That RECOGNIZED them - note that Stephen was described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”. And then they laid hands on them, placing them in the office of deacon.
NOT priest, since the early church had no priests.
I hate to break it to folks, but there are plenty of bishops and Popes who could NOT be described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”...
Cardinals too. Where did that concept come from in NT theology?