Diocese of Norwich Deacons

PRESS RELEASE

Deacon Michael L. Puscas Appointed Director of Permanent Deacon Personnel - Succeeds Deacon Douglas A. Hoffman

NORWICH – The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich has announced the appointment of Deacon Michael L. Puscas as the new Director of Permanent Deacon Personnel. Deacon Puscas will succeed Deacon Douglas A. Hoffman who is stepping down due to increased scheduling demands at his law enforcement workplace.

In his new role, Deacon Puscas will assist Very Reverend Dennis M. Perkins, Vicar of Clergy, in ministering to the needs of the permanent deacons. Deacon Puscas earned a Masters degree in Theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary, and holds an Ed.D in Instructional Technology from Northern Illinois University. He was ordained a permanent deacon for the Norwich Diocese on June 11, 2005, and was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Lebanon on September 30, 2005. When St. Francis of Assisi in Lebanon was yoked with St. Andrew Parish in Colchester in June of 2011, Deacon Puscas was assigned to St. Andrew Parish as well as St. Francis Parish. Deacon Puscas lives in Colchester with his wife, Colleen, and their four children.

Bishop Cote joins with the deacons of the Diocese in thanking Deacon Douglas Hoffman for his faithful service during the critical period of restoration of the permanent diaconate to the whole Church since June 9, 2012.

Our prayers and confidence are with Deacon Puscas as he takes on this important diocesan assignment effective March 12, 2013.

Announcement: Restoration of Permanent Diaconate Formation Program

The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, has issued a pastoral statement, Diakonia: Instrument of God’s Own Charity, which restores the deacon formation program in the Diocese of Norwich. Although the diocesan formation program was suspended in 2007, now, after significant study and consultation concerning the role of the permanent deacon in the Church, and in the Diocese of Norwich specifically, Bishop Cote has reinstated the formation program for permanent deacons.

Together with the release of this pastoral statement, Bishop Cote announced the appointment of Deacon Douglas A. Hoffman as the Director of Permanent Deacon Personnel. As the Director of Permanent Deacon Personnel, Deacon Hoffman will assist Very Reverend Dennis M. Perkins, the Vicar for Clergy, in ministering to the needs of the permanent deacons.

Deacon Hoffman succeeds Deacon Michael C. Berstene who has served in that position since June 2002. Bishop Cote joins with the Deacons of the Diocese in thanking Deacon Michael C. Berstene for his ten years of faithful service as Director of Permanent Deacon Personnel.

The Diocese of Norwich has benefited greatly from the restoration of the permanent diaconate to the whole Church, and now looks forward to further securing the valued service of dedicated deacons in the Diocese.

The restoration of the diocesan deacon formation program and the appointment of the new director are effective on June 9, 2012, the feast of St. Ephrem, deacon and doctor of the Church.

N.B. Diakonia: Instrument of God’s Own Charity will be available on the Diocesan Website on Monday, June 11, 2012.

The 2013 Deacon Convocation is scheduled for Friday evening, January 11th and Saturday January 12th.

We will be gathering at Immaculata Retreat in Willimantic.