Sunday 5 December 2011 was an historic day in the life of St. Patrick's Parish Dundalk when our parishioner Mr Benignus Ndubuisi was accepted  by Cardinal Brady  a as candidate for the permanent diaconate at a ceremony in St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh. The ceremony was described by Cardinal Brady as a red-letter day for the diocese  because Ben and the five other candidates were the first ever candidates for the permanent diaconate in the diocese.  

Ben was joined in the Cathedral by his wife Celistina, his children Chisom, Chibuikem Ndubuisi and Chidinma and my many people from the African community in Dundalk. Fr Andrew McNally, Adm. was in attendance and the Parish Pastoral Council was represented my  the Chairperson, Mrs Marie Flynn.

During his homily Cardinal Brady said: Because the Good Shepherd knows and loves his people, he raises up candidates to become Permanent Deacons in the Church.  The word ‘deacon’ basically means servants.  The deacon is essentially one who serves.  That service can take many forms – the service of the Word of God – that reading and explaining and preaching the Good News – so that people may hear that Good News as Good News.  It means prayers with, and for, God’s people.

It can mean service at the altar in the form of celebrating the sacrament of Baptism, or witnessing, on behalf of the Church, the sacrament of marriage – which is always celebrated and administered by the spouses themselves to each other.  It could mean bringing Holy Communion to the sick and elderly and housebound – something that is already being done and will continue to be done by the ministers of the Eucharist.  

Finally, being a Deacon can mean serving that section of the Family of God who are poor and hungry and homeless – who are sick or in prison.

So today is a red-letter day in the history of the diocese as six candidates officially declare their desire to serve the people of God as Permanent Deacons.  I thank them.  I thank their wives and families who support this decision.  I thank Father Gates and his team of helpers who have conducted the process of selection and preparation and formation.  I ask God to bless all concerned in this noble adventure now and always.  The Good Shepherd does not, and will never, leave his beloved people without the care of his saving grace and love.  

The other five candidates are Mr Martin Barlow, Portadown, Mr Andy Hegarty, Cookstown,  Mr David Durrigan, Ardee and Collon, Mr John Taaffe, Drogheda and Martin Clarke, Dromintee. 

We wish Ben and the other five candidates every blessing as they continue their journey toward the Permanent Diaconate over the next three years.