15 deacons ordained for diocese

Friday, Feb. 03, 2017

SALT LAKE CITY — With a standing-room only crowd of people from all over the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City gathered to join in the celebration, 15 men were ordained deacons in the Cathedral of the Madeleine on Jan. 27.

For more than four years the 15 men endured harsh weather, long driving distances, family problems, health problems and even the death of one of their own, but despite the challenges they kept on going, following the special call they received from God. With the guidance of Deacon Drew Petersen; who oversaw the diaconate formation program, and Father Eleazar Galvan Silva, who served as director of academics; the men grew spiritually and prepared theologically and practically to serve in the parishes and missions through the diocese.

A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three groups, or “orders,” of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops, presbyters and deacons. “As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of Sacrament, deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services. As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshaling the Church’s resources to meet those needs,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.

The Jan. 27 ceremony in the Cathedral of the Madeleine started with a procession of the candidates, diocesan deacons and priests, and the Most Rev. John C. Wester of Santa Fe. As the 9th Bishop of Salt Lake City, Archbishop Wester started the local Spanish deaconate formation program  that resulted in the ordination of the 15 men.

“We are thankful for the gift of love to Jesus that these men have shown,” said Archbishop Wester as he welcomed the candidates to the rite.

During the ceremony, Fr. Silva called each candidate by name, to which they responded “present.”

Deacon Petersen then asked Archbishop Wester to receive the candidates and ordain them to the diaconate.

During the Mass, the Gospel was read by Deacon Armando Solozarno.

During his homily, Archbishop Wester recalled Kent Lowe, a cathedral sacristan who had been a deacon candidate, but who died unexpectedly in 2014 at the age of 55. He assisted at the cathedral’s daily Mass as well as the weekend evening Masses. 

It was on one of those evenings that Archbishop Wester found Lowe climbing ladder to change a light bulb.

“I was watching him, getting a bit distracted from my prayers, and I thought to myself, ‘What an interesting metaphor,’” said Archbishop Wester, adding that Lowe “knew what now you all know: that we are here to serve and not to be served.”

Archbishop Wester remind the candidates that the way to the Father is not by climbing a stairway to heaven, but rather “it is by running to the heart of Christ.”

After the homily, each candidate was individually invited to approach the altar, then knelt in front of the archbishop and received his blessing as a symbol of their ordination.

“We rely on the help of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, and we choose this man, our brother, for the Order of Deacons,” the archbishop repeated as, one by one, the men were ordained.

As a symbol of the total dedication of their lives to God, the deacons prostrated themselves around the altar while the Litany of the Saints was recited by all those present.

Then the deacons’ wives were called to vest their husbands in their new stole and dalmatic.

Deacon Petersen said it is rewarding for him and Fr. Silva “to see that growth, to see that development, and that they all are already making pretty significant contributions in their service in our diocese.” 

Archbishop Wester also always encouraged the deacon candidates, Deacon Petersen said. 

During the past four years the candidates have had the opportunity to experience firsthand all of the ministries in which they will serve as deacons.

Since November of 2013, the diaconate formation class met a couple of times a month, and each candidate was expected to be active in his parish.

“These four years have been a blessing. … God called me to this ministry and I know it’s not an easy one because we have to serve the community and at the same time we have to serve our families and our jobs,” said Deacon Guillermo Mendez, a St. Andrew parishioner, after the ordination.

Some of the candidates traveled long distances, enduring inclement weather and expense to attend the formation classes, but Deacon Carlos Cortez said driving the 300 miles each way to and from St. George over and over again was a blessing.

“This experience has taught me to appreciate more the teachings and the learning that we received at the classes and retreats, and at the same time I was able to understand better how much God loves us,” Cortez said.