This year, on Saturday October 19, three Paulist Missionaries were ordained as deacons in preparation for their priesthood. These three men were David Pace (Malta), Marco Cabatuando (Philippines), and Can Tran (Vietnam). In this article Deacon David Pace mssp will share with us his experience of this new ministry.
It has now been two months since our ordination to the diaconate.
As a deacon, I have been serving during the Eucharist in our formation house, and assisting some of the Masses in the nearby Shrine of Mount Carmel in New Manila.
I have also had the privilege of presiding and performing a number of baptisms, in the Shrine’s baptistry. Being in the Philippines for my final year of theological studies, I was not expecting that this would be possible, because I thought that those who have children to be baptized would find a priest they know or the parish priest – as is the practice in Malta. Yet, welcoming children to the abode of Christ has been an unexpected blessing.
Another grace has been preaching. I always felt like I took the daily and Sunday readings seriously, trying to read insightful reflections and praying over the text. Yet, it is different when I meditate on a gospel passage with the homily for the coming Sunday in mind.
As a foreigner in Manila, there is a sense of amazement to stand at the ambo and deliver the homily with otherwise anonymous faces listening attentively to what I have to say. I feel responsible to prepare well, privileged to share my thoughts and grateful to be welcomed into people’s lives in this way.
A deacon gets to assist the presiding priest at the altar. More than the priest, it is the chalice with the Blood of Christ that a deacon prepares and lifts up for the people to respond ‘Amen’ to at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer.
As he pours the wine and water into it during the offertory, a deacon silently prays the words: “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbles himself to share in our humanity”
As a deacon, I still feel undeserving of such graces. Yet as I reflect on this time, and the approaching priesthood, I rejoice at the grace of serving the People of God in the Liturgy and sharing in the life of the Church in this way.
The ordination to the diaconate of the three Paulist Missionaries Marco Cabatuando, Can Tran and David Pace took place at the parish of St Catherine of Alexandria in Pagalanggang, Dinalupihan, Bataan. The ordaining bishop was Archbishop Socrates Villegas, a long time friend and supporter of the Missionary Society of St Paul.
For us Paulist Missionaries this ordination was a very special event as it was the first time a Paulist Missionary from the Philippines and one from Vietnam have become deacons and will soon become priests within our congregation.
Let us continue to keep them all in our prayers.