‘Deny yourself, let people see Christ’
Permanent deacons, candidates mark feast of St. Lawrence
CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter Jugis processed into St. Patrick Cathedral amid a sea of red stoles Aug. 10 to celebrate the Mass for the Affirmation of Ordination Promises by permanent deacons, held annually around the feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr.
This year Bishop Jugis also installed 13 deacon candidates for the permanent diaconate into the Ministry of Lector during Mass. This is the second step on the men’s journey, having gone through the Rite of Candidacy last August.
Joseph Becker, Eduardo Bernal, Carl Brown, Margarito Franco, Charles Hindbaugh, Todd Labonte, John Langlois, Thomas Martin, William Melton Jr., Richard Michaels, Francisco Piña, Herbert Quintanilla and Joseph Smith all presented themselves before Bishop Jugis when their names were called during Mass.
During his homily, Bishop Jugis said, “The Lord gives us a joyous day in witnessing our brother deacons affirm their promises of ordination and our deacon candidates being instituted into the Ministry of Lector. It is a joy to see all of you offering yourselves for the ministry of the Church.”
He explained what the 13 deacon candidates will be responsible for upon becoming lectors.
“You will now have a very special office within the Church in the service of Jesus. There are several different things for which you will be responsible,” he said. “The most important will be the proclamation of the Word of God at Mass. You are placing yourselves and your voices at the service of God to communicate His word, His message of salvation to His people. And through those words of God which you will be pronouncing, God is offering His people spiritual nourishment through His word and forming them – forming their hearts, forming their minds and consciences on His teaching.”
“The Lord gives you the graces you need to fulfill this special ministry,” he said. “But you must also do your part. You must cultivate that grace, through your prayer and through an intimate friendship with Jesus so that you grow in holiness as you exercise your ministry.”
All of us have an obligation to grow in holiness, the bishop emphasized.
“You must deny yourself and follow Him. You must die to self to follow Him. In other words, Jesus must possess the first place in your heart.
“Deny yourself, let people see Christ,” he said. “May everyone see in you a servant who loves and is faithful to the Lord.”
After the homily, each man approached Bishop Jugis and knelt, one at a time, reaching out to hold the lectionary he extended to them as he conferred on them the Ministry of Lector.
Father Brian Becker, parochial vicar of St. Mark Church, whose father Joseph Becker was instituted as a lector at Mass, shared that he found himself moved by the bishop’s words in his homily as he reflected of the ministry of lector.
“When the Scriptures are proclaimed in the liturgy – that is God speaking to His people. So the joy that we celebrate in my father being incorporated into the Ministry of Lector is (he is) getting to become that channel through which Our Lord speaks humanly to His people,” Father Becker said. “That is a joyful thing to celebrate – to be an instrument in Our Lord’s salvation. I myself have experienced that, and now I get to watch my father be a part of that channel that Our Lord gives us freely. It’s a joy to be a part of.”
“To take on the role of lector in the Church and to possibly progress towards the diaconate, it can only happen with the grace of God,” Joseph Becker said. “It’s only going to happen if I die to myself and receive the grace of God to do what He wants me to do. Kneeling before the Bishop made it very real.”
Charles Hindbaugh of Our Lady of the Americas Church in Candor, said, “It is a special moment when the entire Church can celebrate that we are taking steps to serve God.”
Francisco Piña of St. Aloysius Church in Hickory commented, “Today really means big things for me. I feel it is a big responsibility to receive the Bible so we can proclaim it. It is a big load because we are supposed to be a herald for Jesus.”
Deacon Scott Gilfillan, director of formation for the permanent diaconate program, said, “The men have worked really hard to get to this point. I’ve seen a lot of growth in this past year – not only academically, but spiritually, emotionally and pastorally. Their marriages have become even stronger and centered in prayer. For me, seeing this type of growth is the most satisfying part of being the director of formation.”
“Today is another step in the discernment of these candidates, along with their wives,” said Deacon John Martino, director of the permanent diaconate program. “May their faith and the faith of those they touch grow stronger as instituted lectors of the Church of Charlotte.”
The 13 deacon candidates are scheduled to be instituted as acolytes in 2020, with ordination to the permanent diaconate expected in 2021.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
