Detroit ─ Bishop Edward M. Lohse of Kalamazoo served as the principal celebrant at a Mass for the institution of eight seminarians as lectors and acolytes at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit on Friday, Oct. 30.
Bishop Lohse welcomed the seminarians’ friends and family, visiting priests, friends of the seminary to the chapel, as well as the men who were guests of Sacred Heart on a discernment retreat.
As defined by Pope St. Paul VI in his 1972 apostolic letter, Ministeria Quaedam, the lay ministries of lector and acolyte are important steps on the path to priesthood. In 1983, canon law established that a seminarian must serve as a lector, then an acolyte, before being ordained to the transitional diaconate.
Although the ministries of lectors, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers and sacristans are open to all lay people, installation as a lector or acolyte for seminarians indicates a deepening commitment in their discernment, both liturgically and pastorally.
Five Discipleship II seminarians were installed as lectors and will now serve as ministers of the Word. The men will read Scripture at Masses – except for the Gospel – a role reserved for deacons and priests.
Bishop Lohse also installed three Discipleship III seminarians as acolytes, who will prepare the altar before Masses, assist at the altar during the liturgy, and distribute the Eucharist.
Bishop Lohse reflected in his homily on the Gospel reading from St. Luke, in which Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath at the home of a Pharisee; choosing between following the law or showing compassion would have been a challenge for Pharisees present at the dinner, the bishop said.
“They all just sat there in silence, pondering the question, ‘What is more important here, my friend or the law?’” Bishop Lohse explained. “For us, the general principle is clear: compassion always comes first. As stated in the last line of Canon Law, the salvation of souls is always the highest call.”
To stay true to this principle, Bishop Lohse suggested following the lead of the dinner guests who were watching Jesus closely. Some were watching Jesus to trap him, but some were observing him for other reasons.
“Some of them were genuinely curious about this rabbi from Nazareth, wanting to know more about him and wondering what he might do in this dilemma,” Bishop Lohse said.
Bishop Lohse shared a lesson from the reading with the men about to be installed as lectors and acolytes: Watch and observe the Master. Study Him. Seek Him out. Learn from Him in order to become better disciples and a more perfect reflection of His presence in the world.
Addressing the lectors, Bishop Lohse instructed them to study the Scriptures with renewed focus.
“As you proclaim the Scriptures in the liturgy, as you catechize both young and old alike, as you bring your message of salvation to those who have not yet received it, you will not only be helping others to know the Lord, you will be encountering Him yourselves – watching, studying, observing the Master who will instruct you in the path of discipleship,” said Bishop Lohse.
To the acolytes, Bishop Lohse exhorted them to meditate on the self-emptying heart of Jesus, especially at the seminary named after Jesus’ Sacred Heart.
“As you assist priests and deacons and bring the Eucharist to God’s people, learn to imitate the very sacrifice you serve,” Bishop Lohse said. “Understand the mystery you will handle and imitate it in your own life.”
In closing, Bishop Lohse highlighted St. Paul’s words from the first reading for the Mass in Philippians 1:1-11.
“Brothers…making our own the words of St. Paul in tonight’s first reading, all of us here tonight can happily say that we are confident that the Lord who has begun the good work in you will bring it to completion,” he concluded.
Following the homily, the lector candidates knelt individually before the bishop, holding a lectionary and received the liturgical rite. A paten was placed in the acolytes’ hands as the bishop prayed the blessing over them.
Before the Mass ended, Fr. Kevin G. Creagh, CM, Ed.D., rector and president of Sacred Heart, thanked Bishop Lohse for being there. He congratulated the new lectors and acolytes, thanking them for their “Yes” to the Lord. Fr. Creagh also expressed his gratitude for the family and friends of the men for supporting the seminarians and for cultivating and nurturing their vocation.
Lectors
The following Configuration II seminarians were installed in the ministry of lector:
- Andrew James Feister (Diocese of Gaylord)
- Bro. Nicholas Robert Judge, SOLT (Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity)
- Michael Joseph Kuehne (Diocese of Saginaw)
- Jake Edward Rapanotti (Archdiocese of Detroit)
- Brendan John Tabone (Archdiocese of Detroit)
Acolytes
The following Configuration III seminarians were installed in the ministry of acolyte:
- Mason Gregory Abbott (Diocese of Lansing)
- Jonathan James Galvas (Diocese of Lansing)
- Logan Matthew Scott (Diocese of Kalamazoo)