Passing of a “Veteran” Deacon, and the Arrival of a Priest

It has been an emotional month for our parishes, most recently with the death of our longtime friend and deacon, Ken Oles. The ordained ministry of Deacon gets its name from the Greek word diaconia, meaning “to serve,” and his whole life echoed Jesus’
statement, “[I] came not to be served, but to serve” (Mt 20:28, Mk 10:45). Deacon Ken started being a public servant before becoming a deacon. He served our country in the Navy, first on active duty and later as a Lieutenant in the Reserves. He served as an educator throughout his life, including many years as a fifth grade teacher and vice principal at the Kennedy School in Canton, as well as training our altar servers! And until just recently he was the Veteran Service Agent for the town of Wrentham (the reason
the town displayed black bunting and flags at halfstaff through Wednesday).

In addition to being a Navy Veteran, Deacon Ken has been our “veteran deacon” for forty years, ministering to multiple generations of Catholics and others in our communities, and blazing a new path to be followed by other parishioners who were called to become deacons.  As Deacon Joe said at the Vigil service Tuesday evening, being a deacon or priest is not a get-into heaven- free card! It is because of Deacon Ken's faith, echoed in his life of discipleship and ministry, that we have a “sure and certain hope” in his salvation
and peace with Christ in heaven. In the funeral homily, I focused on three special ways Deacon Ken persevered in his ministry as a deacon. In service, he showed us how much of a difference a humble gift of our time and support can be to others. Especially in working alongside so many different pastors over the years, it took great humility and perseverance to keep serving the people of our parishes as the vision and leadership kept changing! In love, Deacon Ken showed his softer side by the way he welcomed children
through baptism, was compassionate toward struggling parishioners and veterans, and consoled those who grieved the loss of loved ones. Finally, in hope he reminded us in many of his homilies about the mercy of God, which triumphs over sin and judgment.
He helped as many people as possible to know the compassion of Jesus Christ, which gives us hope no matter what!

Deacon Ken and his wife Bobbie (longtime Director of Religious Ed at St. Mary) do not like being the center of attention. Yet Deacon Ken told many people about the recognition Cardinal Seán gave him during his March visit, followed by the sustained standing ovation of all the parishioners in attendance. When Bishop Kennedy was here for confirmations in our parishes, he joined me in a visit with Bobbie and Deacon Ken at their home. His passing marks the end of an era in our parishes, but his faith and ministry can live on in each one of us whose lives he touched!

On a happier note, we made a verbal announcement last weekend that Cardinal Seán has appointed Father Lambert Nieme as our next Parochial Vicar (associate pastor) in both Parishes of the Plainville-Wrentham Collaborative! A native of the Congo where he was a professor with two doctoral degrees, he completed his formation at John XXIII Seminary in Weston, MA and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston one year ago. Fr. Lambert will be settling in this week, and I know we will be blessed by his enthusiasm and his joy-filled faith!