|
By Priscilla Greear
ATLANTA—It was a gentle Spirit that softly pulled at the
heartstrings of their souls. After building their careers and raising their
children, seven men from various backgrounds chose to respond to that inner
call and become the first permanent deacons for the Atlanta Archdiocese to be
ordained in the new millennium.
Comparing the permanent diaconate to their marriages, where they
sacrificed the freedoms of single life to reach outward to their wives and
children, Archbishop John F. Donoghue told candidates at the ordination Feb. 26
that as deacons they must surrender themselves to God in service to his church.
“...You must now give away an even deeper part of
yourself—you must give away all that might lead you away from the perfect
fulfillment of the role of deacon. You must preach only the truth—you must
teach only the truth—and your ministry to the people of God must come from
the reality of perfect ministry within you—one that conforms completely to
the practice and the law and the doctrine of Christ’s Church on
earth...,” he said. “To indulge in rebellion against the Spirit, who
resides in the Church, is to pick up again the old life, the life that belonged
to you alone, the life (that) is dead. So never—never again saddle
yourself with what is dead, but follow the new life, and the grace which comes
from the Sacrament you are about to receive.”
The Rite of Ordination was held on a sunny morning at the
Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, which was overflowing with friends,
family and other supporters of the candidates. It was celebrated by Archbishop
Donoghue and concelebrated by over 25 priests with assistance from deacons,
including Deacon Alfred Mitchell, vicar for deacons, and Deacon Loris Sinanian,
assistant vicar for deacons and director of formation. Deacon Whitney Robichaux
was master of ceremonies and over 20 permanent deacons attended, while men in
diaconate formation served as acolytes.
The new deacons, all of whom are married with children and who
range from 42 to 68 years old, are Steven Beers, Patrick Gillespie, William
Hampton, Hung Viet Huynh—the archdiocese’s first Vietnamese permanent
deacon—Richard Mickle, William Speed and James Weiss, DVM. All are serving
at their home parishes and Deacons Speed and Huynh are the first assigned to
their respective parishes.
The archbishop spoke of a recent Jubilee Year meeting of over
2,000 permanent deacons with Pope John Paul II. The pontiff summarized the
deacons’ mission: “... to embrace the Gospel, to go deeper in faith
into the message, to love it and give witness to it in words and works ... to
become decisive protagonists of the ‘new evangelization’ (and to act)
with coherence and dedication, courage and generosity, in the daily service of
the liturgy, the word and charity.”
The archbishop concluded asking the congregation to pray for the
deacons as they gain through their work new life for themselves and for those
they serve.
The candidates promised “respect and obedience” to the
archbishop and his successors and resolved to be faithful to commitments to
prayer and service to the church. They then prostrated themselves along the
church’s center aisle. Following this, each knelt before Archbishop
Donoghue who ordained them by the laying on of hands. Afterwards, they were
vested in a stole and dalmatic, and each received the Gospels with the prayer:
“Receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whose herald you are. Believe what
you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.”
The permanent diaconate, open to married or single men, was
restored in the Roman rite in 1967 after falling out of use in the Western
Church since the fourth or fifth century. In the Catholic Church within the
United States, the permanent diaconate was restored in 1968 with the first
Atlanta archdiocesan deacon ordained in 1977.
Following ordination, permanent deacons may perform baptisms,
marriages and funeral rites, preach at Mass and lead Communion services and
assist the church in a variety of special ministries and services.
Deacon Sinanian said that the new deacons are ready to preach what
they practice. “I think we graduated one of the best groups that we have
ever put out. I feel that they’re well grounded in the faith. They’re
good homilists and they love what they’re doing.”
Since the last diaconate ordination was held in 1995, he said that
the four-year program in study and formation, which involves a biweekly
meeting, has been restructured to give candidates a deeper understanding of the
church and its teachings and the faith.
“(With) this class, we reformulated their formation
program—which (now) has a lot more classes in Scripture, in church
history, in Christology, ecclesiology and canon law and devotes more time to
the spiritual life of the deacons as well as the practicum aspects of the
diaconal ministry,” he said.
It now includes “a comprehensive study of the Catechism of
the Catholic Church. Additional studies have been incorporated in fundamental
and moral theology and expanded teachings on the magisterium of the church.
They have a greater emphasis on preaching and preaching practicum.”
Including the new class, there are 142 deacons in the archdiocese
and 63 men are in formation to be ordained in the next four years, according to
Deacon Sinanian.
Deacon Mickle, 42, said it was a particularly long haul for him.
He converted to Catholicism at 19 after experiencing “the awe” of
hearing Scripture unfold before him at Mass. At 23, he inquired about becoming
a deacon in one diocese, which told him it had no deacons. Another diocese told
him to come back when he was 40.
“It was a very long road and, at the same time, it seemed it
didn’t take any time at all. (I felt) just extremely happy (at
ordination). I still feel very unworthy ... I was just feeling very happy.
After all that time ... I was thinking that God was trying to tell me this
wasn’t for me. I guess he wasn’t.”
Deacon Mickle, who has had a 21-year career at AT&T, explained
that sense of unworthiness.
“There are so many people who are better educated and
certainly more eloquent. Why in the world would God want to call me when there
are other people who certainly have more gifts than I have?”
Deacon Hampton, a convert who was drawn to the Eucharist,
structure and Tradition of the Catholic faith, spoke of his transformation.
“As you say the Liturgy of the Hours every day, as you study
and learn about the faith ... I think all of these things help you to grow and
you’re somehow transformed. Part of the process is the transformation of
your faith. I think I’m a better Christian today than I (was) four years
ago,” he said. “No matter what I am called to do, God’s going to
be there to help me—no matter what I do it’s gonna be God doing it
through me.”
He expressed gratitude for the help along the way from his parish,
St. Matthew’s Church, Tyrone, and elsewhere. “I had a great community
at St. Matthew’s, a fine pastor in Father Leo (Holleran), who offered a
lot of support. I think all these things played a big part of it. Certainly the
six guys I had were great partners in the faith development. Loris Sinanian
certainly did a wonderful job in coordinating the four years ... My wife is a
big part of my formation. She’s the reason I joined the Catholic Church
and the reason I made a Cursillo.”
Canon law, which governs every aspect of church activity, was one
of the most interesting classes in the rigorous formation program for Deacon
Gillespie. The program made him realize how little church knowledge he had
before formation. As with many spouses, it was also a learning experience for
his wife, Nancy, who said, “We discussed what they discussed in class and
it drew us all closer together.”
She added that her husband is a “very good listener” and
“I’ve seen him become a much softer person when he talks with people
... His spirituality has grown tremendously as he proceeded through the
program.”
Deacon Huynh described the peace he experienced at his ordination.
“What impressed me is peace. I know my limitations. In the last year, I
was so worried. I am not worthy. I was looking for the Holy Spirit. When the
archbishop laid hands on me, I (was) ready to accept it. That gave me great
peace.”
“The whole thing was so beautiful,” he said of the
ordination Mass. “When I stood at the altar and looked out, (what I saw)
was a beautiful picture ... It looked like a big family.”
Deacon Speed’s wife, Naida, also experienced the grace of
ordination.
“There’s a grace I think that comes that makes me very
calm because I know this is right for my husband and I will be right there with
him. My family is very happy,” she said.
She described her husband as “a very sensitive person. He
wears his feelings on his sleeves ... He’ll laugh with you, he’ll
also cry with you. He’s a big cursillista. He loves the Cursillo movement
and I think that’s where it all began—being exposed to others’
needs.”
His inspiration was the Cursillo movement, Deacon Speed confirmed,
which he became involved in following his recovery from cancer. During that
time he began to discern where he could most effectively serve. He said that
the most powerful part of the formation process was forming a supportive
community with his classmates.
“The support we all give each other is amazing because
it’s difficult studies ... It was a well-rounded class and I think
we’ve been blessed to be one of the first classes to get back into
formation.”
A past four-time parish council president, Deacon Speed said he is
continuing to work in Cursillo, and, among other things, is looking forward to
helping his parish, Prince of Peace in Buford, enlarge the church to
accommodate its “tremendous growth” to 1,700 families. He’s also
ready to preach the Gospel.
“I think my favorite thing is giving homilies. I’m
really comfortable with that. I like it ... It just comes to me really easily.
The Holy Spirit usually writes 99 percent of it.”
Having served on the altar since he was 7 years old and having
considered the diaconate for 30, Deacon Beers, whose 55th birthday was on
ordination day, received a priceless gift.
“It was emotionally fulfilling. It was the epitome of what
you could feel emotionally. Everything came together. It was a great birthday
present.”
Serving at St. George Church, Newnan, he said that he will
continue teaching in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults and adult
education and working ecumenically. He will also perform baptisms. The biggest
difference in his responsibilities now, he said, will be in being more
available to parishioners to better impart God’s love for them.
“If people can find in me the love of Jesus Christ that will
be the contribution I’ve been looking for.”
His wife, Jane, a convert of five years, said her husband has a
gift for ecumenism and that his quiet faith shines brightly, warming many
hearts in her Southern Baptist family.
“I attend Mass with him and he definitely, in his quiet way,
was instrumental (in my conversion) and he’s been an example for all of us
... People in my family, he’s had a profound effect on them just by the
way he is...” she said. “My family has attended Mass with us. They
definitely respect his faith. When my dad was dying, which has been a year and
a half ago, the great solace for him was for my husband to sit and read Psalms
to him. He even read the (Divine Office) aloud. Most Protestants wouldn’t
even know what (that) is.”
Going strong at 68, Deacon Weiss, a veterinarian, is joyful to
have taken this step. He, too, questioned his later-in-life calling.
“It wasn’t a lack of wanting to do the work. It was
basically the commitment and the fact that it was a big step and that I’m
68 years old. I’m the oldest member of the class.”
He is particularly eager as a deacon and charter member at Holy
Cross Church, Atlanta, to continue ministering to the elderly, as he has found
many who have been “warehoused” in nursing homes where family members
never visit them. “It’s an area of need. People need to be
recognized—that there is self-worth, that they still belong to the human
race and they should be treated accordingly. The church stands up very much for
the unborn and they should stand up for the old-born too.” |
