CHARLOTTE — Standing before their bishop and a first-class relic of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr, more than 60 permanent deacons reaffirmed their ordination promises and then watched as 15 men were admitted as candidates for the diaconate Aug. 10, the feast day of their patron saint.
Bishop Peter Jugis offered the Mass for the deacons, an annual event at St. Patrick Cathedral that celebrates the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Charlotte and every four years ushers in a new class of potential future deacons.
Bishop Jugis addressed his homily first to the permanent deacons, then to the 15 men who are beginning their journey towards possible ordination as deacons.
“The diaconate is a great ministry of service in the Church and Jesus’ own words continue to inspire deacons to follow His example of serving,” he said, quoting from the Gospel of Matthew 20:28: “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
“It is in that spirit of service, inspired by Christ, that you deacons come today to affirm again the promises of your ordination.”
He reminded them that in the prayer of ordination which had consecrated them as deacons, the bishop prayed that they practice Christian virtues, especially showing concern for the sick and the poor, and that they exercise their authority with humility and love.
“And so we ask the Lord again today to bless you, that these Gospel virtues that your bishop prayed over you in that prayer of consecration on the day of your ordination, that those virtues continue to shine forth in your lives of service as servants of the altar, as servants of the Word and as servants of charity,” he continued.
The bishop then turned his attention to the 15 men admitted to the rite of candidacy: Ronald Ascencio, Joseph Becker, Eduardo Bernal, Carl Brown, Margarito Franco, Charles Hindbaugh, Hugh Holland, Todd Labonte, John Langlois, Thomas Martin, William Melton Jr., Richard Michaels, Francisco Pina, Herbert Quintanilla and Joseph Smith.
“And you men, who today are being admitted to candidacy for holy orders, we ask the good Lord also to bless you with these Gospel virtues, that those virtues will continue during the course of your formation to be perfected in you.”
In the rite of admission to candidacy, he explained to them, the men formally become candidates for the sacrament of holy orders, offering themselves “to God and to the Church for sacred ministry.”
The men have already achieved several requirements to get to this point – including completing the two-year Lay Ministry Formation Program and, with their wives, a year of discernment called aspirancy.
They were helped along the way by a team of 30 deacons and deacons’ wives, who assisted them in their discernment process and gave presenations on prayer, spirituality and diaconal ministry.
“I am grateful for the team of deacons and their wives that assisted in this discernment process,” said Deacon Scott Gilfillan, director of formation for the permanent diaconate. “It was an amazing aspirancy team and made an invaluable contribution helping the aspirant couples.”
“I am also impressed with the openness and sincerity of new candidates and their wives,” he added. “I am really looking forward to working with them as they continue this journey of discernment and formation toward being a deacon or a wife of a deacon,” he said.
The journey of discernment now continues, Bishop Jugis encouraged the 15 candidates.
“You are crossing a threshold into a period of more intense formation. Things are different now. The Lord gives you special graces now as candidates for holy orders as you pursue the Lord’s call to the permanent diaconate.”
Jesus has brought them this far along their path already, the bishop assured them, and He wants them to offer themselves to Him and to the formation program and to the Church as He leads them through the coming years of formation.
Spend time in prayer listening to what Jesus may be calling them to, he said.
“You are blessed to have the support of your wives, your families and your friends, and the support of the Church to help you on this path,” he said. “If it is God’s will, one day you will be at the priest’s side at the altar, assisting him as he offers the sacrifice of the Mass.”
Candidate Tim Martin said he is excited to be following in his father’s footsteps in considering the diaconate, after many years of thinking about it.
“My dad was a deacon. He was ordained in 1981, and being in the pew as he would give his homilies and talk about our family meant a lot to me,” Martin said.
Deacon John Martino, director of the diocesan Permanent Diaconate Program, observed that “in the affirmation Of promises and in the rite of candidacy we see the present and the future of the Church of Charlotte.
“God has truly blessed all of us!”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter
