New permanent deacons exhorted to 'become the good news'
Underscoring the call to be “gentle, humble, strong and wise” in their ministries, Archbishop George H. Niederauer exhorted the five men being ordained permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 29 to internalize that “what you do as deacons – your personal manner, and the way you do it – will both show forth Christ, the good shepherd.”
“Before you can proclaim the Good News to anyone, you must become good news for them,” the Archbishop said during his homily at St. Mary’s Cathedral, adding: “Being good news and proclaiming the good news are two sides of the same coin. You can have both or neither, but not just one.”
The five men ordained were Rafeal E. Brown, Michael F. Curran, Richard B. Grant, Wilfredo E. Sevilla and Simon Sai-K Tsui.
During the ordination rite the Archbishop addressed and confirmed each of the deacons’ wives willingness to join their husbands in service – Lynn Song, wife of Deacon Brown; Katherina Law, wife of Deacon Tsui; Gloria Sevilla, and Claire Carter Grant. Deacon Curran is a widower.
“For you deacons it will be from your living of the sacrament of marriage that so much of your spiritual experience and strength will come, for cooperating with the graces of this new sacrament of holy orders,” the Archbishop said in his homily. “Your wives in particular have shared this journey of vocation with you, and will continue to do so now.”
The Archbishop said it was fitting the ordination took place on the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul, the day the universal Church began a “Year of St. Paul.” “The sense of vocation pervades the lives of these two great Apostles,” he said.
One of the Mass readings was proclaimed in Chinese, the native language of Deacon Tsui.
“The differences among you reflect the many differences within the Catholic community of San Francisco,” the Archbishop said. “Your diversity of cultures, languages, experience and backgrounds enrich the ministry of our Archdiocese.” The five comprise the seventh group of permanent deacons to be ordained for the Archdiocese since the Church reinstituted the ministry in 1967. They bring to 85 the number of permanent deacons actively serving in the Archdiocese, said Deacon Leon Kortenkamp, archdiocesan director of Diaconate Ministry and Life.
“It has been a pleasure getting to know these men and their wives while they were in the diaconate formation program,” said Deacon Kortenkamp. “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to them on the joyous occasion of their ordination. Their gifted dedication to ministry as deacons and as married couples is a profound example and a deep blessing for the people of the Archdiocese.” There are currently 14 aspirants in a formation class scheduled for ordination in 2012, according to Deacon Ed Cunningham, archdiocesan director of Deacon Formation.
“If it is true that a sacrament is a visible sign in the life of the Church by which Christ becomes present in our lives and acts in our lives,” said Deacon Cunningham, “then by his ordination a deacon is charged to bring Christ into his neighborhood, his parish, his workplace – wherever his life takes him. His vocation is to serve others in Christ’s name.”
Permanent deacons are canonically authorized to witness marriages, baptize, preside at funerals, preach and assist at the altar.
Earlier this week the Archdiocese announced the parish assignments for the new deacons: Deacon Brown, St. Matthew Parish, San Mateo; Deacon Curran, St. Dominic Parish, San Francisco; Deacon Grant, St. Matthew Parish, San Mateo; Deacon Sevilla, Corpus Christi Parish, San Francisco; and Deacon Tsui, Holy Family Mission, San Francisco.
(Ed note: The full text of Archbishop Niederauer’s homily as well as a slide show of the June 29 ordination Mass can be accessed on the archdiocesan website: www.sfarchdiocese.org.)
(By Dan Morris-Young)
