Sacred Heart Major Seminary will send forth 17 seminarians to be ordained transitional deacons this year. The men will then continue their formation at Sacred Heart as they continue to walk toward priestly ordination.
The diaconate is one of three degrees in ordained ministry: bishop, priest, and deacon.
As part of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, the Holy See is celebrating various ministries and groups in the Church. The Jubilee of Deacons took place in February, during which Pope Francis addressed deacons in his written Sunday Angelus on Feb. 23:
“Dear brother Deacons, you dedicate yourselves to the Word and to the service of charity; you carry out your ministry in the Church with words and deeds, bringing God’s love and mercy to everyone. I urge you to continue your apostolate with joy and — as today’s Gospel suggests — to be a sign of a love that embraces everyone, that transforms evil into goodness and engenders a fraternal world. Do not be afraid to risk love!”
The Sacred Heart faculty, staff and formators congratulate and pray for the following seminarians as they become deacons of the Church. Some of the men were asked to share their reflections on the diaconate and on their experience at Sacred Heart.
Joshua Bauer, Diocese of Lansing
“At Mass deacons are close, so close, to Jesus. In that set-apart moment of the elevation, he takes Jesus’s chalice and lifts Him up for the people’s adoration. This honor humbles my soul to the dust — this honor consumes my heart in awe. Shepherding me in experience of God, Sacred Heart has conveyed me to life-giving waters and taught me to drink deeply. The sweetest drink is life with Christ, life in His Spirit.”
Lucian Gumma, Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas
“To me, being ordained to the diaconate means making Christ present to others through the Word of God. I will have the privilege of reading the Gospel and preaching to the people with the hope that through my words they may be able to grow closer to Christ and make Him a part of their daily lives.
I am blessed to have been formed through Sacred Heart Major Seminary, where they have showed me how I am called to preach the Word of God not only through my words but also through my charity to others.”
Karl Hartman, Companions of the Cross
"Sacred Heart Major Seminary has emphasized that the duty of preaching is for the salvation of souls and the glorification of God. I firmly believe when the Word is proclaimed with conviction, the Holy Spirit moves powerfully in signs and wonders convicting the hearers. In just two months, I’ll be formally tasked as a deacon with this mission “to preach good news to the poor…to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Lk 4:18-19). For that, I can’t wait!"
William O’Donnell, Diocese of Gary
“As a deacon, I am most excited to pray with people and impart God’s blessing. My early desires for the priesthood sprang from a devotion to be an altar server and sacristan. As a deacon, I will begin to lead some liturgies with a special power to impart God’s blessing upon His people.
Sacred Heart’s pastoral formation has invited me to step into vulnerable environments with those seeking an encounter with God. Experiences like street evangelization and The Rescue Project have helped me to call on the Holy Spirit and allow Him to do the work of transforming people’s hearts.”
Tyler Rivard, Diocese of Marquette
“It is fitting that I and my diocesan brothers will be ordained deacons on May 16, because this is the date of my late paternal grandfather’s birthday. He would have turned 94 if he was still alive. He played an instrumental part in my love for the faith growing up. When visiting us or when we visited him, he would lead us in the Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy on the way to and from Mass, and at home. He shared with my siblings and me the importance of having a faith life strengthened by prayer, reconciliation, and the Eucharist. I intend to pass on the faith he shared with me to others through the ministry of the diaconate.
I am excited to serve the people of the Diocese of Marquette as a deacon and to exercise the duties of the office, especially at baptisms, weddings, and funerals. I am also looking forward to preaching the Word of God to the people I will be serving. Sacred Heart has prepared me by helping me grow in humility, and helping me become more configured to the Sacred Heart of Jesus so that I can be a servant of his Church and people.”
Daniel Whalen, Archdiocese of Detroit
“I have been a seminarian at Sacred Heart Major Seminary for seven years, and these years have been truly blessed. Sacred Heart has prepared me by providing me with the necessary tools and support for ministry through formation, field education, prayer, and formation. These experiences have taught me to live and die for Christ and His Church.
In no particular order, I am most excited to preach, assist at the altar, and teach about how much God and His Church want for each of us.”
Archdiocese of Detroit – Lizandro Barba, Karl Finkbeiner, James Musgrave, Daniel Whalen
- Date: April 12, 2025, at 10 a.m.
- Location: Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI
- Celebrant: Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. Fisher
Eparchy of St. Thomas – Brandon Elias, Lucian Gumma
- Date: May 4, 2025, at 1:15 p.m.
- Location: St. George Chaldean Church, Shelby Township, MI
- Celebrant: Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat
Diocese of Marquette – Mark Beukema, Drew Langton, Tyler Rivard
- Date: May 16, 2025, at 3:30 p.m.
- Location: St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette, MI
- Celebrant: Bishop John F. Doerfler
Diocese of Lansing – Joshua Bauer, Ryan Ferrigan, Peter Randolph
- Date: May 17, 2025, at 10:30 a.m.
- Location: St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing, MI
- Celebrant: Bishop Earl A. Boyea
Diocese of Gary – William O’Donnell
- Date: June 7, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. CDT
- Location: Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary, IN
- Celebrant: Bishop Robert J. McClory
Companions of the Cross – Karl Hartman
- Date: June 14, 2025
- Location: Holy Name of Mary Church, St. Marys, Ontario, Canada
- Celebrant: Bishop Christian Riesbeck, CC
Companions of the Cross – John Brundage and Manas Khurana
- Date: September 13, 2025
- Location: Companions of the Cross, Holy Spirit Oratory, Detroit, MI
- Celebrant: TBD