“This is a joyous day for each of us. We have waited a lifetime. Since He created us, He had this day in mind for us,” Deacon Hernández  said before the Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate, June 6, 2026, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe.

Diaconate formation is different in that the men discern and go through their formation while living in the world as husbands, fathers, brothers, engineers, operating managers and more. It is unlike the seminarians who are in formation fulltime. This year’s cohort works in a variety of fields. Bishop John Noonan called them “multilingual and multitalented”.

Deacon John Quirk admitted the formation was “a lot.”

“When we first started, I was just praying, if this is what You (Jesus) want, then this is what we’ll do. And I never expected to be selected.” He did not consider himself worthy of the call, and through it discovered God’s immense love for him.

Deacon Quirk’s expectations were realistic. Deacon Dave Camous, director of the Permanent Diaconate explained, “In this last cycle, we had 105 men attend our discernment nights. Pastors requested 70 plus applications be sent out of which about 56 came back. We interviewed 26 and only 18 will come into the next cohort. Why is that? Shouldn’t everybody who wants to be deacon, be a deacon? No, because it’s not what we want. It’s what God has called us to. We say we don’t make deacons. God makes deacons. We just help you discover who God has called you to be.”

Deacon Camous said the term deacon comes from diakonos, which means servant. He referenced Acts Chapter 6, where men were pulled forward from the community. “The bishop relies on the deacon historically to be the bridge to the community, to understand the needs that are unmet and to help the diocese organize resources to serve those needs,” he said. “To be able to orient your life in prayer and service to God and to neighbor, you know you are fulfilling your mission in life. It’s not one I can ever express well in words, but there’s a deep joy and fulfillment in that surrender to the Gospel.”

“It’s a huge gift that more men are giving their lives in service as a family with their wife, willing to serve our Church and be an image of Christ the servant,” said Father Zachary Parker, diocesan director of vocations. “From the beginning the apostles chose men to serve the Church, to lead and to guide, to assist not just at the altar but in the whole life of the Church, to organize the faithful people of God, to (confer) Baptism, to lead Bible studies, to be heralds of the Gospels. They’re invaluable to the life of the Church.”

This surrender is a witness to love of Christ in action, not only to neighbor, but within the family. Olman Hernández Jr. noticed the transformation that took place in his father over his years in formation. He acknowledged it was challenging at first. No one knew what to expect. The middle of three children, he and his siblings were in middle and high school at the time. His brother Ricardo was 11 years old and his sister, Mary Grace, was 15. Now Ricardo is going to college, and Mary Grace will soon be married.

During their father’s years of formation, they matured into adults while discovering what the diaconate meant and how it impacted every aspect of life. He admired his brother’s “go with the flow”, “self-sacrificial attitude” when his parents could not attend one of his races. He looked up to his sister for her “curiosity” about the diaconate, never afraid to question and understand it. And he watched his parents become closer, setting a “good example” of what a committed marriage looks like. Their witness increased his own faith. He wishes for his father “an abundance of grace from the Holy Spirit” and an ever deepening of love for his mother, Christine.

As Olman Jr. looked forward to the Ordination, he felt, “overwhelming humility and grace” thinking of when the congregation would be praying the Litany of the Saints as his father’s cohort lay face down before the altar. “It’s just such an immense amount of grace and humility to think that my prayers are being entertained with the same saints and martyrs that laid down their lives for the Lord,” he said.

Added to the prayers of the saints were those of family, friends and acquaintances across the world. And of course, the prayers of Bishop Noonan who concluded by telling the newly ordained deacons: “As we listen to and take in the Gospel of St. John, we take note of these words of Jesus. ‘I have told you this so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this; to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’”

“I feel very full, full of love,” Deacon Quirk said. “I know from the beginning I never felt like I was worthy of anything, especially not the love of God. And today I know that He has called me and He has chosen us and He just loves all of us so much that I’m just overflowing, and I want to be able to share that love with everyone.”

Watch a reel of Diaconate Ordination here.