During a ceremony that was at times meditative and others joyful, 10 men were ordained permanent deacons Aug. 24 at St. Peter the Apostle Church in south Louisville.
Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, who ordained them, said the occasion was a “wonderful day of joy” and reminded the men, nine of whom are married, that their vocation and primary focus continues to be their wives and family.
The archbishop offered “heartfelt gratitude” to their wives, noting with mirth, “If they had not said ‘yes,’ you would not be in this church — and that’s a fact.”
The wives of deacons, while not ordained, often share in the deacons’ ministry and are expected to attend the five-year formation program alongside their husbands.
During his homily, the archbishop discussed the role of the deacon and invited the ordinands to embark on a spiritual quest.
He began by noting a long-held fascination with the chalice used by Jesus at the Last Supper, known as the Holy Grail. From medieval Crusades to the 20th-century movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” the chalice has been steeped in lore through the centuries.
The chalice is also the particular focus of the deacon during the celebration of the Eucharist, the archbishop said. Deacons prepare the chalice during the preparation of the gifts, lift it at the doxology and serve as ordinary ministers of the chalice during Communion, he explained.
Speaking to the men waiting to be ordained, he said, “I invite you to … undertake a spiritual quest, guided by the attention you will give to the chalice at Mass. In this quest, I invite you to strive to be certain that your liturgical ministry regarding the chalice will manifest itself in your life and in your service as a deacon.”
He went on to name three ways the deacon’s role at Mass can be manifested outside of Mass.
First, he noted, the deacon pours wine and a small amount of water into the chalice for the priest to consecrate as the Blood of Christ.
“As you prepare the water and the wine to be transubstantiated … to the blood of Christ at Mass, so may you desire to prepare God’s people to be transformed by an encounter with the living God through your ministry as a deacon.”
Second, he said, the deacon assists the priest at the doxology by raising the chalice when the Body and Blood of Christ are elevated and the priest declares, “Through him, with him and in him… .”
“As deacon, brothers to be ordained, you must reflect this action at the altar by a constant effort on your part, in a similar way, to lift the people of God to the love of God the Father. Lift the people of God in prayer, in the liturgy of the hours … lift the people of God to the Father by way of your words and actions.”
He asked them to support and encourage people, to accompany them and to always “err on the side of mercy.”
Finally, he said, during the distribution of Communion, the deacon is the minister of the chalice, the Blood of Christ.
“As you offer the complete real presence of Jesus to others in your ministry to the chalice at Communion, may you always be humbly also seeking to welcome the presence of Christ Jesus into your own life.”
The newly ordained are: Deacons Michael A. Schmitt, Donald P. Robbins, Douglas B. Korfhage, Jim Kramer, Craig Roberts, Joseph Jim Creely, Craig Lish, M. Kevin Webb, Christopher J. Kelly and Randy Perkins.
They have been assigned to serve in parishes around the archdiocese.
