Beth Anne, Janet, Ruth, Mary, Laurie, John Francis and Mark. Jane Kenny died in 2003.
As an adult, Deacon Kenny was a long-time member of St. Theodore of Canterbury Parish in Westland, and served there as a deacon. He also helped out at St. Bernardine of Siena and St. Richard parishes in Westland, besides his other official assignments at St. Edith Parish, Livonia, and then St. Aidan Parish, Livonia, where he continues to serve.
"Of all the ministries I've been associated with, I have to say my favorite was working with marriage preparation programs. I really look forward to seeing a young couple come forward and tell me they want to get married, then asking what they have to do next.
 30 years
Deacon James L. Hensel, senior status
Deacon William H. Johr, senior status
Deacon Anthony Lewandowski, senior status
Deacon William L. Waldmann, Holy Family Parish, Novi, and Oakland County Sheriff's Department
20 years
Deacon Donald J. Abler Jr., senior status
Deacon James A. Cron, senior status
Deacon Eugene Desjarlais, Divine Savior Parish, Westland
Deacon Ronald L. McIntyre, Most Holy Redeemer Parish, Detroit
Deacon William Meahan, St. Aidan Parish, Livonia
Deacon Edward Wilson Jr., St. Paul of Tarsus Parish, Clinton Township
15 years
Deacon Peter M. Cornell, St. Anthony Parish, Belleville, and St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center, Detroit
Deacon Steven J. Morello, assignment pending
Deacon Clement Stankiewicz, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Farmington, and St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center, Detroit
5 years
Deacon Brian S. White, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, St. Michael Parish, and Shrine Parish of St. Joseph, Pontiac | "All totaled, I've witnessed more than 200 weddings.
"I always started my interviews with giving each one a 5-by-7 blank paper, and asked each to give me five one-word reasons why they wanted to get married. Many times they would look at me with a blank stare, which I interpreted as 'You want what?' After a few more stares, I would say, 'You know, sex is not a dirty word.'
"They seemed to write furiously, but I achieved my purpose, as this really got them talking about a taboo subject. There were times I laughed my sides out at the answers I got.
"I think many of the older priests did not really know what to do with us; after all, we were something that had not been available to work in parishes for more than 400 years. I remember, the new pastor at one parish where I served told me politely there was no room in his ministry for deacons.
"Instead of feeling down about it, I just got in my car and drove to another parish, talked to the pastor and then stayed there and helped him until I was reassigned.
"There were priests from whom I received great encouragement, such as Fr. Leonard Zak, Fr. John Blaska and Fr. James Schieck. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, who has given me the strength, and who judged me faithful enough to call me to his service.
"And I pray that all who read this will pray for me, that I may continue my diaconal service as old age is creeping up on me; I want to keep on doing parish work until I can't drive anymore."
Deacon Norman LaLone
Deacon LaLone, 83, was born in Pontiac, and grew up in that city's St. Michael Parish. He attended St. Michael grade and high schools, before going on to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., where he earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree. After service as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, he did further studies in mechanical engineering at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., and at Michigan State University.
He took courses in pastoral studies at Marygrove College, Detroit, and at St. Mary's College, Orchard Lake, then did his diaconal studies at Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit. He was ordained to the deaconate June 18, 1971, among the first group of permanent deacons to be ordained for the Archdiocese of Detroit after the restoration of the permanent diaconate.
In his secular career, Deacon LaLone was a plant engineer for Ford Motor Co., retiring in 1980.
In 1945, he married Mary Bernadette "Bernie"(O'Brien), and then had seven children Brian, Cheri, Dennis, Evelyn, Michael, Donna and Mary Beth (who died in infancy).
As an adult, Deacon LaLone was a long-time member of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Waterford Township.
His first diaconal assignment was at St. Benedict Parish, Waterford Township, and then at St. Daniel Parish, Clarkston. He was granted senior deacon status in 1994, but continued to serve at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Pontiac, until 2002.
When he began spending about half the year in Florida in 1989, he began serving at St. John the Evangelist Parish in North Naples, and continues to serve there since becoming a year-round Florida resident last year.
"When we were ordained, nobody really knew what a deacon was, including the hierarchy and the deacons themselves.
"My first assignment was to St. Benedict in Waterford Township, and all I had in my mind was that I was going there just to serve the people. At that time there were no marriage preparation classes or baptism preparation classes.
"I used to think it wrong that the Church was giving all this religious education to priests and deacons, but not to lay people, when it was lay people who were teaching all the children. And since there were no good programs in existence at that time, I had to come up with them myself, and then train lay people how to keep them going.
"Over the years, I loved teaching and delivering homilies, and doing counseling especially when a couple I counseled years before would come back and tell me how much it had helped them.
"But it was just being there with the people, and serving them with humility that where the joy and gratification come into it.
"My idea of the deacon is not an authority figure, but just as someone who is there to fill needs. He should try to determine what the needs are, and fill them.
"At the parish where I serve in Florida, I'll be serving at the altar and doing baptisms this Sunday (the day of the deacon jubilarians Mass in Detroit). But the programs such as marriage preparation and baptism preparation are all being run by lay people now."
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