Meet Dcn. Isaac Longworth, a transitional deacon for the Companions of the Cross (Home parish: Holy Trinity Parish, Woodstock, Ontario), who will be ordained a priest later this year.
What was the highlight of your time at Sacred Heart Major Seminary?
My highlight of this time was the friendships I made with fellow students, both seminarian and lay. I’ve met so many great people during my years in Detroit, and though I’m excited to move on to wherever God sends me. I will definitely miss the friends I leave behind in Michigan.
What has been one or two highlights of your time serving as a transitional deacon?
I love preaching homilies, because it’s an opportunity to really open up the Word of God, deliver a message that will bless the congregation, and lead them closer to the Lord. So many people don’t find that the Scriptures are relevant to their lives, and I love the challenge of bringing the wisdom of the Bible to bear on the problems that people are experiencing in their own lives.
How are you preparing for your priestly ordination?
There’s always temptations to get bogged down in all the busyness of this last semester. Final exams, invitations, reception plans, planning moves, and the like can all be a huge time commitment. But I need to remember that my prayer life with the Lord is the most important priority, because it is only out of that place of relationship with him that I will stay in peace through it all. I need to keep reminding myself that I am the son of my heavenly Father, and that, even though I’m not worthy of priesthood and I’m going to make lots of mistakes going forwards, He has called me for himself, and will give me the grace to keep saying yes to him.
What kind of priest do you want to be?
I want to be a priest who makes Jesus famous. Jesus wants to save people through the proclamation of the Gospel, heal them from their physical and spiritual wounds, and transform them into saints through his grace poured out in the sacraments. As a priest, I will be able to be a minister of that mercy and healing to people, and bring them into an encounter with the living God. If I can do that for my whole life, die and be forgotten, then I will be happy. It’s all about Jesus, and he should get all the glory.
What are you looking forward to after being ordained?
Honestly, I’m so excited to be done with school and actually get into the work of priesthood. I can’t wait to dive into all that priestly life involves, things like sacramental ministry, preaching, organizing evangelization outreaches at my parish, and leading my parish into a missionary outpost to build up disciples and bring salvation to the lost.
Please join us in praying for Deacon Isaac Longworth, CC, during his final months of preparation leading up to his ordination.