Spanish-speaking diaconate class preparing for ordination

Friday, Sep. 16, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY —  The 16 candidates in the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s first Spanish-speaking diaconate formation class  have entered their last phase of training.

The men  began the formation class four years ago and are scheduled to be ordained in January.

With the guidance of Deacon Drew Petersen, who oversees the diocese’s Deacon Program; and Father Eleazar Silva, the director of academics for the diaconate formation program, the candidates have grown spiritually, and are theologically preparing themselves for diaconate service in the diocese.

“This is a ministry that I have always dreamed about,” said Carlos Cortez, a candidate from Saints Peter and Paul Parish.

One of Cortez’s most treasured inspirations in this journey through the program has been Mother Teresa of Kolkata.

“One of the sayings that she used that has touched me the most is that one of ‘I want to be the pencil in the hands of our Lord so He can write with me his history,’ and that’s exactly what I want to do:  serve God wherever He decides that I need to be,” said Cortez.

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

The diaconate formation classes meet a couple of times a month, and each candidate is 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 Guillermo Mendez of St. Andrew Parish.

For him, this journey has been as if God has given him his hand and walked with him on the diaconate formation path, he said.

“He has taught us how to balance everything. We have Jesus as our best example of service and that’s my expectation, to be able to serve the people through his son Jesus Christ, and always be faithful to our bishop,” said Mendez.

Some of the candidates have traveled long distances to attend the formation classes. For example, Carlos Cortez,  said that driving all those miles from St. George over and over has been a blessing.

“This experience has taught me to appreciate more the teachings and the learnings (of the class), and at the same time to understand better how much God loves us,” said Cortez.

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

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

+ 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

+ 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

+ 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