This Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory will celebrate Mass and the Rite of Ordination that will consecrate 16 new permanent deacons into service for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Auxiliary Bishop Luis R. Zarama will concelebrate the Mass.

The diaconate class of 2011 comes from varied backgrounds, cultures and professional experiences and among the new deacons are retired military professionals, general contractors and marketing managers, originally from across the country and beyond.

The 2011 class includes: Fernando Barrueta, William Bohn, Leonard Chambliss Jr., Robert Grimaldi, Richard Kaszycki, Norman Keller, Kenneth Lampert, Curtis Marsh, Scott Medine, Jose Trinidad Merlo-Quintero, Bill O’Donoghue, Gary Schantz, Steven Shawcross, Mark Sholander, Dave Thomasberger and Lawrence Welsh.

The Mass of Ordination will begin at 10:30 a.m. Due to limited seating capacity, the ordination is a ticketed event reserved for family members and special guests of the men being ordained as well as clergy of the archdiocese. The Cathedral of Christ the King is located at 2699 Peachtree Road, N.E., Atlanta.