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By Priscilla Greear
LAGRANGE—A native of Slovakia, Rev. Mr. Pavol Brenkus
continues to learn about American life and life as a priest following his
ordination to the transitional diaconate Dec. 30 at St. Peter’s Church in
LaGrange.
The seminarian, who came to Atlanta in 1996 upon the request of
former vocations director Msgr. Donald Kenny, grew up and attended an
underground church in the former Czechoslovakia which at the time was repressed
under communism. Just as communism fell and the Iron Curtain opened in 1989, so
did his heart as he heard God’s call to let Christ take center stage in
his life through the priesthood.
At the Mass marking his final step of preparation for priestly
ordination in June, he and supporters described how the drama of his life, as
he continues studying in English, now centers around his commitment to God and
the church and fulfilling his role as a priest.
The Christmastime service was celebrated by Archbishop John F.
Donoghue and concelebrated by about 10 priests of the archdiocese. Music was
provided by the parish choir directed by Robin Treadwell. Beginning the rite of
ordination, Father David Talley, director of vocations, presented Brenkus to
Archbishop Donoghue who elected him as a deacon after which the congregation of
supporters applauded.
In his homily, the archbishop gave thanks for Brenkus’
vocation, which grew from a divine seed “planted deep within him, a seed
that contained within itself, life, grace, power, and the potential for a full
fruition, a full realization, which Pavol has now pondered, coaxed, and in the
truest sense of the word, obeyed, till this point, when the Church now calls
him to the diaconate, and anticipates his further service in the
priesthood.”
He called the Mass a time for his supporters, who’ve been
guided by the Holy Spirit, to pledge their prayers and commitment to the
seminarian and to thank God for his and others’ vocations.
He referred to the prophet Jeremiah’s declaration that the
Lord supplies him words and said that God has always supplied the faithful the
miraculous strength to fulfill their ministries. He touches lives through his
“total union” with believers through the Eucharist and his word which
is revealed through Christ as love and motivates people to practice charity and
support others in suffering in his name through the church.
“As a deacon of the Church, and for this last year of
preparation, let your deepest and most constant thoughts be given to the
ramifications of the Lord’s Hand—of how it touches you, of how it
draws both from your mouth and from your body, His truth and His will, and how
this threefold service is to be as perfectly fulfilled as is humanly possible,
in the priesthood which will come to you when the appropriate interval has
passed—the threefold service, which comprises the Altar, the Word, and the
ways of Charity,” he said. “Seek in His grace, and in the authority
of the Church to explain His grace, all that you need to know of these founts
of all goodness—the liturgy, Scripture, and the apostolic energy which
thrives in our Church.”
“And may the Holy Spirit, who will be happy if you take these
charges to heart, bring you swiftly to the day of your priestly
Ordination—the day for which you long—the day that the Church, in all
good-will, prays now will be swift and unhindered in coming...”
On the altar decorated with poinsettias and Christmas trees, the
archbishop prepared for the examination of the candidate. Brenkus promised to
be celibate, consecrating himself to Christ in a special way, to live
prayerfully, to follow Christ, to serve as a deacon by assisting the archbishop
and priests in serving others, and to be obedient to the archbishop and his
successors. The chief shepherd called on attendees to pray for the candidate
who prostrated himself in humble prayer. He then laid hands on the candidate
kneeling before him and spoke a prayer of consecration after which the
archbishop and other priests and deacons hugged him in a sign of peace. He was
vested by his spiritual director, Father Edward Buvens, SJ, who resides at
Loyola College in New Orleans.
A reception followed afterward. Father Buvens described the new
deacon as both forthright and compassionate and said he is always questioning
things and seeking to better understand God and how he works in lives.
“He’s a real seeker. I think he will be helpful to those
seeking to understand God more fully, all that God is and can be and how God
works in our lives ... I think he’ll have a wonderful career as a priest
and as a helper of other people. The archdiocese is lucky to have him,” he
said. “He’s an extremely honest priest. He says it like it is and
like it seems to him to the best of his understanding.”
The president of Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, which the
deacon attends, Father Patrick Williams believes that Rev. Mr. Brenkus’
greatest gift is “his commitment to the church and his desire to
serve.” He gave him a good report.
“He’s progressing very well. He’s a very spiritual
man. He’s a good student. I think he’s adjusting well to culture in
the U.S. I think that that was a big adjustment at first ... He’s really
made a lot of progress in getting more comfortable here in the U.S. All around,
he’s a good man,” he said. “It’s a real privilege for me to
work with the seminarians that are moving forward to the priesthood. It’s
definitely a pleasure for me to come and see the fruits.”
His seminary classmate, Rev. Mr. Joe Shaute described him as a
practical joker and as cool, calm and caring. And while he is less expressive
of emotions, more characteristic of Eastern Europeans, and has his own cultural
customs, he’s making a sincere effort to adapt to and learn this culture.
“He just has a good heart. He’s a very caring person. He sees
somebody is having a bad day and wants to cheer somebody up or try to do
something to lift their spirits,” he said. “And sometimes he’s
misunderstood because with the glasses he kind of seems like a stand-offish
intellectual. People who don’t approach him really miss out on meeting a
special person ... Pavol has a lot more (fire) than people notice. He’s
got a big fire inside. He doesn’t wear his emotions externally” but
is intuitive and sensitive.
When Rev. Mr. Shaute served last year as liaison between faculty
and students “Pavol was one of those people who really encouraged me and
supported me when there were days when I just wanted to throw up my hands and
say ‘everybody go away.’ He would go out of his way to help me keep
my emotions in check.”
St. Peter’s parishioner Rita Kitts, a member of a lay support
committee for Rev. Mr. Brenkus while he had a summer internship at her parish,
said by the end of the summer he began to shine in the spotlight, with help on
speech from a high school drama coach. He worked with youth, gave reflections
in Communion services and taught Bible classes.
“He really sort of blossomed while here,” she said.
“He seemed to feel much more comfortable after he was here because he
mixed with people more.”
Childhood friend Father Fero Halka, who is an assistant priest at
Penn State University, recalled how growing up in Slovakia he and his friend
attended church but that he didn’t really practice his faith because of
the pressure of communism. Yet when the two truth-seeking youth finished high
school, communism fell and they decided to study religion.
“He was the person that directed me to the priesthood and to
study religion. It’s the greatest thing I’m thankful for. He was
there for me when I was searching for God and he was such a great inspiration
and support. I found it and became a priest,” Father Halka said. “For
me it’s like I’m supporting him like he supported me at first for the
seminary and (he is) somebody who is a good, long-time friend. I’m very
pleased. It’s nice to have a friend in the U.S.”
Father Halka said his friend also displays a deep spirituality.
“He’s a very deep thinker. He’s prayerful. He’s the kind of
man when you talk to him you feel he’s connected with something much
higher. If you know Pavol you know he’s not a regular person. He has a
sense for the sacred, for the mysterious. (He knows) there’s something
more than just what you see.”
The deacon was exposed to the sacred as a youth when in addition
to attending the official, legal church he attended the underground church
which offered more social and spiritual activities for youth, but which was
discouraged by the government. He said learning about his vocation was a
process of God speaking through family members and Salesian priests in the
underground church.
It was a difficult decision to leave behind family in Slovakia to
serve here, but the church there is strong and he saw the much greater need for
priests overseas.
“The priest is ordained for the whole church, not just one
small place,” the new deacon said. “I had to think a lot about it
because part of my family, all of them, they didn’t want me to come to the
U. S. Some of them were strongly opposed to it. But after I made my decision
and they saw they couldn’t do anything about it they supported it.”
He has found the strength to weather the journey so far.
“When I was in New Orleans I also had to find friends, a support group,
that would encourage me to go through hard times ... There were times I felt
lonely and times when I didn’t feel as loved as I would perhaps if I were
surrounded by friends and close family. It takes time to build that type of
relationship.”
Even so, he is content with his new life. Rev. Mr. Brenkus said
that his nerves before the Mass faded to joy. “I kind of found that peace.
It came to me. I think it is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I’m sure
of myself ... I feel wonderful.”
As he works to improve his English he also now hopes to strengthen
his relationships with God and people for the priesthood.
“It seems to be more important than before, having a prayer
life, my spiritual life. I’m putting more emphasis on it than before.
That’s where my energy goes—and (on developing) closer relationships
with other people-especially seminarians and priests. That’s kind of my
main focus because after I’m ordained I need that kind of brotherly
support.” |
