Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, ordaining Rev David Cooney as a Permanent Deacon on 25 January 2026 (Diocese of Waterford and Lismore archive)
- Bishop Cullinan, “David’s primary vocation, like that of every Christian, is the call to holiness, lived out in his family life and in faithful service to the people of God.”
On Sunday, 25 January, the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore joyfully celebrated the ordination of a new Permanent Deacon at Saint Paul’s Church, Lisduggan.
Rev David Cooney was ordained by Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, during a deeply prayerful and uplifting liturgical celebration.
Rev Cooney’s faith journey was shaped from an early age by the strong example of his family, particularly his father, who nurtured his faith following the early loss of his mother. Through the years, Rev Cooney’s relationship with God continued to grow, especially through parish life and personal prayer.
During the 1990s, Rev Cooney experienced renewed spiritual strength through involvement in Charismatic prayer groups and during a period of personal difficulty, through prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. His devotion to Our Lady and to Divine Mercy also became important supports in his spiritual life, helping to deepen his commitment to Christ and to the Church.
In his homily, Bishop Cullinan reflected on the significance of David’s ordination taking place at the conclusion of Catholic Schools Week 2026, and linked the themes of the week to the vocation of the Permanent Deacon and to the call of every Christian to holiness saying, “In thinking about David being ordained today as deacon at the end of Catholic Schools Week, I thought how appropriate the themes for that week are to what David is doing and indeed to what we all must strive for: holiness.”
Bishop Cullinan continued, “Catholic Schools Week was set out according to each day: Monday: Called to Holiness through Prayer; Tuesday: Called to Holiness through Love and Friendship; Wednesday: Called to Holiness in Family Life; Thursday: Called to Holiness through Service and Courage; Friday: Called to Holiness through Joy and Mission.
“As a married man and a grandfather, David brings to his ministry the lived experience of family life. In the ministry of Permanent Deacon, he is called to serve in three principal ways: service of the Word through preaching, service at the altar, and service of charity, especially towards the poor and the marginalised. Above all, his primary vocation, like that of every Christian, is the call to holiness, lived out in his family life and in faithful service to the people of God,” Bishop Cullinan concluded.
The Diocese of Waterford and Lismore extends every good wish and blessing to Rev David Cooney as he begins his ministry as a Permanent Deacon and prays that God will guide and strengthen him in this new chapter of service.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
- The history of the diaconate (that is, of the ministry of deacons) is traced back to the Acts of the Apostles in the Church’s earliest days, when the Apostles chose seven men to assist in the care of the faithful. A common feature of ministry in the early Church and the centuries that ensued, the functions of the Permanent Deacon became absorbed by priestly ministry and the Permanent Diaconate ceased to exist. The Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965) sought to restore this important ministry of service, the word “deacon” meaning one who serves. In 2005 the Irish Bishops’ Conference decided to re-introduce the Permanent Diaconate to Ireland and the first deacons were ordained for the Archdiocese of Dublin and for the Diocese of Elphin in 2012.
- Permanent deacons have their first responsibility within their own marriages and family lives. They also continue in their secular employment and are responsible for their own upkeep and the upkeep of their families. Their ministry is, therefore, restricted in time by those commitments but they remain deacons at all times. It is the Church’s intention that the two sacraments of Matrimony and Holy Orders would enrich each other in the life of the deacon. The permanent deacon is to be an effective visible sign of Christ, who came to serve rather than to be served. Although the permanent deacons will exercise his ministry on a part-time basis, he remains at all times a deacon, and they are called in their lifestyle to reflect this. The ministry of the deacon is an expression of his being, an icon of Christ the servant. The normal areas of ministry which may be entrusted to deacons can be categorised under the general headings: Pastoral, Liturgical and Faith Development:
Pastoral
Visiting the sick; Visiting prisoners; Visiting the bereaved; Youth Ministry; Working with the poor and the homeless; Promoting awareness of the social teaching of the Church; Promotion of justice and human rights.
Liturgical
Proclaiming the Gospel at Mass; Preaching the homily; Assisting the priest at Mass (Sign of Peace and Dismissal); leading communion services, when need arises; bringing the Eucharist to the sick at home and in hospitals (nursing homes); Presiding at Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament; the celebration of Baptism; celebrating marriages; presiding at funerals – (also removals, reception of remains, burials).
Faith Development
Participation in sacramental preparation programmes; formation of Ministers of the Eucharist; formation of Ministers of the Word; formation of Altar servers; facilitating study of, and prayer with, the Scriptures; facilitating the development of lay ministry; chaplaincy to various parish groups; school chaplaincy.