By Rita McInerney

Fifteen applicants for the permanent diaconate and one for the priesthood of the archdiocese were instituted as lectors and acolytes by Bishop James P. Lyke, OFM, on Sept. 18 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta.

Several priests and permanent deacons of the archdiocese concelebrated with Bishop Lyke.

Barbara Cuomo, wife of applicant Anthony F. Cuomo of Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City, gave the first reading from Exodus 24:3-8, and Judith Comeau, wife of Ronald A. Comeau, of St. Bernadette's in Cedartown, gave the second reading from 2 Timothy 3:14-17. Deacon James Steward proclaimed the Gospel according to St. John 6:24-35.

In his homily before instituting the lectors, Bishop Lyke told the applicants that the sacred Scriptures are the written historical context by which the Christian church learns its origins and from which it receives its mandates.

"For our part, as St. Paul reminds us in the second reading, 'We must remain faithful to what we have learned and believed because we know who our teachers were.' The word of God describes the great central mystery of our faith, the incarnation or enfleshment of God in the person of His son, Jesus Christ."

"In the New Testament, we read of the deeds of Christ's life, the faith that He aroused in those who chose to follow Him, and the way in which He intended them to carry on His mission."

As readers and bearers of the word of God, he told the 16 men, "this mission will become your special responsibility, to be borne with serious consideration and devoted attention."

"First, you will hold the word of God within your hearts, as a precious treasure from which the light of truth will shine. Second, you will explore the aspects of this treasure, through the writings and commentaries of saints and preachers, polishing every facet of this precious jewel which is the Divine Word. Third, you will speak and teach this word, and it will be like rain on the parched earth, bringing into full flower the devotion and fidelity of the Catholic faithful."

In fulfilling these responsibilities, you will bring to men and women the greatest promise made in human history, the promise of eternal life, eternal life gained through emulation of the life, death, and rising of Our Lord Jesus Christ."

Let the word of God, he said, "be the light of your eyes, and the flame of your tongue. By its intimate presence in your personal life, may you be made more worthy to bring the word to fruition in the context of the Eucharistic celebration, the source of grace for all the faithful."

At the conclusion of this portion of his homily, Bishop Lyke took a seat in front of the altar and each applicant came before him to kneel and place his hands on the book of Holy Scripture while the bishop said, "Take this book of Holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the work of God so that it may grow strong in the hearts of His people."

The Eucharistic banquet, he told the applicants before the rite for acolytes, "contains all the ingredients necessary to the healthy growth and life of the faithful. The reconciliation of its members, their attentive listening to the word of God, and the reception of the body and blood of the Lord -- these are the elements of the liturgy by which we proclaim to the ends of the earth our ongoing commitment to the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ.

"As acolytes in the service of the Church, you will bear special duties to those who assist at the rites of Catholicism, in order to assuage the human hunger for God, and the thirst of every soul for the refreshment of eternal life. In assisting the priests and deacons to bring communion to the faithful, you will facilitate the declaration of the Lord, that 'No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in me shall thirst again."

"This is a privilege accorded by God, for in the rite of institution we affirm that it is the Lord who chooses those who will serve Him in this special role. In return, yours must be a special and fervent dedication to the liturgy, for in serving the faithful at the Eucharistic banquet, you will also build up the mystical body in a special way. Through your own example, you will proclaim the work of God according to Christ's own definition, pure and simple: namely 'This is the work of God, have faith in the One He sent.'"

Then, for the second time, the applicants came before the bishop one by one, knelt and placed their hand upon the chalice holding the hosts. Then the bishop said, "Take this vessel with bread for the celebration of Holy Eucharist. Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of His Church."

Among applicants for the permanent diaconate is Charles M. Appel, 68, of Lilburn, a member of Epiphany Byzantine Catholic Church, Old Alabama Road in Roswell.

He is the first to study for the permanent diaconate from the congregation, according to Father Phillip P. Scott, pastor. In the Byzantine rite, he said, "the deacon sings more parts of the Liturgy out loud than the priest, who prays silently."

Deacons can also preach and are used in "original works of deacons in the early Church, works of charity and education," Father Scott said. They do not officiate at weddings or baptisms as they do in the Roman rite.

Edward Stives, 59, will be the first deacon from St. Clement's parish in Calhoun with a membership of 400 people. He made the 134-mile round trip twice monthly over the past two years to attend the lay ministry formation classes at the Hyland Center at the Cathedral of Christ the King.

Stewart Wilber, 43, has been a seminarian of the archdiocese since June of this year. He studied at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology at Berkeley, CA, and received his Masters of Divinity degree there in May.

During the summer of 1988 he worked with Sister Marie Sullivan, OP, who is associated with the homeless ministry at the Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta. In summer, 1989, he worked in clinical pastoral educational Grady Hospital.

He had come to know and like Atlanta while on his summer assignments, he said. When he decided to transfer from the Dominicans he applied to the seminarian program here. He is assigned as pastoral associate at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Briarcliff Road.