Permanent diaconate candidates restart classes

Friday, Sep. 19, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY – After a summer break, the 19 candidates for the permanent diaconate ministry in the Diocese of Salt Lake City resumed their formation classes Sept. 13.

The men, all of whom speak Spanish, began their four years of preparation last year. A class of 21 English-speaking deacons was ordained in 2010.

“We are here fresh … with a lot of energy to return to these studies,” said Julio Palomino as the men gathered at the Pastoral Center.

The diaconate candidates are entering their second year of formation, which will mark the beginning of the Practicum, “the phase on their formation in which they will be spending time first at their parish, and then to another parish, practicing the different sacraments that permanent deacons are able to perform in the Church,” said Father Eleazar Silva, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Salt Lake City, who is the director of academics for the diaconate formation program.

Deacon Drew Petersen is the program’s overall director.

The permanent diaconate is an ordained ministry. Deacons perform various sacramental functions such as weddings (without a Mass), funerals and baptisms; they also assist at the Eucharistic liturgy. Unlike transitional deacons, who typically are men destined for the priesthood and therefore are celibate, permanent deacons may be married; their wives are encouraged to attend the training classes with their husbands. 

Serving as a deacon is a vocation, Fr. Silva said. “Out of these 19 Catholic men, all are Spanish speaking, but three of them are not Hispanic, they are Anglo. They are willing to be formed and trained in Spanish.”

Many of the men were born in the United States, but others are natives of Mexico, Peru and Venezuela; all of them now live in Utah.

“”We have a very inclusive class, a very diverse group, with different backgrounds and different kinds of professions,” said Deacon Petersen.

In April, the men in the class will be instituted as lectors. During that ceremony, they will ask Bishop Wester to accept them for the ministry; they also will receive an alb, which they will be obliged to wear when proclaiming the readings at Mass, Fr. Silva said.

Father Silva also explained that the Code of Canon Law requires diaconate candidates to have received and have exercised for an appropriate time the ministry  of lector and then served as an acolyte, before they are ordained as deacons.

“So this [upcoming year] is a period of practice. This doesn’t mean that you are going to be performing sacraments. … It’s more observing, so you can have practice. You are going to practice doing baptisms, doing marriages and doing visits to the hospitals, [as well as] service in your parishes. Make sure you are there and participating,” Deacon Petersen told the candidates.

The diaconate formation classes meet a couple of times a month and each candidate is expected to be active in his parish; they are scheduled to be ordained in 2017.

Those preparing to be ordained as permanent deacons for the Diocese of Salt Lake City are:

+ Jose A. (Aurora) Becerra-Bejar/Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, Orem

 + Sergio (Nelly) Burga/Saints Peter and Paul Parish, West Valley City

 + Constantino (Martha) Campos/Saints Peter and Paul Parish, West Valley City

 + Daniel (Victoria) Carrillo/San Felipe Parish, Wendover 

+ Carlos (Maribel) Cortez/Saints Peter and Paul Parish, West Valley City

+ John (Gracemarie) Goette/Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, Orem

 + Kent Lowe/Cathedral of the Madeleine Parish, SLC

 + Gerado (Carmen) Marrufo/Cathedral of the Madeleine Parish, SLC

 + Carlos (Teresa) Mendez/Saint George Parish, Saint George

 + Guillermo (Socorro) Mendez-Lopez/Saint Andrew Parish, Riverton

 + Joaquin (Erika) Mixco/Saint Catherine of Siena/Newman Center, SLC

 + Fernando (Hirais) Montaño/Saint Elizabeth Parish, Richfield

 + James David (Julie) Nelson/Saint John the Baptist Parish, Draper

 + Duane (Karla) Padilla/Saint Andrew Parish, Riverton

 + Julio (Ana) Palomino/Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, Orem

 + Odilon (Maria) Ricardez/Saint Joseph Parish, Ogden

 + Howard (Tooky) Schuyler/Saint Florence Mission, Huntsville

 + Vicente (Aurora) Vazquez/Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, Orem

 + Bernardo (Zulma) Villar/Saint Rose of Lima Parish, Layton