To Proclaim the Faith in Word and Action – A New Deacon is Ordained Today

I’ve been teaching in Catholic schools for almost seventeen years, and today was a first for me: one of my former students was ordained to the diaconate. I’ve had former students become teachers, writers, politicians and nurses, but Matt’s the first one to be ordained.

I teared up more than once as I sat in the church watching him respond to the bishop’s questions:

Bishop: In the presence of God and the Church, are you resolved, as a sign of your interior dedication to Christ, to remain celibate for the sake of the kingdom and in lifelong service to God and mankind?

Candidate: I am.

Bishop: Are you willing to be ordained for the Church’s ministry by the laying on of hands and the gift of the holy spirit?

Candidate: I am.

Bishop: Are you resolved to hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, as the Apostle urges, to proclaim this faith in word and action as it is taught by the Gospel and the Church’s tradition?

Candidate: I am.

Bishop: Are you resolved to maintain and deepen a spirit of prayer appropriate to your way of life and, in keeping with what is required of you, to celebrate faithfully the liturgy of the hours for the Church and for the whole world?

Candidate: I am.

Bishop: Are you resolved to shape your way of life always according to the example of Christ, whose body and blood you will give to the people?

Candidate: I am, with the help of God.

It was a beautiful ritual, and the emotions caught me off guard. I’ve often wondered if God has called me to be a deacon, and after watching the ordination I don’t know if I could ever accept such a heavy responsibility.

Please pray for Matt as he begins his service to the Church. God willing, he will be ordained to the priesthood this time next year.