Parish honors Deacon Rich Bender on his 25th Anniversary

The Church of Saint Mary celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of Deacon Rich’s ordination to the diaconate and his retirement from the parish staff. He is quick to say that he is not retiring from serving the parish as a deacon.

The two receptions featured short talks from Monsignor Dennis Dorney, Dr. Michael Tanner, and Erin Dailey. They shared stories of Deacon Rich’s eagerness to share his faith with parishioners and to build up the church by promoting new ministries. Monsignor Dorney said of Deacon Rich, “He is usually the deacon as funeral Masses. He reguarly visits the sick in their homes as well as those in nursing homes and hospitals.”

Father Stuart mused about the difficulty in finding an appropriate gift for a retired deacon. He reported that the parish made a donation to Catholic Charities in Deacon Rich’s name.

Parishioners Leslie Wells and Jackie Fusco organized the receptions. They enlisted the aid of dozens of parishioners and many students from Bishop Kelley High School.

Deacon Rich sent a letter to Deacon Lamar Yarbrough, vicar for deacons, last November upon his 70th birthday. He wrote, “I am forever grateful to Fr. Dovan Nguyen and Monsignor Dorney who first suggested to me about discerning a vocational call to the diaconate; and to my wife, Jane, for her unwavering support.”