Parishes in Wigan, Ormskirk, St Helens, and Woolton were well represented among the large congregation who gathered in the Metropolitan Cathedral on Sunday 7 July for the ordination of four new permanent deacons.

 

Archbishop Malcolm was joined by deacons and priests from around the diocese for this joyous celebration, which also marked the 40th anniversary of the first ordinations of permanent deacons in the Archdiocese on 8 July 1979.

Gergely Juhasz, a lecturer in Theology at Liverpool Hope University, will serve in the parishes of Our Lady of the Annunciation (Bishop Eton) and St Mary, the Woolton and Halewood Pastoral Area and Liverpool Hope University.  Gergely was born in Hungary and studied theology there and in Belgium.  He is married to Elisabeth and they have one daughter.

 

Michael Moffatt, formerly a teacher and now a Health and Safety consultant in the construction industry, will serve the parish of St Edward and the Wigan Pastoral Area.  He and his wife Janet have two grown up sons and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren.

 

Peter Mawtus and his wife Susan have three adult children and several grandchildren. Peter is a retired marketing consultant and will serve the parish of St Anne and the Ormskirk and Maghull Pastoral Area.

 

Paul Rooney leads the Department of Geography and Environmental Science at Liverpool Hope University.  Paul and his wife Jane have a daughter and a son and live in St Helens.  Paul will serve the parishes of St Bartholomew and St Teresa of the Child Jesus, the St Helens Pastoral Area and Liverpool Hope University.

 

The four wives took their part in the ceremony, vesting their husbands, with the help of their parish priests, in the same stoles and dalmatics used in the first ordinations in 1979, while Archbishop Malcolm wore the matching chasuble made for that occasion.