A funeral Mass for Deacon Ulysses S. Rice, a retired permanent deacon for the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle, Washington, DC, will be celebrated on Saturday, January 18 at 10am in the Cathedral. Deacon Rice passed away on Sunday, January 5.

Deacon Rice was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Washington on September 30, 1978. He was assigned to the Cathedral where he served until he retired from diaconal ministry. Deacon Rice was active in the Cathedral Club and the Reparation Society.  He also assisted at Mass, which he continued into his retirement years.

Deacon Rice had great passion and sensitivity for the disabled, particularly for the sight-impaired. He was appointed to the Board of the Aid Association for the Blind of the District of Columbia in 1993, and received a letter from Cardinal Hickey congratulating him on this appointment. He was a spiritual associate through the ministry of the blind as a volunteer for eleven years. In 2008, Deacon Rice was presented by Cardinal Wuerl with a Legacy Award for his work with the Blind Awareness Project. The presentation was made at a Mass celebrated by the Cardinal on the occasion of  the 30th anniversary of the United States Catholic bishops’ pastoral statement, Welcome and Justice for Persons with Disabilities - a Framework of Access and Inclusion.  

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Deacon Rice, and keep his family in your prayers as well.

Eternal rest, grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.