Ordained to serve the Church
Archdiocese welcomes 10 new deacons
Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published October 13, 2006
Detroit As spokesman for the 2006 deacon ordination class, newly ordained Deacon Joseph V. Karle III said the new deacons ordained last Saturday on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary had responded affirmatively to God's call, as the Blessed Virgin had responded.
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Photo by Larry Peplin | The Michigan Catholic Newly ordained permanent deacons and their wives walk down the aisle of theCathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament after last Saturday's ordination Mass. | "As Mary said her 'yes' to the Angel Gabriel and became the vessel through which our Lord Jesus would become man, so today the 10 of us say again our 'yes' to the Lord 'yes' in response to His call to serve His holy people through the order of permanent deacon," Karle said in his thanksgiving address at the conclusion of the ordination Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Cardinal Adam Maida ordained the new deacons for the Archdiocese of Detroit before a capacity congregation of fellow deacons, family members and well-wishers, numbering more than 900.
Besides Deacon Karle (pronounced "Kar-lee"), 39, of Shelby Township, the new deacons are:
- Deacon Luther T. Aman, 59, of Southfield.
- Deacon Michael H. Cummins, 55, of Grosse Pointe Woods.
- Deacon Zigment Kucharek, 71, of Redford Township.
- Deacon John W. Parent, 58, of Rochester Hills.
- Deacon John J. Schulte, 48, of Clarkston.
- Deacon Eric B. Sorenson, 52, of Clinton Township.
- Deacon Paul D. Stevens, 51, of Detroit.
- Deacon Richard Valade, 63, of Rochester Hills.
- Deacon James Wilder, 63, of St. Clair Shores.
On behalf of the class, Deacon Karle thanked Cardinal Maida, the faculty and staff of Sacred Heart Major Seminary, where they underwent their diaconal training, and all those involved in their formation.
He especially expressed gratitude to his and the other new deacons' wives: "Words fall dramatically short of expressing our love and thanksgiving for your support of our call to diaconal ministry. These women are saints! Your personal sacrifices and your selfless giving has strengthened our conviction and our faith, and today we renew our commitment and promise to you as husbands to always walk with you as one in marriage."
Deacon Karle expressed the new deacons' thanks to God both for their calling and for the grace of ordination, and to the Blessed Mother for "being the perfect example of what it means to say 'yes' to God."
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Photo by Larry Peplin | The Michigan Catholic
The 10 candidates for ordination to the diaconate lie prostrate before the altar during the Litany of the Saints at last Saturday's ordination ceremony. | In his homily, Cardinal Maida thanked the 10 men about to be ordained for the gift of their lives, and told them they were about to embark on a new journey. "From this day forward, thanks to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, your lives will be more closely configured to Christ Jesus, Son of the eternal Father and servant of us all," he said.
The cardinal spoke of how they were being ordained to a three-fold ministry of "Word, altar and charity."
"As our Holy Father reminded the deacons of Rome earlier this calendar year, your diaconal service should focus especially on the poor, and by that he meant not only the economically-challenged, but also those lacking in the spiritual riches of the Gospel and faith in Jesus Christ," Cardinal Maida said.
"Your preaching and teaching, your service and charity will need to touch the hearts of believers and non-believers, affirming and challenging all people to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and to allow the Good News to build up a culture of life in our world," he added.
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Photo by Larry Peplin | The Michigan Catholic
Cardinal Maida accepts the promise of obedience from Deacon Karle during last Saturday's ceremony. | Beth Karle said seeing her husband being ordained made her feel "grateful, humbled and proud it's hard to really put it into words."
"There was just an overwhelming feeling of joy. Probably the highlight for me was seeing him being vested by Deacon Bob Herta and Deacon Gene Kowalski, because their support has meant so much to us," she continued.
Beth Karle said they had known Deacon Herta since they were married 14 years ago at St. Lucy Parish in St. Clair Shores: "He and his wife, Joyce, have been such wonderful mentors and friends."
She added that they had also grown close to Deacon Kowalski, her husband's internship supervisor at St. Mary of the Hills Parish in Auburn Hills, and his wife Sharon.
 On TV
CTND, the Catholic cable TV channel, recorded the ceremony, and will televise it four times in November Sunday, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 20, at 10 a.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 4 p.m.; and Friday, Nov. 24, at 6 p.m. Video recordings of the ceremony are also available for purchase, at $14.95 plus $5 shipping and handling, from CTND, 305 Michigan Ave., Second Floor, Detroit 48226. Specify VHS or DVD. | Beth Karle said she is certain her husband would make an excellent deacon because "he is just so passionate about the Church and about the liturgy."
As the only deacon couple with small children, she said she wasn't sure just how much their sons Joseph, 7 and Simon, 3 understood about what was happening, but that she was confident they understood that something had changed. "They know Daddy has a new role in the Church, and I believe they're excited and proud," she said.
Young Joseph Karle watched most of the ceremony through the viewfinder of a home video camera. "Of course, we're going to get the official recording CTND is doing, but we let our oldest be our official videographer I wanted to see the ordination through his eyes," Beth Karle added.
Deacon Karle's mother, Linda Karle-Nelson, said she was "extremely proud" of her son as she watched the ceremony. "I though a lot about, and felt the presence of, his dad my late husband, Joseph. He was a big influence on Joe's vocation, and we sure felt him with us today," she said.
His grandmother, Jenny Karle, 91, called the experience "thrilling."
"He's such a wonderful guy, and I know he's going to be a good deacon he wants to fulfill God's will," she said.
Cardinal Maida announced the new deacons' assignments:
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