On Saturday, June 7, six area men were ordained as permanent deacons in the Catholic Church. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec presided at the 10 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo.

After years of study and both pastoral and parish ministry, Gary P. Andelora, Dennis P. Conroy, John P. Gaulin, Cornelius M. Linnan, Paul S. Stankiewicz and James J. Trzaska will join the more than 100 permanent deacons in the Diocese of Buffalo.

Permanent deacons, men who are ordained as deacons but do not continue on to the priesthood, can officiate at weddings, baptisms, funerals and wakes. They may also preach and distribute Holy Communion. Very often, permanent deacons are married with children, as are all of this year’s candidates, and have outside employment.

Andelora, father of Jessica Rose, Rachel and Hilary, and his wife Suzanne Marie are members of St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Hamburg. At St. Mary, he has been a member of the parish’s music ministry, religious education program, pre-Cana team and served as a Eucharistic minister. He fulfilled his pastoral field ministry at Women and Children’s Hospital, Buffalo, in the pastoral care office. Andelora was awarded the professional service award from the Medical Society, County of Erie. He served as president of the board of directors of the Hamburg Council’s Columbus Club and was past grand knight for the Hamburg Knights of Columbus. Andelora is employed by Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company.

A Hamburg resident, Conroy is employed by Empire State Development Corporation and is involved with the Erie Canal Harbor project. He and his wife, Mary, have five children, Robert, John, Leah, Anna and Joseph. At his parish, St. Bernadette, Orchard Park, he has been involved in family ministry, and served as a catechist and lector. He also is a member of the teams of Our Lady, an international spiritual fellowship movement. Conroy fulfilled his field ministry in campus ministry at Hilbert College, Hamburg. He is a registered architect with the State of New York and was honorably discharged as a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

Gaulin, president of Success Force, Inc., has been an active member of his parish, Our Lady of Pompeii, Lancaster. He has served as a Eucharistic minister and has participated in adult education, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), Journey into Love, Cana II, parish Lenten programs and youth religious education. He has two children, Michelle and Jennifer. Gaulin, who lives in Lancaster with his wife Deborah, received an Army Commendation Medal from the U.S. Army and is a member of United Through Change and both the Amherst and Lancaster Chambers of Commerce. He completed his field ministry at the Catholic Center.

A parishioner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and resident of Derby, Linnan and his wife, Patricia, are parents of two sons, Martin and Paul. During his formation for the diaconate, Linnan’s field ministry was at both St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, Buffalo, and in the pastoral care department at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo. In his parish, he serves as a lector and Eucharistic minister and is active in RCIA and youth ministry. Linnan served in the U.S. Air Force and is a member of Cursillo. The Derby resident is employed at Industrial Wastewater Services.

A father of four girls will also be ordained a permanent deacon. Stankiewicz, father of Christine, Jeannine, Jessica and Danelle, belongs to Immaculate Conception Parish in Ransomville with his wife Patricia. The Sanborn resident is employed at Keller Technology Corporation and has been active in his parish as a member of the choir, Eucharistic minister, lector, baptismal preparation, RCIA and Growing in Faith Together, G.I.F.T, an all ages religious education program. Stankiewicz completed his field ministry in the spiritual care departments at Mount St. Mary Hospital and at Our Lady of Peace Nursing Home, both in Lewiston.

The final candidate for ordination, Trzaska, is employed by Bristol-Myers Squibb. During his formation process, he fulfilled his field ministry at AIDS Family Services and the Response to Love Center, both in Buffalo. The Lancaster resident also has been active in parish ministry including pre-baptismal classes, RCIA and coordinating the altar servers. In addition he serves as a Eucharistic minister. Trzaska and his wife Diane are the parents of Julie, Elizabeth and Catherine and belong to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, Depew.