Exactly five years to the day they received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the men in the 2020 permanent diaconate class returned to Holy Name of Jesus Church in Harrisburg on September 12 for a celebration of their ministry and a rekindling of their brotherhood.
It was a joyful occasion for the men and their wives, and one that opened up memories of their ordination day as the fourth class of deacons in the Diocese. Smiling broadly as they greeted their brother deacons, many of them recalled how their ordination took place behind the facemasks of COVID-19 restrictions, but neither then – nor now – could their joyful expressions be hidden.
“We spent five years together in preparation for ordination, endured COVID, and were actually ordained in the midst of it,” said Deacon Scott Root, who serves at St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Mechanicsburg and Trinity High School in Camp Hill.
“We formed into a brotherhood that shared much more than just education. Along with our wives and families, we prayed together, worked together, were formed together, and enjoyed each other’s company. This celebration was a reminder that while we minister in our own little corner of the Diocese, we are never alone because we have each other. Because of our formation, we understand each other in a very unique way,” he said.
The gathering on the evening of September 12 began with Evening Prayer for the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, presided over by Bishop Ronald Gainer, who ordained the group of 35 men five years ago.
In his homily, Bishop Gainer echoed many of the words he spoke during their Mass of Ordination, telling them, “September 12, 2020, during that awful time of COVID, the day was a light that shined in the darkness.”
Speaking the words he spoke five years ago, he said: “We are each a unique project of God. We each carry within ourselves a personal vocation, a calling, which brings with it an obligation to follow God’s design for our lives.”
“My brothers, your listening for God’s continuing call to you at a time in your life when, perhaps, you assumed that the course of your life was already a dream well set is something wonderful for the rest of us to admire, but more than admire, to contemplate seriously today,” he said.
“Your cooperation with God’s will and your submission to God’s call is a great and important witness to every one of us gathered here. It reminds us that the personal vocation we carry can still be further determined, progressively developed by God’s continuing call. We need always to be open to the surprises He has in store for us. We need always to take seriously the promptings from God, and we must discern them carefully,” Bishop Gainer said.
“The deacon’s ministry among us is a reminder to all of us that Christ came not to be served but to serve, and that He sent each of us to be servants after His own mind and heart… This is a full, needed and treasured ministry,” he remarked.
Evening Prayer included a series of Psalms, readings and intercessions, and concluded with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The congregation also took a moment to remember in prayer the current class of deacons who are in formation to be ordained next September.
Following the prayer service, Bishop Gainer joined the deacons and their wives for a potluck dinner in the parish social hall.
Deacon Root, who organized the prayer service and dinner, said it was a great joy to gather his brother deacons once again to celebrate their anniversary.
“It was a great honor to have Bishop Gainer join us for the celebration, as he was our ordaining Bishop. His presence was greatly appreciated by the class and allowed us to thank him for his role in our ordination,” he said.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
