Ordination will take place Saturday January 24 at Saint Columba Cathedral
NEWS RELEASE
December 22, 2025
Contact: Dennis Biviano, PR & Media Specialist, (330) 744-8451, ext. 320; dbiviano@youngstowndiocese.org
Additional Contact: Deacon William Bancroft, Diocesan Director, Safety Services & Permanent Diaconate, wbancroft@youngstowndiocese.org, 330-744-8451; ext. 369
YOUNGSTOWN, OH – On Saturday, January 24, the Most Reverend David J. Bonnar, Bishop of Youngstown will ordain Matthew Richards and Richard Hull to the permanent diaconate. The ordination liturgy will take place at Saint Columba Cathedral in Youngstown at 10:30 a.m. and can also be viewed online at The Catholic Echo website, www.catholicecho.org/live/
Mr. Richards is a parishioner of Saint Patrick Parish in Kent and teaches 6th grade Religion, Math and Social Studies at Saint Rita School in Solon. He and his wife Anna have two sons.
Richards says his call to the permanent diaconate grew out of his life of faith and service within the parish community. He serves as a Lector, Minister of Communion and is involved with the Prison Ministry at Portage County Jail.
The Ohio State University graduate says his vocation “was nurtured by years of volunteering and by the example of deacons whose faithful service made a lasting impression (on him).” And he “felt drawn to move from simply assisting where needed to embracing a permanent and dedicated ministry of service to the Church.”
Richard Hull is the Director of Liturgy for Guardian Angels Parish in Canton. He also helps to coordinate the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults and Bible Study.
Mr. Hull received a B.A. in Psychology from Akron University. He was formed through the diocesan diaconate program, where he studied Sacred Scripture, theology, liturgy, and pastoral ministry.
Through parish involvement, prayer, and personal study, the desire to serve more deeply became a clear invitation from Christ to live a life configured to service, the Word, and the altar.
Hull says he “understands his ministry as one of humble availability—serving the Church by proclaiming the Gospel; becoming a voice for the voiceless and witnessing to Christ through charity.”
The Office of the Permanent Diaconate is now accepting inquiries from men, whether married or single, between the ages of 30-60, who perceive the Holy Spirit’s call to serve the Church. The intellectual formation will take place in partnership with the Diocese of Cleveland and Saint Mary Seminary. The first class for this program will begin in August 2026.
If you feel called by the Holy Spirit to discern your own vocation to this ministry, contact Deacon William Bancroft, the Director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate via email at wbancroft@youngstowndiocese.org, or 330-744-8451; ext. 369. You can also find more information about the Office of The Permanent Diaconate, including a list of frequently asked questions at doy.org/deacons
