by Deacon Leon Suprenant
November is the month of All Saints—even deacon saints! In that spirit, I thought I would offer my short list of favorite deacon saints.
1. St. Lawrence: This popular saint is remembered by name in the Eucharistic Prayer 1.
St. Lawrence was one of the deacons in Rome when Pope Sixtus was martyred in 258. At first, Emperor Valerian offered to spare his life in exchange for his handing over “the treasures of the church.”
St. Lawrence responded by presenting to the emperor the sick, the needy and the marginalized of Rome, which led to his martyrdom four days after Sixtus and the other deacons.
Like our beloved St. Lawrence, deacons must be faithful men who are exemplary in their love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and their care for the church, especially the poor and those who have no voice.
And given his unique martyrdom on a gridiron or “grill,” St. Lawrence is considered the patron saint of cooks. Here in Kansas City, we might also consider him the patron saint of barbecue!
2. St. Ephrem the Syrian: Of all the doctors of the church, St. Ephrem is the only one whom we would identify today as a “permanent deacon.”
St. Ephrem is known as the “Lyre of the Holy Spirit” because of the beautiful hymns he composed. In addition to these hymns, this famous fourth-century church father wrote many works of a biblical and apologetic character.
Despite the range and volume of his writings, St. Ephrem is best known as the “Marian Doctor” because of his distinctively Marian hymns, which aided the church in its development of Marian doctrines, such as the Immaculate Conception.
3. St. Philip: Not to be confused with the apostle Philip, St. Philip (the deacon) was one of the seven “reputable men” chosen by the apostles (Acts 6:1-7). He converted Samaria to the Christian faith and baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. He evangelized all the cities through which he passed, until he came to Caesarea.
In fact, later in Acts he was called “Philip the Evangelist” (Acts 21:8).
We also read in Acts that he had four godly daughters and that his family offered hospitality to St. Paul and his companions during their missionary travels. What a great model he is for all married deacons who live out their ministry in the context of family and community life.
Many deacon saints would qualify as “honorable mentions,” including Sts. Stephen, Vincent and, of course, Francis of Assisi. I am grateful for these intercessors and exemplary models of diaconal service!
