By Jay Sorgi • Posted July 22, 2026

The role of parish life director at St. Martha Parish in Northeast Philadelphia is a new one, both for the parish and for Deacon Steve Guckin.

But the parish certainly won’t be new for the retired Philadelphia Police lieutenant and permanent deacon for the past 19 years.

The husband, father and grandfather has served in the diaconate at the parish of about 4,000 members for the last 12 years, all before Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez offered him this new role that is part of the Trust and Hope initiative across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

“All the experiences that I’ve had as a deacon, in law enforcement and in the community, all the things I’ve done have prepared me to take on this awesome responsibility that I’m humbled that the archbishop has asked me to take on,” Deacon Guckin said.

Parish life directors are a new position of leadership in parishes of the archdiocese that empowers a person other than a priest to lead overall management of a local parish and grow the parish’s ministries in the absence of a full-time pastor.

It allows priests, typically from a nearby parish, to focus on sacramental ministry.

Deacon Guckin will be taking on many of the administrative leadership duties of Father Jonathan Dalin, who was reassigned in May from St. Martha to St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Levittown.

He said that Jesus did not accomplish His ministry by Himself, as 12 apostles and countless other disciples assisted in His ministry. He believes that his role as parish life director will empower the five priests who currently offer their time at St. Martha to focus on sacraments, liturgy, confessions, and ministry to the sick and dying.

Deacon Guckin said he will focus on not only maintaining and revitalizing what’s already in place at St. Martha’s, such as the parish’s CYO and Knights of Columbus, but expanding the concept of parish family to Catholics among the 83 percent within the archdiocese who haven’t actively been practicing the faith, including Sunday Mass.

“One of the things I’m hoping to work on initially is to make sure that people know that we’re still alive and a vibrant community in Northeast Philly and to welcome people home,” he said.

“No matter where I’ve been, all the parishes that we’ve lived in and participated in, I’ve always thought of that as a second family, especially in the role of a deacon.”

His resume of ministry and service to the Church and its people has spanned ministry and teaching roles at Lansdale Catholic, Cardinal Dougherty, Father Judge, Archbishop Ryan, and Archbishop Wood high schools. He also worked in campus safety roles at Drexel University.

Deacon Guckin came close to not taking the position at St. Martha Parish because of a move he was discerning to return to the work of law enforcement with the opening of new police academies.

“Bucks County Community College was starting a municipal police academy. I ended up accepting that position thinking that was going to be my final career move, not realizing again that God had other ideas,” he said.

He believed that becoming parish life director would take him away from St. Martha, but he discovered instead that the role would involve him becoming its new organizational leader, the kind of service-oriented role he has always had.

“This, which I hope is my final move in my career unless God has other plans, I’m ready for it,” he said.

As he began his new role July 1 he will focus on a lot of listening, particularly about the nature of worship at St. Martha Parish.

“I get to meet with as many of the parishioners as possible who want to talk and offer their suggestions on how we can make St. Martha a more vibrant worshiping space,” he said. “I think that’s really what I’m looking forward to.”

Deacon Guckin believes that this calling to stay home, even as he ventures into a new position, will help open St. Martha’s doors to so many who have stepped away from the faith, and to be a home that meets the needs of Northeast Philadelphia’s residents.

“It’s important that our parish become a community hub for all the people in the area, not just those practicing, not just those Catholics, but all the people that have moved into the Northeast,” he said.

“It’s no less a calling from our Lord.”