Epagneul published “On the Role of Deacons in the Church Today,”20 in which he proposed the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent order primarily as an assistance to overworked priests. He suggested that since priests would now have qualified assistance in ministry, even greater numbers of men may be attracted to the priesthood. What is most significant about this article, however, is that Epagneul forwarded a copy of it to Pope Pius XII. The Holy Father acknowledged receipt of the article