In top photo, deacons of the Diocese pray during teh Mass celebrated by Bishop O’Connell. Mary Stadnyk photo
Nearly 90 deacons from around the four-county Diocese gathered in Princeton Oct. 16-17 for the annual Convocation of Deacons.
Highlights of the two-day event included a three-part presentation by Father Jim Grogan, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown.
On Saturday morning, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., was principal celebrant and homilist of a Mass during which he thanked the deacons for their service to their parishes and the Diocese of Trenton.
“I thank God for your faith, for your generosity, for your commitment to the Church and for the countless ways you serve the people of our Diocese of Trenton,” Bishop O’Connell said in his homily.
“The diaconate is not simply about what happens at the altar. It is about what happens when you leave the altar,” the Bishop said.
“The Gospel you proclaim must become the Gospel you live. The charity you preach must become the charity you practice. The Christ you serve in the Eucharist must be the Christ you recognize in the poor, the suffering, the lonely and the forgotten,” he said.
Check back on TrentonMonitor.com for photo gallery and full story on the 2026 Diaconate Convocation.