The Deacon's Bench
Congratulations, brothers! Ad multos annos!
From the press release:
With the congregation joined in prayer and song, eleven men lay side by side on the floor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, a sign of humility and reliance on the mercy of Christ. It was a moving sight for the hundreds who filled the cathedral to see the men ordained to the permanent diaconate by Bishop Robert P. Deeley on Saturday, September 16.
“What a beautiful day in the life of the Diocese of Portland. It is a special moment of grace and joy for each one of you, the candidates for ordination, and for your families and, in fact, for all of us, as we witness the power of the grace of God transforming each of your lives into a life of service to God and his people,” the bishop said during the Mass.
The eleven men make up the largest class of permanent deacons ever ordained in the Diocese of Portland. They have been journeying together for five years, and in some cases even longer, to get to this day.
“I feel like I’m walking off the ground,” said Deacon Frank Daggett, from St. Joseph Parish in Bridgton. “It’s just humbling and amazing.”
“I’m floating on air,” agreed Deacon Mark Tuttle, who serves at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Scarborough. “This is something that can only happen once in a lifetime. The amount of spirit, and love and, just, community that was here today was overwhelming.”
“What a fantastic celebration, the orchestra, the drums,” said Deacon Carl Gallagher from Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou. “It was really emotional. It was fantastic. I couldn’t imagine anything better.”
“Today is a shower of blessings, first of all from God, and from our bishop, Robert Deeley, and all members here, the members of the community, because we are going to serve them,” said Deacon Michael Augustino, from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Portland.
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Deacons are called to serve at the altar, to proclaim the Word of God, and to commit themselves to lives of charity. The word “diaconate” comes from the Greek word “diakonia,” which means “service.” Deacons cannot celebrate Mass, offer the sacrament of reconciliation, or perform the anointing of the sick, but they may officiate at baptisms, bless marriages, and conduct funeral services outside of Mass.
“In this ordination, we see the connection between these three areas of ministry. The Word of God inevitably leads us to the Eucharist at the altar. In turn, this worship leads us to a new way of living which expresses itself in acts of charity. Seeing the mission of the deacon in this threefold way reminds us that the acts of charity are not just token good acts. They are acts which flow from a belief that this is what the Christian life requires of us. Knowing ourselves loved, we serve in love. The acts of charity are the way in which the evangelizing mission of the Church is moved forward,” the bishop said.
The newly ordained deacons come from parishes across the diocese. In addition to Deacons Augustino, Daggett, Gallagher, and Tuttle, they include Thomas Blatz from All Saints Parish in Brunswick, Michael Boggs from the Parish of the Resurrection of the Lord in Old Town, Rodney Deschaine from St. Peter Chanel Parish in Van Buren, Lawrence Guertin from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Windham, Richard Huot from Good Shepherd Parish in Saco, Rodney Kuhl from Holy Savior Parish in Rumford, and Luis Sanclemente from St. John Vianney Parish in Fort Kent.
“My brothers, you are called to be servants,” the bishop told them. “This is not something new for you. It has been a part of your Christian witness. Today, however, it takes on a sacramental character as you step forward for the imposition of hands and ordination. It is the heart of the ministry of the deacon. You are called to be servants of the mysteries of Christ and, at one and the same time, to be a servant of your brothers and sisters.”
During the Rite of Ordination, the eleven men resolved to be consecrated to the Church’s ministry, to discharge their office with humble charity so as to assist the priestly order, to proclaim the faith in word and deed according to the Gospel and Church tradition, to deepen their spirit of prayer, and to conform their way of life to the example of Christ.
One by one, the men then approached the bishop and, placing their hands within his, vowed obedience to him and his successors.
The eleven then lay prostrate while the Litany of Saints was sung. The Litany is a prayer of petition for Christ’s mercy and for the intercession of the saints.
“That was a moment I had looked forward to significantly. It is a moment of offering yourself completely, in a very humble, both physical and spiritual sense to Christ,” said Deacon Sanclemente. “There is an overwhelming sense of humility.”
Rising, the men then knelt before the bishop, who laid hands on each of them in silence. With outstretched hands, he then prayed the Prayer of Ordination, beseeching the Lord to “look with favor on these servants of yours who will minister at your holy altar and whom we now humbly dedicate to the Office of Deacon.”
“The laying on of hands was very, very powerful, the power of touch, to feel the bishop’s hands on my head and to feel that power,” said Deacon Guertin.
“I felt God’s presence and the Holy Spirit when he did that,” said Deacon Boggs. “I was the only one who almost fell, and the bishop caught me, and then when he laid his hands on me, I felt his presence, God’s presence, the Holy Spirit. I felt that was the most amazing part of the Mass for me.”
“The laying on of hands, when the bishop calls down the Holy Spirit, it was an incredible feeling that the Spirit was truly present in me. I’m also thinking of my mother and father, who are no longer with us, but I know they have the best seat in the house,” said Deacon Blatz.
Following the prayer of ordination, the eleven men, now deacons of the Church, were vested with stoles and dalmatics, symbols of the diaconate. The wives of the deacons handed the dalmatics to priests or deacons who had been selected by the newly ordained. Some were the deacons’ pastors. Others were deacons or priests who had played important roles in their formation.
“The most moving part, I think, was probably putting on the vestment — Father (Jean-Paul) Labrie helping me put my vestment on, my wife standing there, because those are the two people who have been with me all the way, from the beginning,” said Deacon Gallagher.
Once vested, each deacon received a Book of the Gospels from the bishop, who counseled each of them to “Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” The Book of the Gospels is denotative of a deacon’s mandate to proclaim the Gospel at Mass.
The bishop then welcomed each of the newly ordained with the fraternal kiss of peace, and all the deacons present did the same. Deacon Sanclemente, chosen at random prior to the Mass, then began his diaconal ministry by preparing the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
For Deacon Rodney Kuhl, sitting in the sanctuary, close to the altar, during consecration was especially powerful.
“That is the most moving part of the Mass to begin with, but being so close to that, with all my peers, it was really moving,” he said. “I was feeling very spiritual.”
The diaconate dates back to the days the apostles. It is one of three ranks of holy orders in the Catholic Church: deacons, priests, and bishops. Deacons were once considered the right-hand men of bishops. However, over the years, the permanent diaconate as a distinct ministry in the Church faded away. It was restored by the Second Vatican Council.
Deacons are considered a bridge between the Church and the secular world because many hold secular jobs. The newly ordained include a credit union vice president, a bank I.T. project manager, a respiratory therapist, a retired physician assistant, a special education teacher, a certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor, a campaign director for the United Way, a natural gas company employee, and an interpreter for refugees and immigrants. In addition, two of the deacons serve as parish pastoral life coordinators and one is also a college chaplain.
Permanent deacons may also be married, as are all of the newly ordained, and their marriage remains their first vocation.
“Marriage is the way you show forth God’s love in the world through your selfless love for your wives and them for you. Together, the care and love you give your children, the fruit of your self-giving, creative love, is a tremendous gift and responsibility. Your love for each other, and for them, brings them to know God’s love for them,” the bishop said.
All eleven deacons credited their wives with making their journeys to the diaconate possible, through their support and their sacrifice.
“If I have to emphasize anything on the walk, I have to emphasize family. Without the family, without my wife, there is no way I could be here,” said Deacon Deschaine. “You’ve always heard it said, ‘Behind every good man, there is a great woman,’ and that is 100%, absolutely true.”
The new deacons also credited the support of their communities, which was evident at the ordination Mass. Although in some cases the men came from parishes more than 300 miles away, the cathedral was overflowing, with people perched on the ends of pews, lining the back wall, and standing or sitting in the narthex.
“It was absolutely wonderful,” said Deacon Deschaine. “Looking out through the congregation to see all my brothers and sisters in Christ, seeing all the brother deacons, and our holy priests, and holy bishop, it was totally amazing.”
“It was great to see everybody who came and supported us. It tells me that I have work to do. I have people out there who came to support me, and I’m here to support them,” said Rick Huot from Good Shepherd Parish in Saco.
Many of the deacons say they will begin their ministry immediately. Several will be serving at the altar or preaching at Masses this weekend.
“I’m looking forward to preaching, and I’m looking forward to finding where God is really calling me, what part of the community, where I live, am I going to make the greatest impact in people’s lives, spiritually,” said Deacon Blatz.
As they go about their ministry, Bishop Deeley counseled them to remain close to the One in whose name they serve.
“Be men who know Jesus. Be men of true prayer which deepens that relationship,” the bishop said. “When you come to know Jesus, you will be bringing him to those you serve.”
To learn more about each of the new deacons, visit www.portlanddiocese.org/content/fifth-class-permanent-deacons. To view videos from the ordination on Saturday, visit www.facebook.com/PortlandDiocese.
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