This year’s jubilarian deacons include one who is celebrating 40 years of service and four who are marking 35 years, as well as three 25-year, four 20-year, one 10-year and nine five-year jubilarians.
Here are profiles of the longest-serving local jubilarians and a complete listing of all those deacons celebrating milestone anniversaries this year.
40 years
Deacon Norman Lalone
Deacon Lalone, 88, grew up in St. Michael Parish, Pontiac, attending the parish schools.
He earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Notre Dame.
After serving as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, he went on for further engineering studies at Yale University and Michigan State University.
In 1945, he married Mary Bernadette “Bernie” (O’Brien), and they had seven children.
He was a long-time member of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, Waterford Township, and worked as a plant engineer for Ford Motor Co., retiring in 1980.
After taking courses in pastoral studies at Marygrove College, Detroit, and St. Mary’s College, Orchard Lake, he did his diaconal studies at Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit.
He was ordained to the diaconate June 18, 1971 as one of the first group of permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Deacon Lalone was first assigned to St. Benedict Parish, Waterford Township, and then to St. Daniel Parish, Clarkston, until being granted senior deacon status in 1994. He continued to serve, however, at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Pontiac, until 2002.
When he began spending half the year in Florida in 1989, he began serving at St. John the Baptist Parish in North Naples, and assists at St. Damien of Molokai Parish, Pontiac, when in Michigan.
“Over the years, I loved teaching and delivering homilies and counseling, especially when a couple I had counseled years before would come back and tell me how much it had helped them,” Deacon Lalone said.
Deacon Joseph Root
Senior status (Now living in Arizonia)
35 years
Deacon Lawrence Girard
Deacon Girard, 92, was born in Windsor, Ont., and grew up in Immaculate Conception Parish, Windsor.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Assumption University, Windsor, and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Detroit, and did his diaconal studies at Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit.
He and his wife, Jean (Faucher) were married in 1951, and they had five children. His secular career was with Wayne County Child Development.
After ordination on April 25, 1976, he was assigned to St. Sebastien Parish, Dearborn, where he continues to help out, after attaining senior status in 1999.
Deacon Girard said the most spiritually rewarding aspects of his diaconal ministry have been “daily Mass, reading the Gospel and giving Holy Communion,” and he also cited the experience of helping the chaplain at Oakwood Hospital. He told how he continued to bring Communion to one patient, an elderly widow, after she was placed in a nursing home. “Her family was very happy to see their mother growing closer to Jesus Sunday after Sunday,” he said.
Deacon James Hensel
Deacon Hensel, 83, was born in Madera, Pa., and grew up in Sacred Heart Parish, Houtzdale, Pa., and Holy Trinity Parish, Ramey, Pa.
He and his wife, Sophie (Colton) were married in 1950, and they had three children.
His secular career was in factory work for Burrough Corp. (which later became Unisys Corp.) and for General Motors.
He studied for the diaconate at Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and was ordained April 25, 1976.
Deacon Hensel served at St. Theodore of Canterbury Parish, Westland; Shrine of the Little Flower Parish, Royal Oak; and St. Bernardine of Siena Parish, Westland, as well as at Angela Hospice, Livonia. He attained senior deacon status in 1996
Among the many rewarding moments of his ministry, Deacon Hensel said, have been “when someone comes up to me and says, ‘Thank you for visiting my mother in the convalescent home — it meant so much to us,’ or when someone will say, ‘Thanks for your visit in the hospital.’”
Deacon Anthony Lewandoski
Deacon Lewandoski, 77, was born in Detroit, and grew up in St. David of Wales and St. Juliana parishes, both in Detroit; and St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, Algonac.
He attended public schools in Detroit and Algonac, and served in the U.S. Navy.
He and his late wife, Alice (Murphy), were married July 7, 1956, and they had five children (three of whom survive).
His secular career was as a printer.
He later attended Macomb Community College, and did his diaconal studies at Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit.
Deacon Lewandoski was ordained April 25, 1976, and has served since 1977 at St. Mary Queen of Creation Parish in New Baltimore.
It was a desire, back in 1970, to learn more about the faith that started Deacon Lewandoski on the path to becoming a permanent deacon.
Of his diaconal ministry, he said, “I am blessed by the Lord to be here and to have these people to share their lives with me, and for me to be part of theirs. Many parishioners supported me through the deaths of my wife, Alice, two sons, Dave and John, and a granddaughter, Ashley.”
Deacon William L. Waldmann
Deacon Waldmann, 73, was born in Detroit and grew up in St. David of Wales Parish on the city’s east side. He attended the parish grade school, then Austin Catholic Preparatory School, also in Detroit.
He took classes at Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Madonna University, Livonia.
He and his wife, Barbara L. (Robin) were married in 1964, and had three children.
In his secular career, he was a contact lens technician, ocularist.
He studied for the diaconate at Sacred Heart Seminary, and was ordained April 25, 1976.
Deacon Waldmann’s assignments have included Our Lady of Grace Parish, Dearborn Heights; Life Directions, Detroit; young adult ministry for various parishes; and Holy Family Parish, Novi.
Other assignments included associate director for formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit, and chaplain to the Oakland County Sheriff Department.
Since being granted senior deacon status he has served at St. Timothy Parish, Trenton, and continues to serve at Holy Family Parish and with the Oakland County Sheriff Department.
Deacon Waldmann winters in Durham, N.C. and serves at St. Thomas More Parish, Chapel Hill, in the Diocese of Raleigh.
Path to Diaconate:
I was asked by an associate pastor at our parish to consider the diaconate. I looked into it, discussed this with my wife and children and we prayed about it. I applied and was accepted. Deacon Waldman’s advice to men discerning a call to be a permanent deacon is: “Never ignore where the Spirit leads you.” He further advised to “be sure that your wife and family are on board and praying with you.”
And he continued, “It is a journey worth taking and a life-changing experience when God calls you to the diaconate.”
Describing his own experience, Deacon Waldmann added, “Being with people, helping them find their way in the spiritual life, taking the journey with them, is for me the most spiritually uplifting part of what I do.”
