CHARLOTTE — “The Diocese of Charlotte is growing, and Church eagerly awaits your service to the People of God.”
That was the message from Bishop Peter Jugis as he ordained 15 men as permanent deacons during a two-hour Mass April 14 at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.
Bishop Jugis directed his homily to the 15 men, noting, “Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-7) this morning tells us: ‘As the number of disciples continued to grow, the apostles saw the need to ordain certain men to tend to various diakonia within the Christian community. And we, in the Diocese of Charlotte, find ourselves in a similar situation. As the number of disciples continues to grow in the Diocese of Charlotte, we see the need to ordain certain men to tend to the various diakonia of the Ministry of the Word, the Ministry of the Altar, and the Ministry of Charity within the Christian community.”
With this ordination class, the diocese now has 135 permanent deacons – the most in its history – serving throughout western North Carolina, where the Catholic population numbers more than 450,000.
The newly ordained deacons will now be able to assist at the altar during Mass, proclaim the Gospel at Mass, give homilies, administer the sacrament of baptism and officiate at weddings. Permanent deacons serve in parishes as well as in specialized pastoral areas such as Hispanic Ministry, RCIA, the airport chaplaincy and prison ministry.
During his homily, the bishop looked out at the deacon candidates seated before him at the base of the sanctuary steps, their families and friends seated behind them.
“Your spouses and families, your friends, your pastors, the deacons of the diocese and the faithful of the diocese are here to pray for you as you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” he said.
Bishop Jugis marveled at how the risen Lord not only gives us joy this Easter season, but the gift of 15 new deacons for the Church. He explained that as they are ordained, they receive the indelible spiritual character which configures them as deacons to Christ.
“Jesus said that He came not to be served, but to serve,” the bishop noted. “Our deacons are ordained to serve. That is their special ministry. Through the sacrament of holy orders, they receive the sanctifying grace to equip them for this ministry.”
Calling them “dear sons,” Bishop Jugis encouraged the 15 men to “maintain a close friendship with Jesus the Risen Lord. It is He whom you are serving. The faithful must be able to see Christ in you. The Master must be recognized in the disciple.
“It is in the name of Jesus that you are sent out,” he reminded them. “Everything that you are able to accomplish will be done in the name of Jesus Christ. If you do not maintain a vital relationship with Jesus, your ministry will become dull, boring, perfunctory, unable to inspire. Jesus working in you and in your ministry through the Holy Spirit will keep your ministry fresh.”
A deacon of the Church must juggle a lot in his life, the bishop acknowledged.
“It is a challenging invitation from God that you have chosen to answer – to be a deacon, to integrate your married life, your family life, your career and your diaconal ministry. It can be done and it can be done very effectively, as your brother deacons can show you by the example of their lives,” he said.
'Maintain a close friendship with Jesus the Risen Lord. It is He whom you are serving. The faithful must be able to see Christ in you.' – Bishop Peter Jugis
The one uniting principle of all these duties, he continued, “is your love for Jesus and your desire to serve Him. After all, when we look at the three-fold ministry that you are about to take on as deacons, Jesus is once again the uniting principle of those three-fold ministries” of the Ministry of the Word, the Ministry of the Altar, and the Ministry of Charity.
“The ministry of the Altar and the sacraments: it is the renewal of Jesus’ sacrifice that you will serve in the Sacrifice of the Mass,” he said. “He is the author and the ever-present actor in the Eucharist and the sacraments.”
“The ministry of the Word: it is the Word made flesh, Whom you are proclaiming and teaching by your word and witness.”
“The ministry of Charity: it is His attention to the poor, the suffering and sick, and all those in need which you will continue in your ministry.”
During the ordination rite, the men knelt one by one before Bishop Jugis to pledge their obedience to the Church in their ministry as deacons.
“You do not ordain yourself,” he told them. “It is the Risen Christ who has called you. But it is a successor of the Apostles who ordains you. The Church authenticates your ministry and sends you forth. You are associates of the bishop and the priests, to assist the bishop and the priests. Your ministry will be effective to the extent that you are obedient to the faith and obedient to the Church.”
The newly ordained deacons will now proclaim the Gospel at Mass, prepare the altar at Mass and distribute the Lord’s Body and Blood to the faithful. They will administer the sacrament of baptism, assist at and bless marriages, bring viaticum to the dying, conduct funeral rites and preside over public prayers. They will also deliver a homily at the invitation of their pastor and instruct the faithful in the teachings of the Church
“By your ordination, the Holy Spirit configures you to Christ the Servant,” Bishop Jugis told them. “The Risen Lord gives you a special strength to serve Him and represent Him in your ministry. That Easter joy which marked the first disciples continues to live on in the Church, not only during the Easter season, but at all times. Easter joy permeates the life of the Church. That Easter joy must at all times give life to your ministry.”
In his closing remarks, Bishop Jugis reminded the men that “You are servants of the Risen Lord who bodily rose from the dead, is alive and is with you, Who came to the disciples and caused them to rejoice. At the sight of the Lord the disciples rejoiced, the Gospels tell us.
“May the Easter joy imparted by the Risen Lord always accompany you as His deacons. And on the last day, when you go out to meet the Lord, may you be blessed to hear Him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’”
The 15 new deacons join an estimated 18,500 active permanent deacons in the United States today.
Deacon Steffen Fohn of Holy Family Church in Clemmons joins his dad, Father Kurt Fohn in service to the Church. “My father, before being ordained into the priesthood in 2001, was a permanent deacon,” Deacon Fohn explained. “He actually began his diaconate formation in the Diocese of Charlotte as a member of the diocese’s inaugural formation class.
“Looking back, I see God’s guiding hand in our lives, inspiring the direction of our lives. My father, throughout his life, has been graced with the wisdom and courage to respond ‘yes’ when he heard the Lord’s calls; he lives that response daily. He’s set a ‘high bar,’ one to which I aspire in my own vocation.”
Father Fohn commented, “When God infuses His own holiness and love in us, it becomes natural for us to live supernatural lives. The prime heresy of all times is that holiness is created by our own efforts. Holiness is a gift to us to be used according to God’s plan. Saints are God’s creation. Their holiness is the same as ours, God’s holiness.”
Deacon Quang Nguyen of St. Joseph Church in Charlotte is the first Vietnamese deacon ordained for the Charlotte diocese. “Most of the Vietnamese who live in the Diocese of Charlotte are refugees from Vietnam,” he noted. “We left our country and immigrated to the United States after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. When we came here, we brought with us not only our family, but also the language and the Vietnamese culture, which includes our beliefs as Catholics.
“The role of a permanent deacon is new to us (Vietnamese) here in this country. (The) permanent deacon is still not being accepted in Vietnam yet. As I know, I will become the first Vietnamese deacon in the Diocese of Charlotte. That also means that I have been receiving prayers from the Vietnamese community tremendously to have this happen. I hope after my ordination, there will be more men in my parish to be interested in answering the call to become a permanent deacon,” Deacon Nguyen said.
Deacon David Ramsey of St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Sylva is a doctor who specializes in family medicine. “Medicine and the diaconate have many similarities,” he said. “We care for people from birth to death. In fact, it was the life issues in the Catholic Church’s upholding of the truth in the dignity of human beings from birth to death that was one of the things that attracted me to Her.”
“I have assisted 600 women in the delivery of their babies as a physician and in every one of them marveled at the miraculous gift of life God gives us. In baptism it will be the blessing of the gift of eternal life. In medicine I have had the privilege of being there at intimate moments in people’s lives; at birth, throughout life’s trials and at death. Those relationships have helped me to better understand life. I look forward to my relationships with others in their lives of faith and theirs in mine in my own life in Christ as a deacon,” he said.
“As a whole, this is a well-educated and professionally accomplished group of men,” said Deacon Scott Gilfillan, diocesan director of diaconal formation. “They have really kept me on my toes in the knowledge and practice of my faith.”
“It has been very rewarding for me to watch what God is doing with each. Even though each entered the program with a strong faith, wonderful family, and established career, throughout the formation process they have deepened their faith, became even better fathers and husbands, expanded their heart for service and increased their love for the Church,” Deacon Gilfillan said.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Photos by SueAnn Howell and John Cosmas.
Scenes from the deacons' ordination Mass
Where will the new deacons serve?
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Where will the new deacons serve?
Bishop Peter Jugis announced that the 15 new deacons are assigned as follows, effective April 14:- Paul Bruck: St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte
- Ralph D'Agostino: St. Leo the Great Church, Winston-Salem
- David Faunce: Immaculate Conception Church, Forest City
- Steffen Fohn: Holy Family Church, Clemmons
- Frank Moyer: St. Barnabas Church, Arden
- Timothy Mueller: St. Michael Church, Gastonia
- Matthew Newsome: St. Mary, Mother of God Church, Sylva
- Quang Nguyen: St. Joseph (Vietnamese) Church, Charlotte
- David Ramsey: St. Francis of Assisi Church, Franklin
- Martin Sheehan, Our Lady of the Highways Church, Thomasville
- Francis Skinner: Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, High Point
- Paul Sparrow: St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte
- Peter Tonon: St. Ann Church, Charlotte
- Donald Waugh: St. Bernadette Mission, Linville
- Jack Yarbrough: Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Q&A with three of the new deacons
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Q & A with several newly ordained deacons
The Catholic News Herald recently reached out to several of the newly ordained permanent deacons to gain insights about their vocation, its impact on their families and their hopes for the future in serving the local Church.
DEACON QUANG NGUYEN: St. Joseph (Vietnamese) Church, CharlotteCNH: You are the first permanent deacon vocation from your parish. Can you tell us what that means to you?
Deacon Nguyen: Most of the Vietnamese who live in the Diocese of Charlotte are refugees from Vietnam. We left our country and immigrated to the United States after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975. When we came here, we brought with us not only our family, but also the language and the Vietnamese culture, which includes our beliefs as Catholics.
The role of a permanent deacon is new to us here in this country as we are now celebrating the 50th anniversary of the restoration of permanent diaconate in the United States this year. Permanent deacons are still not being accepted in Vietnam yet. As I know, I will become the first Vietnamese deacon in the Diocese of Charlotte. That also means that I have been receiving prayers from the Vietnamese community tremendously to have this happen. I hope after my ordination, there will be more men in my parish to be interested in answering the call to become a permanent deacon.
CNH: How has your family and parish family reacted to your call to the permanent diaconate?
Deacon Nguyen: Because of the requirements of the formation program, it takes a lot of time and also requires the willingness of both husband and wife to finish the long process of training. By the age to be accepted into the program, most of us are married. This is also the time when we are focusing on building our homes and raising our families.
Most of us come to this country with nothing, and we started our lives here from the bottom. This makes us realize how blessed we are, but this also makes us realize that we must be working really hard to build a new life here. In our Vietnamese parish, we have young people who answered God’s call and become priests and nuns. However, to become a permanent deacon is different, and we need more time to understand and to prepare for this new call.
The Vietnamese community at St. Joseph Parish is very strong in faith but they are also very strict to the clergy, and they watch our priest closely – the way he behaves, the way he preaches, and the way he treats people, I mean everything. They are doing the same to me when they know that I am to be a permanent deacon. Because of the rigor of this Vietnamese community of faith, I know that I have to walk in a straight path and be faithful to the Lord, our God. As the same time, I know that our parishioners are praying for our pastor and for me.
They are sharing with me that they are very proud to have me as a Vietnamese permanent deacon who is from this community and hopefully will stay to serve this community. We are not just a Vietnamese Catholic parish, we are also a big family, and together, we are united to make our faith stronger, and to build our parish bigger and better.
CNH: How do you hope to serve your parish community in your new role as deacon?
Deacon Nguyen: I hope I can assist my pastor in anything he wants me to do for the good of the Church, of course. I also want to help those families who are in need to strengthen their faith, who are in trouble between husband and wife, or between parents and children.
I also have a very special feeling for orphans and the elderly. I started my ministry with the orphans in Vietnam about eight years ago, and now I have a group of friends, and together, we are helping a group of more than 40 young orphans in the city of Vung Tau, Vietnam.
Here in Charlotte, I visit the nursing home sometimes and I want to do something for the elderly people in the nursing home, if possible.
DEACON DAVID RAMSEY: St. Mary, Mother of God Church, SylvaCNH: We understand that you are a physician. Can you tell us what becoming a deacon means to you?
Deacon Ramsey: I did not understand fully what being a physician meant, nor the full depths of marriage, until I came into the Catholic Church. Through my involvement with Opus Dei I came to understand the basic Christian concept that everything we do, from work to play, is best done if directed to the greater glory of God. Then I understood my calling, vocation ("vocare," "to call"), of my profession in medicine and my marriage as being a sacrament, and as God’s direction in my life.
I smile when I think of my internal calling to the diaconate. It reminded me of a father calling his mischievous son closer to himself, to grasp him by the hand to keep him out of trouble. I think of God doing that for me, and I feel blessed.
Medicine and the diaconate have many similarities. We care for people from birth to death. In fact, it was the life issues in the Catholic Church’s upholding of the truth in the dignity of human beings from birth to death that was one of the things that attracted me to Her.
I have assisted 600 women in the delivery of their babies as a physician and in every one of them marveled at the miraculous gift of life God gives us. In baptism it will be the blessing of the gift of eternal life. In medicine I have had the privilege of being there at intimate moments in people’s lives; at birth, throughout life’s trials and at death. Those relationships have helped me to better understand life.
I look forward to my relationships with others in their lives of faith and theirs in mine in my own life in Christ as a deacon.
CNH: How has your family and parish family reacted to your call to the permanent diaconate?
Deacon Ramsey: They have all been welcoming and supportive. A diaconate candidate needs the full support of his wife. She, rightly, has veto power over him proceeding. I pray often for my diaconate colleagues with families, busy jobs, and the challenges of diaconate formation. Your family comes first, your job's vocation second, and the diaconate third in one’s life. However, as a deacon you enter into a deepening relationship with the parish community.
During aspirancy I quizzed my three grown children on their thoughts about my calling. They were all supportive, but honestly responded. One asked, “Who will take care of you if Mom dies (as clergy, a deacon cannot remarry)?” One asked, “Are you going to be like a regular dad, or are you going to be ‘deacon dad’ all the time?” My final child said, “I think it’s cool.”
In a favorite saying of mine, “it is the same but different,” I know our relationships to our families as well as our parish community will remain the same in many ways, but it will also be different in others and develop over time.
CNH: How do you hope to serve your parish community in your new role as deacon?
Deacon Ramsey: Bishop Jugis will give us "faculties" (assisting in marriage, baptism, preaching with permission from our pastor, etc.) and ministries (compassion care, prison ministry, etc.) for our service as deacons. Priests and deacons are an extension of the bishop, and as such are assisting him in those things he sees needing to be done for the faithful.
As deacon candidates we were asked to suggest areas of ministry we were interested in. As a physician, I naturally requested compassion care as well as Hispanic ministry, RCIA and the marriage tribunal. At ordination we will receive a letter from the bishop describing the faculties and ministries we have been granted. I look forward to serving to the best of my ability in whatever I am asked to do. Deus providebit (God will provide).
CNH: Is anything else you would like to share about your vocation story?
Deacon Ramsey: My spiritual development could not have happened the way it has without rubbing shoulders with my devout diaconal colleagues these last five years. Getting to know these exceptional men, live beside them and share the journey with them has been an important time in my faith as well as my life on this earth.
It has been a brotherhood as we shared aspirancy, the Rite of Candidacy, Lector, Acolyte, Liturgy of the Hours, Masses and generally just time together. Our comradery has grown during the time we have shared together. There has also been a growing awareness of a welcoming into the family of the present deacons.
All of my colleagues and I are grateful for the exceptional formation program this diocese has developed with special thanks to Deacons Scott Gilfillan, Ed Konarski and John Martino. Besides their own family, job and deacon duties, they have helped direct the formation program and mentor us along. May God bless them for all they do to serve others.
DEACON STEFFEN FOHN: Holy Family Church, ClemmonsCNH: Your father is a retired priest of our diocese. Can you tell us what becoming a deacon means to you in light of his vocation?
Deacon Fohn: My father, before being ordained into the priesthood in 2001, was a permanent deacon. He actually began his diaconate formation in the Diocese of Charlotte as a member of the diocese's inaugural formation class. Looking back, I see God's guiding hand in our lives, inspiring the direction of our lives. My father, throughout his life, has been graced with the wisdom and courage to respond "yes" when he heard the Lord's calls; he lives that response daily. He's set a "high bar," one to which I aspire in my own vocation.
CNH: How has your family and parish family reacted to your call to the permanent diaconate?
Deacon Fohn: My wife Lori seems to have had good insight. She claims that "since the day I met you, I knew 'it' was coming." My wife, my family and my parish family have all been extremely supportive. My family's unyielding sacrifice, encouragement and prayer throughout the formation process shows their deep love and commitment to God and neighbor.
CNH: How do you hope to serve your parish community in your new role as deacon?
Deacon Fohn: My hope is that through ordination, being configured to Christ the Servant, I will be able to live out the ministries of Word, Sacrament and Charity to help nourish and grow the faith in both my parish and local community, to serve as God's instrument, participating in Christ's mission to grow His Kingdom.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Deacons’ wives share insights on shared nature of diaconate ministry
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Deacons’ wives share insights on shared nature of diaconate ministry
CHARLOTTE — The ministry of permanent deacon in the Catholic Church is a shared ministry for a deacon and his wife. They both go through the years of formation, learning about what to expect in their new roles in serving the people of God.
Here are what a few of the newly ordained deacons’ wives recently had to say about the ordination of their husbands and the new mission they will embark on as a couple serving the Church.
RACHEL YARBROUGH, wife of Deacon Jack Yarbrough, Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro
CNH: How do you feel about your husband becoming a deacon of the Church?
Yarbrough: It has been a blessing for me to watch my husband grow in his faith and continue to trust in the providence of Christ. I am very thankful that he has chosen to submit to the call of service to Christ in the Church.
Formation has changed us both in such a profound way. I can say that it has been one of the best experiences that has ever happened during our lives together. The years of formation were surprisingly a time of genuine growth in my own Catholic faith. It is not just your husband who grows! I am grateful and blessed I was able to journey with my husband through the formation years.
CNH: Over the many years of formation, what have been some of the challenges you all have had to overcome so that he can answer the call to this vocation?
Yarbrough: One cannot consider becoming a deacon unless he is willing to put aside many personal activities to concentrate on both his relationship with God and the studies required for formation. Some getaways and hobbies have had to take a backseat to focus on formation. However, the rewarding beauty of growing in our faith and our relationship with Christ and each other can never be outweighed by the requirements of formation. Our Catholic faith has been greatly enriched by this beautiful journey of formation.
CNH: What are you most looking forward to with regard to serving the Church together in this next phase of service?
Yarbrough: We are looking forward to going together to take Communion to shut-ins, nursing homes and the hospitals, and visiting with parishioners. Christianity is very communal, and bringing the light of Christ to those who are alone or sick is one of the key aspects of the Church’s mission. It will be an honor for us to assist the Church in the ministries for which he will be asked, by our priests, to serve.
DR. THERESA SHEEHAN, wife of Deacon Martin Sheehan Jr., Our Lady of the Highways Church, Thomasville
CNH: How do you feel about your husband becoming a deacon of the Church?
Sheehan: I am looking forward to Marty beginning his ministry. He has worked so long and so hard to get to this point. It’s such a time of new beginnings and so perfect for the Easter season. Personally, I do have some concerns. We will both be so busy going forward; I’m not sure what our new life will be like.
CNH: Over these many years of formation, what have been some of the challenges you all have had to overcome so that he can answer the call to this vocation?
Sheehan: As a physician with a very busy schedule, things sometimes seemed overwhelming. As a hospitalist, I have to work weekends and it was clearly the work of the Holy Spirit that enabled me to somehow attend all our sessions for formation. During the aspirancy year, I recall thinking it would be impossible to commit to attending all of the weekends, but it miraculously worked out. The kids were going from middle school to high school and on to college, so this too was challenging. We lost both my father and my father-in-law and grappled with other family illnesses and issues – of course, these are things all families must deal with – and being in formation through this time was as much a blessing as it was a challenge.
CNH: What are you most looking forward to with regard to serving the Church together in this next phase of service?
Sheehan: For a very long time in our marriage, my career as a physician has taken precedence in our lives. I am looking forward to watching Marty serve God’s people. He has completed his master’s degree in theology and hopes to put it to good use. I’m very much looking forward to being as much help as possible to him in his ministry.
TERRI FAUNCE, wife of Deacon David Faunce, Immaculate Conception Church, Forest City
CNH: How do you feel about your husband becoming a deacon of the Church?
Faunce: I am so proud of my husband for completing the formation process to become a deacon. Juggling the coursework, his career and a family has been a challenge, but he has done a great job! I am also excited to see what his ministry will be, and how we can continue to grow together and grow closer to God after ordination. It is a big step, but a very worthwhile step as well.
CNH: Over these many years of formation, what have been some of the challenges you all have had to overcome so that he can answer the call to this vocation?
Faunce: There have been many sacrifices all along the way in the formation process for our whole family. The candidates must give up their ministries in order to devote their time fully to the formation process. Dave handed over his role teaching RCIA, which he really enjoyed. There have also been occasions where we have had to miss family events, sports games and other activities that our children were in involved in because they conflicted with our classes. In fact, Dave's first day of formation class coincided with our oldest daughter's departure to attend boarding school, and I know that it was terribly difficult for him not to be with her that day.
We like to say that this has been a sacrifice and journey for the entire family, not just Dave and me.
As I mentioned above, the Saturday classes, overnight retreats and online coursework had to be done in addition to his full-time job and family obligations. When we began formation, our children were very young and we have no close family living near us – this meant that finding child care was a definite challenge. However, a few families from our parish came forward and selflessly answered that need. Our entire parish at Immaculate Conception in Forest City has been a great source of support and encouragement throughout the past five years.
CNH: What are you most looking forward to with regard to serving the Church together in this next phase of service?
Faunce: I am looking forward to continuing to serve God and the Church together as a deacon couple. Before formation and ordination, we served the Church in different areas, but not as a couple. I am the faith formation coordinator and Dave taught RCIA and did other ministries, but now we have some opportunities to serve as a couple. The possibilities are exciting!
CNH: Is there anything else you would like to share about the journey you both have made to his ordination?
Faunce: The formation process has brought Dave and I closer as a couple with an even stronger marriage. It has been a period of intense personal and spiritual reflection and growth which, at times, was difficult, but very important and worthwhile. I am so grateful to all our instructors, Deacon Scott Gilfillan, Deacon Ed Konarski, and our mentor couple Deacon Andy and Joann Cilone for all their support and guidance during our journey thus far.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Bishop Peter Jugis announced that the 15 new deacons are assigned as follows, effective April 14:
DEACON QUANG NGUYEN: St. Joseph (Vietnamese) Church, Charlotte
DEACON DAVID RAMSEY: St. Mary, Mother of God Church, Sylva
DEACON STEFFEN FOHN: Holy Family Church, Clemmons
Deacons’ wives share insights on shared nature of diaconate ministry