Today we ordain 22 men to Holy Orders and the Order of the Deacon(Permanent). The community of deacons will be there in numbers but why? First of all that word I just used: community. Secondly, support, both spiritually and with the gift of presence. And it is a beautiful opportunity to gather as a body in our Archdiocese focal point of worship: St. Louis King of France Cathedral.
So what do we do. Yes, we vest in the vestments of the deacon including dalmatic. Just a note here, on a June morning on the riverfront of New Orleans, it is quite warm, indeed, very warm. We process in behind the acolytes(candidates) and sit together in community. We participate in the Mass and as the rite of Ordination begins, still in prayer, perhaps we reflect on our own ordination.
When the time comes, we are called forward to greet the newly ordained, and one by one, all the deacons, permanent and transitional, will embrace our new brother deacons.
We go to communion together and then, when over, we process out to begin the preparation for taking off our vestments as we go our separate ways. Over the course of this weekend and several weeks to come we may support our new deacons by being present for their first homily. And from this day forward we collaborate with these men who we now call brother in the order of the Permanent Deacon.
May God specially bless the 22 men being ordained today!
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