For His Friends

This morning (Saturday) we held the annual deacon recommitment Mass at the Bethany Center for our 125 “permanent deacons” and their wives. It is always a very pleasant moment in the life of the diocese and it is followed by a luncheon and a report from Father Ralph Argentino on the state of the diaconate in the diocese. He told me that forty dioceses are represented among our deacons on assignment or with faculties. These men were all trained elsewhere and eventually moved to the central west coast of Florida and sought permission to minister (“faculties”) from the Diocese of St. Petersburg. In addition, we currently have forty-three active deacons who have studied here and been ordained for service here. No matter where they are from, they are an impressive group.

Deacons are members of the Roman Catholic Clergy, hence the teaser in the title. Their wives are an important part of their ministry, both supporting their husbands in their initial choice to pursue the diaconate and in assisting in many instances in the performance of the service which their husbands give to the Church. Some of the wives have taken all the courses that their husbands were taking in preparation for their ordination (and it has been said that the wives would outshine their spouses sometimes on tests and papers). Once ordained the deacons mostly work in parishes, baptizing, witnessing marriages, preaching on Sundays and weekdays, preparing parents for the baptism of their children, adults and children for Christian initiation, and readying confirmation classes. They also preside at wakes, graveside services and really help the priests out in many ways. Some are involved in special ministries such as prison, hospital, port chaplaincy, etc. Roman Catholic ministry in the United States would be generally bereft without these good men.

At the time of their ordination, the deacon understands that should their spouses die, they are restrained by the law and practice of the Church from getting married again so in addition to the sacrifice of time (we ask 10% of their waking hours each week as a minimum) they also must be ready to embrace celibate chastity as well. Our new class ordained last October was present today and all those to whom I had an opportunity to speak reported that they were happy in their ministry. So is the Church of St. Petersburg, gentlemen and ladies, and thanks for the gift of your time and talent in your ministry of service.

+RNL

Our diocese was singularly blessed yesterday by the ordination of nineteen new deacons to serve in our parishes and institutions. They have been studying and preparing for eight years, probably the longest period of formation in the United States (four years in the Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute and four more in the deacon formation program. One can not easily calculate the time spent in class. But they persevered and prospered. All their hopes and dreams became a reality yesterday morning at St. Jude’s Cathedral as Bishop John Noonan, Auxiliary Bishop of Miami, imposed his hands on each of the men asking the Holy Spirit to impart the power of the office on each of them. In the front rows of the pews were their wives, children, and parents, so proud and beaming. And there was their bishop unable to perform the ordination rite at home praying for them and asking the Lord for the gift of coming to the Cathedral for a few words at the conclusion of the two hour ceremony. God heard my prayers and I made it.

Bishop Lynch with some of the newly ordained deacons. (Photo by Ed Foster Jr.)

When the fathers at the Second Vatican Council restored the  married diaconate, it was clear that it was something envisioned for the mission countries of the third world. Instead, the United States has the highest number and percentage of married deacons in the world and the mission Churches have not utilized the opportunity choosing lay catechists and leaders instead. Having listened to the late Cardinals Dearden of Detroit and Bernardin of Chicago express their doubts about the new phenomenon of all these new deacons and their fear of the “clericalization” of the laity, I began my service here as bishop with certain doubts – enough to seek a seven year hiatus in preparing new deacons while we evaluated what we had. Our pastors convinced me that the diaconate has been enormously helpful in their ministry in the parishes and their work in the prisons, jails and the Port of Tampa filled holes in our ministry for which there simply were no priests. I was wrong in my reservations and about five years ago we began plans to prepare more men for this ministry of service.

Four years ago twenty-six men started their final four years of formation. Nineteen persevered. We contracted with St. Leo University to see to their theological and pastoral formation. They attended classes during the week and on week-ends. With the loving support of their spouses and the patience of their children, year by year they came closer to their goal and then there was yesterday. Today at Sunday Mass they began their ministry. They can preach, baptize, witness marriages and assist at the altar. Many of them will help in the RCIA and have a hand in religious formation in their parishes. Some of them may ultimately administer some of our smaller parishes if the number of priests available requires it. Even though we have the greatest number of men in the seminary in our forty-one years as a diocese, there will always be a need for deacons.

They promise not to marry should or when their spouses are call home to God. They are generally not paid and promise ten percent of their time assisting in their assignments. They must now, as of this class, be prepared to serve where ever they are sent and since they are clergy, they now with this class come under the Clergy Personnel Board for assignment. Several of the new ordinands were asked to serve other than their home parishes where my Personnel Board felt their was a real need and they graciously accepted.

I feel very good about these nineteen men. If your parish receives one of them as a deacon you will be lucky. Congratulations to them are in order and to our local Church.

+RNL

Updated: Watch Bishop Lynch’s Remarks at the Ordination