March 4, 2026

By Darcy Fargo
Editor

The St. Lawrence Society, the fraternal organization for deacons in our diocese, has turned lapel pins into technology and life-saving equipment for use by the Deacon Formation program and others who use Wadhams Hall.

Using funds derived from the sale of lapel pins, the deacons committed to donating up to $5,000 for the purchase of large-screen televisions, sound bars and related equipment for Wadhams Hall, which houses the Deacon Formation program classes.

“We started talking probably a year ago now about the needs in the classrooms at Wadhams Hall to have monitors and other equipment that would be helpful to the men in the deacon formation program and for the wives,” said Deacon Kevin Mastellon, director of Permanent Deacons for the diocese. “We had funding available because of the largess of people around the country and around the world who purchase our pins, so the society’s leadership to dedicate up to $5,000 for the purchase of monitors, sound bars and other equipment to equip the two classrooms used by the formation program and the area where the ladies meet.”

While only one classroom is being used at this time for deacon formation, another classroom will soon be needed.

“We equipped two classrooms because we have concurrently running cohorts of deacon candidates,” the deacon said. “Our second class will be starting in the fall, so we’ll have two classrooms going at the same time. (Instructors) use the monitors to show videos to the candidates, and Sister (Mary) Eamon Lyng, who teaches in the program, uses PowerPoint presentations, and other faculty use screens to show text or other materials. We were using small monitors, and it wasn’t ideal.”

Deaon Mastellon noted the purchase and installation of the technology has been a collaborative effort.

“One of the men who was then a deacon candidate and is now an ordained deacon, Deacon Gordon Burdo, had some experience with setting up such classrooms because he did that in his former job in the IT department at SUNY Plattsburgh,” said Deacon Mastellon. “He, along with (diocesan Director of Information Technology) Ian Fawcett and Shawn Shaver, the manager at Wadhams, worked together to plan, purchase and install the technology. Deacon Mark Webster, the society’s treasurer, also had some experience in that area and contributed. And there was discussion and planning with the society’s leadership, including the president, Deacon Brian Dwyer, and it’s vice-president, Deacon Rod Rocca.”

The society also donated funds for the purchase of a defibrillator.

“The (diocesan) chancellor (Deacon James Crowley) told us one day that Wadhams Hall didn’t have a defibrillator,” Deacon Mastellon said. “He suggested the St. Lawrence Society buy that, too.”

The organization saw the need for such equipment, which delivers an electrical shock to the heart to correct life-threatening irregular heart rhythms or cardiac arrest to restore a normal heart rhythm.

“We had an incident a couple months ago in which a deacon candidate attending the formation program became very sick,” Deacon Mastellon said. “At first, there was worry it might be a heart attack. Thankfully, it wasn’t, but it occurred to us that a portable defibrillator would be a good idea to have there. Once purchased, it’ll be located somewhere central, maybe the office, and we’ll get people trained in its use if they’re not already. Often, people who are trained in CPR get training on the defibrillators, as well.”

The society is planning additional related purchases in the future, too.

“We hope to add cameras to those classrooms so they could be used when inclement weather or some other factor keeps a member of a deacon class from making it to Wadhams for classes,” said Deacon Mastellon. “That way, a student who can’t make it could still participate in classes.”

While the technology was purchased with the deacon formation program in mind, it won’t be limited to that purpose.

“(The purchased equipment) becomes property of the diocese,” said Deacon Mastellon. “It can be used by anyone who is using those classrooms and spaces.”

Deacon Mastellon noted the funds to pay for the technology were derived from the sale of lapel pins that signify a man is a deacon.

“There are no dues for membership in the St. Lawrence Society, which was formed in the 1980s as sort of a fraternity for newly ordained deacons,” he said. “One of the reasons for the founding of the organization was to support deacon formation and continuing education and to take care of each other and the spouses. Somewhere along the line, it was decided that maybe we could augment the (society’s) coffers and purpose of the organization through the sale of pins. The lapel pin idea came about because in a lot of dioceses, including our diocese, deacons do not wear Roman collars except in prison ministry or chaplaincy. There was a desire and need for something to indicate a man is clergy. We now sell the pins nationally and internationally.”

Deacons and dioceses around the nation and world order the diocese via the society’s website, and the society’s pin chairman, the individual in charge of pins, maintains the inventory and packages and mails pins as needed.

“There are other places now that make and sell the pins,” Deacon Mastellon said. “But we say they’re made for deacons by deacons.”

Funds derived from the pin sales also help fund the deacon’s annual assembly, which is a joint project of the society and the diocese.

“We’re continually looking at ways we can contribute that are consistent with the bylaws and constitution of our organization,” said Deacon Mastellon.