Marty Cayer’s business card describes him as Detective/Constable #2023 with the Youth Investigative Unit of the Vancouver Police Department. Since October 2021, however, the 22-year veteran officer has embraced a second vocation he considers even more important: that of a permanent deacon.

Deacon Steve Pitre is determined not to celebrate 50 years of the permanent diaconate in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Instead, he wants to celebrate the Church that embraced, encouraged and prayed with deacons over the past 50 years.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis and members of his international Council of Cardinals discussed the possibility of allowing local bishops rather than the Vatican decide on certain matters, including the marriage or priestly ordination of permanent deacons.