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Four New Deacons Accept "Call to Serve"

by MOSAIC Editorial Team

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Auxiliary Bishop Francis Reiss placed his hands upon seminarians John Bettin, Andrew Dawson, Matthew Hood, and Craig Marion while quietly praying the ordination formulary. He thereby elevated the men into the Holy Order of Deacons before a chapel filled with their family members and friends on Saturday, April 16.

Ordination to the diaconate is a decisive step for a seminarian on his journey toward the priesthood. At Sacred Heart, a man entering his fourth and final year of theology receives diaconal ordination in the spring. During the ceremony, he receives the ordination's permanent imprint upon his character; accepts the liturgical vestments of alb, dalmatic, and stole; and publically commits to a life of "celibacy for the kingdom." He is a "transitional" deacon, since he will be moving on to priestly ordination the following year. (A "permanent" deacon is a man, single or married, who does not intend to become a priest.)

Deacons Bettin, Dawson, Hood, and Marion now may use the honorific prefix of "Rev. Mr." as they take up the commission to serve the Church in new ways. They can deliver homilies at the Sacred Liturgy and sing some of the liturgical chants. They can baptize children and officiate at a marriage ceremony or a funeral. They can bless religious objects such as a medal or crucifix or give a home blessing. The can preside at prayer services such as Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. What they cannot do is celebrate Mass, hear confessions, and sacramentally anoint the sick, acts reserved to a priest, or confirm, an act reserved to a bishop.

In particularly, deacons are called to active service in the community, assisting the sick and needy, visiting the imprisoned, and spreading the Faith through catechesis.

Fellow fourth-year theologian Rev. Mr. Jared Holzhuter already received diaconal ordination for the Diocese of Madison on April 1. Patrick Setto will be ordained to the diaconate on April 30 for the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle, while Diocese of Lansing theologians Joseph Campbell and Anthony Smela will be ordained on June 10.

In Acts 6:1-6, we learn it was "the Twelve," the first Apostles, who established the Order of Deacons. The Apostles needed help distributing food to widows of the Jerusalem Christian community. They laid hands on seven "reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom" to assist them.

This transfer of authority through formal ordination freed the Apostles for spiritual works, "to devote ourselves to prayer and to ministry of the word." The word deacon derives from the Greek word diakonos, which means "one who serves."

MOSAIC Editorial Team

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Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a Christ-centered Catholic community of faith and higher learning committed to forming leaders who will proclaim the good news of Christ to the people of our time. As a leading center of the New Evangelization, Sacred Heart serves the needs of the Archdiocese of Detroit and contributes to the mission of the universal Church.