Bishop David Zubik will ordain nine permanent deacons on Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. in Saint Paul Cathedral

The new deacons come from parishes located in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Washington counties. Upon their ordination, Bishop Zubik will assign them to ministries that may be in their own parish, a nearby parish or in a specialized ministry outside of a parish.

 “Our diocese is blessed that these men have answered the call to preach, teach, offer pastoral care and look after the poor and the marginalized. Their ministry will bring new and renewed faith to many people as they live and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Bishop Zubik said. 
Working under the direction of their bishop and parish pastor, Catholic deacons preach, teach and baptize, as well as conduct weddings and burials outside of a Mass. They cannot, however, celebrate the Holy Mass or the sacraments of penance or anointing of the sick. While men preparing for the priesthood typically have a year-long “transitional” diaconate, men ordained for the “permanent” diaconate may either be married or single. 

If they are not retired, most permanent deacons have a full-time secular job and give their evenings and weekends in unsalaried service to the Church. Some deacons may be hired fulltime by a parish, the diocese or Catholic institution for specific ministries. 
      
Married men interested in pursuing the diaconate must have the consent of their wives before beginning the 5-year program of studies. The Diocese of Pittsburgh offers retreats and other support for the wives of deacon candidates and deacons.
      
The ordination will be live streamed at : https://youtube.com/live/g757gbde4c8, on www.ChristianAssociatesTV.org and cablecast on Channel 95 (in the city of Pittsburgh).
 
Below are the permanent deacons scheduled for ordination on October 5, 2024:

Allegheny County
Joseph Allen
Home parish: Saint Philip Parish, Crafton
Mr. Allen, 49, is a developer in the information technology department of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. He has a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the College of Wooster and a Master of Theological Studies from the University of Dallas. He and his wife, Kelly Cullen, have three children ages 10-19.

Jay Anderson
Home parish: Saints Martha and Mary Parish in Hampton and Richland
Mr. Anderson, 65, is employed by Hitachi Rail STS in Pittsburgh as head of freight dispatching systems in the Americas. He has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University and a Master of Science in engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. He and his wife, Jeannine, have four children, ages 30-39.

John Corcoran, Jr.
Home parish: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, northern Pittsburgh and Ross area
Mr. Corcoran, 56, is an attorney who is managing partner for the firm of Jones, Gregg, Creehan and Gerace. He has an bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wilke College and a law degree from the Duquesne University School of Law. He and his wife, Virginia, have a 20-year-old daughter.

Michael Deem 
Home parish: Saint Luke the Evangelist, northeast Allegheny County and southeast Beaver County
Mr. Deem, 44, is an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the Center for Bioethics & Law. With a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, master’s degrees in historical theology from Saint Louis University and in philosophy from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, he is also director of the Consortium Ethics Program at the University of Pittsburgh and a faculty fellow of the Beatrice Institute. He and his wife, Katerina, have five children ages 3-13.

John Maier 
Home parish: Saint Mary Magdalene, East End and Wilkinsburg
Dr. Maier, 56, a physician and researcher, is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He holds an undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Notre Dame and an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He and his wife, Robin, have four children, ages 20-27.

Donald Ruby
Home parish: Saints Martha and Mary Parish, Hampton and Richland.
Mr. Ruby, 62, is a customer service manager for ZOLL Cardiac Management Solutions and the part-time director of middle school ministry at Saints Martha and Mary Parish. He has a bachelor’s degree in community ministry and leadership from Geneva College. He and his wife have two children, ages 27 and 30.

Beaver County
Dominic Barracchini
Home parish: Our Lady of the Valley, central Beaver County
Mr. Barracchini, 63, is a senior mechanical engineer for Equipment & Controls, Inc,, (ECI). He holds two bachelor’s degrees from Geneva College in general engineering and mechanical engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Robert Morris University. He and his wife, Amanda, have three children ages 25-35. 

Butler County
Frederick Lukachinsky
Home parish: Saint Mark the Evangelist, Cranberry area
Mr. Lukachinsky, 59, is vice-president for operations support and engineering for FedEx Ground. His bachelor’s degree is in business administration and accounting from Cleveland State University. He and his wife, Sandy, have three children ages 25-30.

Washington County
Timothy Counihan
Home parish: Saint Oscar Romero, Canonsburg area
Mr. Counihan, 63, is an environmental health and safety manager for Vibrantz Technologies, Inc.. He has a bachelor’s degree in safety management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Betsy, have two children ages 23 and 30.
 
 In the Catholic Church, deacons are ordained clergy. More information is at https://diopitt.org/permanent-diaconate.