Introducing Transitional Deacon, Dave Verbsky
On April 17 at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral, five men were ordained for service to the Church as transitional deacons. Unlike Deacon Bob Herron, who is a permanent deacon, a transitional deacon serves for a certain period of time, at least six months or more, before being called into further service of the Church as a priest. Deacon Dave Verbsky was among those five men ordained last month. Deacon Dave has just completed his fourth year in the seminary and will be going into his fifth (and final) year of seminary studies.
Deacon Dave has been assigned to St. Brendan Parish this year. He begins on May 17. He will be fulltime throughout the summer, living in the rectory and involved in parish life. When school begins in August, Deacon Dave will be with us every week from Friday through Monday. Tuesday through Thursday he will be at the seminary finishing his last courses of academic studies and projects. Deacon Dave comes from Mentor, Ohio and his home parish is St. Mary in Chardon. We welcome Deacon Dave Verbsky to St. Brendan this year, and we look forward to sharing parish life with him as the Church prepares him for diocesan priesthood in May, 2022.
Our parish community has been blessed to be instrumental in the discernment and formation of many seminarians and deacon candidates throughout the years. This is largely due to our Catholic spiritual life, our care about the Church’s liturgy and Sacramental life, our concern for each other and those around us, our strong commitment to Catholic education, our devotion to the Eucharist, our ongoing love for Mary and the Saints, and all of this deeply rooted and grounded in how we live for Jesus Christ. Please pray for Deacon Dave Verbsky as he joins our parish for the year. Please pray for an increase of vocations to the diocesan priesthood, the deaconate, and to religious life and that men and women will respond more selflessly and generously to the call of God for the good of serving the Church.