Welcome Deacon Steve Ferran

It is with great joy and a spirit of thanksgiving that we announce the arrival of our new permanent deacon, Deacon Steve Ferran, who will begin his ministry with us on Sunday, July 12, 2026.

Deacon Steve was ordained in 2006 for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and comes to us from Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Lacombe. He brings a wealth of faith, compassion, and dedication to serving the people of God. As a permanent deacon, his duties will include assisting at the altar, proclaiming the Gospel, preaching the homily, assisting in the pastoral and ministerial work of the parish, ministering to the sick and elderly, officiating at baptisms, weddings, and funeral services, as well as working with various ministries of the parish including children/adult formation, liturgical ministries, and MQPCS.

He will be joined in this journey by his wife, Darlene. We recognize and deeply appreciate the sacrifices and support that spouses of permanent deacons provide to our Church.

Diaconal ministry is a ministry of service. But the question is: service to whom? Because many deacons are active in charitable service or corporal works of mercy (hospital ministry, prison ministry, ministry to the homeless, etc.) we might think deacons are called to serve those on the margins or those in need. And they are. But this is because of the call of their baptism not because of ordination. We are all called to serve the least of our neighbors. A deacon is called in a special way to serve the Church. This means serving the bishop by assisting him in his ministry to the people.

Think of it this way: the clergy’s mission is to be a minister of Christ’s love to the laity, and the laity’s mission is to be ministers of Christ’s love to the world. This is why at the end of Mass, after we have been nourished by Christ’s Word and Body, it is the deacon’s duty to send the congregation off with a dismissal. There are a few ways the deacon may choose to dismiss the people, such as “Go forth, the Mass is ended,” or “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” But they all have one commonality — the command to Go! Take what you have received here out into the world!

Please join us in giving a very warm MQP welcome to Deacon Steve and his family! May God bless Deacon Steve as he begins this new chapter of sacred ministry among us.

A Message from Deacon Steve

Dear Parishioners of Mary Queen of Peace Parish:

It is with much gratitude, excitement, humility and joy that I look forward to joining your parish community on July 12, 2026!

Your faith community is one that is alive, vibrant and thriving. I pray that I can be of service to all of you so that together, we can “glorify the Lord by our lives”.

I was ordained by Archbishop-Emeritus Alfred Hughes on June 10, 2006 as a deacon for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. During these last 20 years, I have been blessed to serve the people of God at Our Lady of the Lake from 2006-2011 and at Sacred Heart of Jesus, Lacombe from 2011 until now. I am grateful for the love and support of the good people in these two parishes. They have helped me to become a better Christian and a more committed deacon.

My sister and I were raised in a traditional, south Louisiana Catholic family. I attended St. Agnes Elementary School and Archbishop Rummel High School. There, the Marianite Sisters and the Christian Brothers shaped and strengthened my Catholic faith. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education from the University of New Orleans in 1976 and taught at Archbishop Shaw and Holy Cross High Schools until 1984 when I made a career change into the hospitality industry as a hotel manager. I retired in 2020, and for the past six years, I have been serving as the Director of the Saint Joseph Abbey Retreat Center in Covington.

In November of this year, my wife, Darlene and I will celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary. We have been blessed with our son Adam, our daughter-in-law, Jennifer, and two beautiful granddaughters, Daisy and Ruby. God has been so good to me!

The deacon is called to be an “icon of Christ the servant”. Be assured that I will do my best to serve all of you, to be present to all of you and to walk together with all of you as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. I humbly ask for your prayers and your patience as I begin my ministry at Mary Queen of Peace parish. God bless you!

Sincerely,
Deacon Steve Ferran