This Saturday, April 18, Bishop Felipe Estévez will ordain 13 seminarians as transitional deacons, two of which are our very own David Keegan and Philip Timlin. The ordination is scheduled to take place at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church (370 SW 3rd Street) in Boca Raton at 11 a.m.

Ordination to the diaconate is one of the final steps before being ordained to the priesthood. “When I received the bishop’s letter calling me to orders it was a sign of the Church’s affirmation of my own discernment,” Timlin stated when asked about the significance of his ordination. The transitional diaconate is also a period of time in which the deacon acquires practical experience and receives guidance in caring for the faithful in a parish setting.

During the summer months Keegan and Timlin will be assigned to parishes where they will partake in active ministry in the community. Keegan has been assigned to Holy Family parish and Timlin will be serving at Sacred Heart parish, both located in Jacksonville. Both newly-ordained deacons will remain at their assigned parishes for 8-10 weeks before returning to seminary to complete their fourth year of theological studies in preparation for the priesthood.

The typical duties assigned to a deacon are often many and multi-faceted such as proclaiming the Gospel at Mass and delivering homilies. Other duties include administering the sacrament of baptism and serving as witness to weddings, presiding at Christian burials, at eucharistic exposition and benediction, the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours and other liturgical rites. “In our classes [at the seminary] we often discussed how the priest is still a deacon,” Keegan recalls, “always assuming the attitude and posture of service.”

To learn more about our seminarians, visit www.dosafl.com/seminarians.

To read David Keegan’s vocation story, click here.

To read Philip Timlin’s vocation story, click here.