On Saturday, August 10, the Feast of Saint Lawrence, nine permanent deacons for the Diocese of Columbus were ordained by Bishop Earl Fernandes during a Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral of Columbus.
The newly ordained include Deacons Michael Berger, David Collinsworth, David Fesenmyer, Louis Griffith, Robert Lancia, Matthew Paulus, Fidel Pitones, Matthew Shaw and Christopher Spiese.
The deacons were assigned to the following parishes: Deacon Berger, Reynoldsburg St. Pius X; Deacon Collinsworth, Westerville St. Paul the Apostle; Deacon Fesenmyer, New Albany Church of the Resurrection; Deacon Griffith, Columbus Our Lady of Peace; Deacon Lancia, Columbus Our Lady of Perpetual Help with ministry to Columbus St. Stephen the Martyr; Deacon Paulus, Delaware St. Mary; Deacon Pitones, Columbus St. Peter and St. Joan of Arc; Deacon Shaw, Logan St. John the Evangelist; Deacon Spiese, Our Lady Parish, Immaculate Conception in Ada Our Lady of Lourdes and Kenton Immaculate Conception.
The new deacons are the first permanent deacons ordained for the diocese since November 2020. Normally, a new class is ordained in the diocese every four years.
The deacons were accompanied to the ordination by their wives and families. Several priests were present to celebrate the Mass together. Deacons serving in the diocese, ordained religious and many lay believers were also present.
Also present was Bishop Joseph Raja Rao Thelegathoti of the Diocese of Vijayawada in India. He was appointed Bishop of Vijayawada by Pope Francis in 2015. The diocese is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on the east coast of the country.
The ordination rite began after the reading of the Gospel and before the homily. The candidates presented themselves to Bishop Fernandes.
Father William Hahn, vicar general of the diocese and director of priestly life and vocations, testified that the men were ready for ministry. The bishop then officially elected them to the diaconate.
In his homily, Bishop Fernandes stressed that although the diaconate is a noble rank, it is also one of charity and service. He said candidates must imitate Christ, who came not to be served but to serve.
“He has clothed you with the garments of salvation; He has wrapped you in the garment of righteousness or justice,” the bishop told the men. “Yet, as disciples and priests, you are called to go beyond justice and turn to charity.”
Bishop Fernandes reflected on Saint Lawrence, a deacon and martyr of the early Church. He told the men that they must be like the great saint who preached not only through words but also through deeds.
“The Church today needs men of integrity, men to whom people can entrust their conscience, but in a special way the Church needs men who are close to the poor, people like Saint Lawrence, whom the Church today honours: ‘Blessed is the man who is gracious and lends to the needy,'” he said.
Saint Lawrence was roasted alive and martyred, noted Bishop Fernandes. As deacons, he told the candidates before him that they too were called to bear witness to Christ, whether through bloody martyrdom or some other form of testimony.
He also paid tribute to Saint Stephen, the first martyr and one of the first seven deacons chosen by the twelve apostles to support the mission of the Church.
“They must be like those once chosen by the apostles for the service of charity: men of good reputation, filled with wisdom and the Holy Spirit, men like Stephen, men like Lawrence, ready to give their lives as a witness to the crucified and risen Lord,” he said.
After the homily, the bishop questioned the elect about their determination to accept and faithfully exercise the office to which they were to be ordained. The candidates were also questioned about their willingness to serve the Church in union with Christ.
They answered a series of questions: “Yes.”
They knelt before Bishop Fernandes and promised respect and obedience to the diocesan bishop and his successors.
The candidates then lay stretched out on the floor in front of the altar while the supplication litany was sung. The cantor, together with the congregation, invoked the intercession of the saints.
After the litany, the men were officially ordained deacons by the laying on of hands by the bishop. In an ancient apostolic ordination gesture, Bishop Fernandes placed his hands on the head of each candidate and invoked the Holy Spirit.
The ceremony was concluded with a prayer of consecration, which ordains men to serve in holy orders. The candidates entered the clergy from the lay state of the Church through the conferral of the sacrament. The diaconate is the only clergy state open to married men.
The newly ordained deacons were clothed with the deacon’s stole, a sign of his office, and the dalmatic, a liturgical vestment worn by deacons. Each newly ordained deacon then received the Gospel Book, symbolizing his responsibility to proclaim God’s Word.
During the fraternal kiss of peace, Bishop Fernandes gave each new deacon a greeting of peace. This gesture is a sign that they are collaborators in the service of the Church. This gesture concludes the ordination rite.
All the deacons present came forward to give a sign of peace to the newly ordained priest. The Mass then continued with the liturgy of the Eucharist.
Deacon Paulus, who is married to Mary and has six children, has had the privilege of getting to know many deacons in the diocese over the past 25 years, which was a key influence on his decision to pursue the diaconate, he said.
“In these men, I saw the ministry of the Church being carried out in many different ways. Some cared for the poor, others were gifted preachers, others were skilled medical practitioners, and still others were amazing evangelists. The common denominator was their absolute desire to serve Christ’s beloved people,” he said. “That was very appealing to me.”
With his background in education and training as a nurse, he said he is “naturally inclined” to teach and care for those who are suffering. He also has a passion for helping couples strengthen their marriages through faith, and he hopes to serve the Church in that way.
Deacon Paulus originally aspired to the diaconate in 2015. The process took a long time. He said he learned trust and obedience in the process.
“I always viewed my calling to the diaconate as a process that God was asking me to reflect on, not something I was entitled to or guaranteed,” he said. “I had to learn to trust.”
Deacon Berger, who is married to Megan and has three children, also viewed the diaconate as a gift.
“It is clear to me that the call to holy orders is not a crown for the righteous, but rather a lifeline that helps me in my spiritual weakness on the path to holiness,” he said. “It is a gift from Jesus the Servant to me.”
Deacon Berger said he hopes the Holy Spirit will continue to transform him into a “gift of self” for others. A calling from the Lord led him to the diaconal ministry.
“I wasn’t trying to become a deacon, but God called me to it,” he said. “After much prayer, reflection and conversation with my wife, I felt that if God was really calling me to this profession, there was no way I could turn down this incredible invitation.”
Throughout his formation, he said, consistent spiritual direction, praying the Liturgy of the Hours twice a day – at least once with his wife -, reading the Scriptures every morning and dialogue with God through them, and praying daily for a growing number of people who ask him for intercession helped him “to focus not on myself but on others.”
Deacon Shaw, who is married to Christine and has five children, said he looks forward to working with his parish priest on evangelization efforts and leading others closer to Christ.
Since he began his diaconate career, he has been influenced by studying the Word of God, reading the lives of saints, praying, and interacting with other diaconate candidates and clergy throughout the diocese.
“All of these conscious actions that came out of the formation process contributed to my faith,” he said. “I think it’s safe to say that they rubbed off a little on my wife and children as well. Following the calling was another blessing.”
