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‘Called to Serve’
‘My ordination was a very intimate and personal affair not only between Archbishop Malcolm, myself and my family but with God Our Father also’ Deacon John McCarthy
The Archdiocese of Liverpool witnessed the ordinations of four new deacons over the summer, all of them united by a common calling. By Simon Hart ‘Some people ask, “Why be ordained deacon?”. I think the answer has to come from deep within at the core of our being, as a calling to serve and walk with God’s people in the name of the Church.’ The above words come from John Power, the new deacon at St Oswald’s and St Sebastian’s in Old Swan, who this summer was one of four men ordained to that ministry in the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The quartet of ordinations took place across eight days
Deacon John McCarthy
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Catholic Pictorial
Father Chris Fallon, director of the diaconal programme for Liverpool Archdiocese, said: ‘The diaconate ordinations were quite different this year. Usually we have a big celebration in the cathedral but because of the coronavirus we had to have small individual celebrations in the parishes of the four men being ordained.’
took place at St Jerome’s, Formby on Sunday 19 July, with Archbishop Malcolm McMahon the celebrant and Father John Poland assisting. This was the case too for the ordinations the following weekend of John Power, at St Oswald’s on Friday 24 July, and Mike Bennett at St James’s, Bootle, on the 26th. In between Anthony Cave was ordained at his home parish of St Anthony’s, Scotland Road on Saturday 25th, with Bishop Tom Williams the celebrant this time.
The first ordination – of John McCarthy –
Owing to the current restrictions
between 19 and 26 July and marked a change from the normal practice of each year’s candidates being ordained together at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
