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Gulf Pine Catholic
•
July 28, 2017
11
The Permanent Diaconate in Mississippi
Deacon Martin Finnegan exposes the Blessed
Sacrament at St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Ocean
Springs.
BY DEACON MARTIN AND
BRENDA FINNEGAN
In 1973, interest in establishing a permanent dia-
conate program in Mississippi was generated by Most
Reverend Joseph Brunini, Bishop of the Catholic
Diocese of Natchez-Jackson. (At that time, it was the
Catholic Diocese for the entire state of Mississippi. The
Diocese of Biloxi was not established until March 1,
1977, with Bishop Joseph Lawson Howze as its leader.)
The first permanent deacon program was announced
in the
Mississippi Today Catholic
newspaper on October
5, 1975, and Father Thomas Boyce was appointed as
the director of the program. After a year-long selection
process, the first class was held in October 1976, at the
Sun and Sand Motel in Jackson. Shortly after, the
Renewal Center on Bolling Street (a former seminary)
became available and the 26 candidates accepted into
the program and wives were housed there. Fourteen of
those completed the program in 1979.
Father Chuck Siebenand was the second Director of
the Permanent Diaconate in the Jackson Diocese, and
Father Peter Mockler was appointed the first Director
in the Biloxi Diocese. A newsletter was begun by the
candidates,
The Pre-Deacon Beacon
, which kept the
candidates informed (and sometimes amused).
The first ordination of permanent deacons of the
Biloxi Diocese was held on Sunday, June 17, 1979, at
11 a.m. Mass (Father’s Day). Of the six candidates
from the Biloxi Diocese who completed the 3-year for-
mation, four were ordained that day. Candidates Martin
Finnegan of Pascagoula, Thomas Miller and Rene’
Moniot, both of Biloxi, and Charles Walker of Gulfport
were ordained by Bishop Howze at the Cathedral of
the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin to a standing-room
only crowd. (Eight from the Jackson Diocese were
ordained in their respective parishes, including Leon
Kitchin of Greenwood, father of Father George
Kitchin, who was an enthusiastic supporter of the dia-
conate program. Deacon Finnegan, by the luck of the
draw, was the first permanent deacon ordained for the
Diocese of Biloxi.
Victor Baglioni of Moss Point was ordained the fol-
lowing year. Robert Miller of Gulfport became ill and
died before he was ordained. Father John McGrath suc-
ceeded Father Mockler as Director of the Permanent
Diaconate, and Deacon Martin Finnegan succeeded
(now) Msgr. McGrath in 1986, serving for eighteen
years under Bishop Howze, and later under Bishop
Thomas Rodi.
A new deacon formation class for Mississippi and
Alabama candidates was begun in 1990 by Deacon
Finnegan with Deacon Joseph McGonagle, and Rev.
John Ahern in the Archdiocese of Mobile, resulting in
eight new deacons being ordained for the Biloxi
Diocese in 1993, which included Deacon Thomas
LeBlanc. (Several were ordained in Alabama; records
were lost in Katrina.)
Deacon LeBlanc was the associate director at the
beginning of the next class, begun in 1999, also with
the Archdiocese of Mobile. He and his wife, Ann, were
one of the mentor couples the first year. In 2000,
Deacon Victor Baglioni and his wife, Gladys, became
mentor couples to the new class, who were ordained in
2002.
That class included Deacons Ben Wimberly and
Gayden Harper. Deacon Wimberly became Director of
the Permanent Diaconate for the Biloxi Diocese after
Deacon Finnegan resigned in 2004, and he was suc-
ceeded by Deacon Gayden Harper in 2007.
Since then, formation classes have been held in our
own diocese under Director Gayden Harper. Since the
class of 1979, there have been five additional formation
classes. Counting deacons moving in from other dio-
ceses, there are now 48 permanent deacons serving in
the diocese at this time. Another formation class is due
to be ordained in 2019.
Deacon Martin Finnegan’s reflections:
“It was difficult for the first class because perma-
nent deacons were new to the Church as well as to the
diocese. Establishing a deacon community was impor-
tant, then, and still is. Support from Bishop Howze was
necessary, helpful and welcome, as well as the support
of priests and parishioners of the diocese. The continu-
ation of support from the succeeding bishops has been
very important to the deacons and their wives,” he said.
“As a result of my ordination, I was privileged to
serve for nine years at Sacred Heart in Pascagoula. The
parishioners at Sacred Heart were very supportive to
me and my wife, Brenda, often baby-sitting our three
children when we traveled to Jackson for classes
monthly from 1976-1979.
“I was also blessed to serve with the Apostleship of
the Sea, visiting ships at the Port of Pascagoula. I was
privileged to travel with Msgr. Gregory Johnson to
meetings in Toronto, Canada, Seattle, Washington and
New Orleans. I also enjoyed being chaplain to the Boys
and Girls Scouts, and serving on the board of the deaf
ministry, de l’Epee.
“I was able to take early retirement from Chevron
Refinery in Pascagoula to become the Director of
Religious Education at Our Lady of Victories (now
Resurrection Catholic School from 1985-1988. I
enjoyed teaching religion to students in sixth-twelfth
grades. I still hear from many of them.
“In 1986, I was appointed as the third Director of
the Permanent Diaconate, succeeding Msg. John
McGrath. I was able to help begin a new deacon forma-
tion class in 1990 with Deacon Joseph McGonagle, and
Rev. John Ahern in the Archdiocese of Mobile, result-
ing in eight new deacons being ordained for the Biloxi
Diocese in 1993, and eight more in 2002.
The formation team included my wife, Brenda,
Deacon Vic Baglioni and his wife, Gladys, and later,
Deacon Tom LeBlanc and his wife, Ann. From the
beginning, wives have played a significant role in our
deacon community, which included serving on the dea-
con board, along with other lay women, religious
women, lay men and clergy.
“After being assigned by Bishop Howze to St.
Elizabeth Seton Parish in 1988, I was able to serve
there as Director of Religious Education until 2005.
I’ve been privileged to administer the sacraments of
baptism, marriage, and assist at funerals, and have
made life-long friends among the parishioners there.
“Since my ordination to the diaconate, my family
and I have had wonderful experiences of serving with
the clergy and laity of the diocese, bringing us closer to
God and the church.
“I’ve been pleased and humbled with the generosity
of the parishioners at both parishes in which I’ve
served.”
In 1994, on the 15th anniversary of his diaconate
ordination, he was surprised with a gift from the St.
Elizabeth parishioners fulfilling a life-long dream -- a
15-day trip to Ireland, with his wife.
At St. Elizabeth Seton, he has served under Father
George Kitchin, Father Bernard Farrell, and continues
to serve on a limited basis under Father Sergio Balderas.
He has presided at over 350 baptisms, witnessed over
100 marriages and has served at many funerals in his
parishes, at other churches, and in the mission at
Saltillo, Mexico, with Father Patrick Quinn. He has
also served under four Biloxi bishops: Bishop Joseph
L. Howze, Bishop Thomas Rodi, Bishop Roger Morin
and Bishop Louis F. Kihneman.
“Although I ‘officially’ retired in 2015 (a require-
ment at age 75), I continue to assist at Masses, and visit
the sick on a weekly basis and am called upon occa-
sionally for funerals, baptisms and weddings. I’ve
preached more homilies than I can count, and though I
miss preparing homilies and preaching regularly, I still
enjoy it when I’m able.”
“Having our new deacon at St. Elizabeth Seton,
Deacon Mike Butler (Class of 2016) is a blessing to our
parish and to me.
“I’m also very grateful to the current director of the
permanent diaconate, Deacon Gayden Harper, for con-
tinuing to include me in diocesan programs. Brenda
and I thoroughly enjoyed being one of the five mentor
couples with him and Donna for the formation class of
2016, which included Deacon Mike and his wife,
Kitten, and will always cherish the memories of the
three years we spent with the candidates and their
wives on those monthly weekends in Dedeaux.”
SEE PERMANENT DIACONATE, PAGE 11