For Immediate Release: May 2, 2022

The Most Rev. Barry C. Knestout has called to holy orders three seminarians from the Catholic Diocese of Richmond to the transitional diaconate. On Saturday, May 21, 2022, Armando Herrera, William Buckley and Christopher Weyer will be ordained transitional deacons, the last step on the path to priesthood.

Deacons are an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. They can assist at Mass by proclaiming the Gospel, preach the homily, serve at the altar, and they may baptize, witness marriages and conduct funeral services.

This year’s transitional ordination will take place at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond. The ordination is open to the public and will be livestreamed on the diocesan website and YouTube channel.

Called to be Ordained to the Transitional Diaconate

Armando Herrera, 28, whose home parish is St. Andrew, Roanoke, is a graduate of Roanoke Catholic High School and Virginia Military Institute. He is the son of Armando and Lizette Herrera and is a native of Morristown, N.J. He attends Theological College, the National Seminary of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Co-sponsored by the Archdiocese for Military Services, he is in his fourth year of formation.

William Buckley, 29, the son of Christopher and Karen Buckley, is a native of Long Island, New York, who grew up in Rockville Center. Following high school, he enrolled at the University of Richmond where he studied piano performance. He became the assistant music minister at St. Bridget, Richmond in 2015 which he considers his home parish. Two years later, he began formation at Theological College in Washington, D.C.

Christopher Weyer, 26, is a native of Jacksonville, Arkansas, and the son of Jim and Judy Weyer. He spent his youth moving between Little Rock AFB and the Pentagon. In 2013, Weyer began his college studies at Virginia Tech to pursue an engineering degree but left after completing the 2014 fall semester. Beginning in 2015, he studied philosophy and began formation at St. John Paul II Seminary and graduated in 2018. He entered Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD, where he continues his formation and theological studies. His home parish is St. Theresa in Ashburn, VA.

To learn more about our seminarians, click here.

For more frequently questions about the role of a deacon in the Catholic Church, click here.

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