ST. JOHN – “We're not the Messiah, but we are God’s co-workers in His vineyard,” said Bishop Robert J. McClory during his Deacon Jubilee Mass homily at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church on Sept. 2.
As he spoke to those ordained to the diaconate and the five diaconate candidates who were to be instituted acolytes that night, the bishop stressed how they are to be “ever faithful in pointing people not to ourselves, but to the one savior, Jesus Christ… becoming vessels of the Lord in communicating His love, His truth, the reality of the Gospel, and introducing people to Jesus Christ.”
“We are doing our part to plant, to water, but it's all God's seed. We're co-workers tending to this beautiful garden and field that the Lord has laid before us…and only God who causes the growth,” he remarked.
Twenty-two jubilarians, with a total of 457 years of service, were honored this year. There were (5 years of service) Deacon Estaban Carattini, Deacon Michael L. Cummings, Deacon Barry Cummins, Deacon Mikinson Henry, Deacon Javier Patino, Deacon Paul Progar, and Deacon Peter Znika Jr.; (15 years of service) Deacon Edwin J. Bodley, Deacon Duane W. Dedelow, Deacon Michael J. Green, Deacon David J Kapala, KHS, Deacon Jim F. Knopf, Deacon Thomas R. Kubik, Deacon Jeffery L. Newburn, and Deacon Ronald J. Pyle; (42 years of service) Deacon Sherman Brown, Deacon Nicholas Jurasevich, and Deacon Joseph Manchak; (44 years of service) Deacon Martin J. Denkhoff, Deacon Gregory G. Fabian, Deacon Robert E. Gill, and Deacon William E. Jones.
Two deacons who passed away during the past year, Deacon Robert Bucheit (44 years of service) and Deacon Edward J. Shultz (16 years of service), were also honored.
Five diaconate candidates were instituted as acolytes during the Mass, including Jay Boby, Bruce Garwood, Uriel Martinez, Dan Mills and Manuel Pena.
The acolyte is instituted for service at the altar and to assist the priest and deacon. It is his place principally to prepare the altar and the sacred vessels and, if necessary, to distribute the Eucharist to the faithful as an extraordinary minister.
As the men gathered in front of the bishop, he offered a prayer of blessing over them. “Grant that they may be faithful in the service of your altar and in giving to others the bread of life, that they may always grow in faith and love and so build up your church.’ ‘And that's who we are, particularly as deacons, servants. Servants who minister to the Lord's people, servants who serve at the altar, proclaim God's Word, but servants more than anything else,” said Bishop McClory.
The two veterans of the group, Deacon Fabian and Deacon Jones, admitted time has caught up with them physically over the 44 years of service, but hints of childlike banter haven’t gone away.
When asked to give his name, Deacon Fabian didn’t pause when he replied, “Deacon Gregory the Great Fabulous Fabian.” Even though they’re celebrating the same jubilee year, Deacon Fabian joked that he’s the senior deacon by about five minutes, the time it took the bishop to get from Fabian to Jones during the laying on of the hands at ordination.
“The people. Whether it's a ministry or within the parish itself, it's the people. That's all I can say. I love being with the people,” said Fabian, as he described why he loves being a deacon for all those years.
He explained that within the people he serves, he sees the possibility of love. “That they can love back as the Lord loves. It makes me feel great. And I hope I make them feel good too.”
For Jones, much of his ministry was spent with youth, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, as well as teen encounters. He credits it for keeping him young but also reminds him time doesn’t stand still. “44 years later, I'm still up walking. I figured that must have kept me young because of the kids. But, yeah, every now and then, some 50-year-old will come up to me and say, ‘Hey, remember this?’ And I'm thinking that you were only about that tall back then. Time flies by pretty quickly,” said Jones.
Deacon Znika considers himself a toddler deacon of the group, although his family refers to him as Papa Deacon, and looks back at his past five years as a “beautiful time” of servanthood.
He explains that being a deacon has permeated every aspect of his life, including being a landlord. Recently, he assisted a tenant whose air conditioning went out during the extremely hot weather. “I'm doing that not so much as a landlord as I am doing it as a deacon serving my tenant. So, it truly goes beyond the walls of the church,” said Znika.
“There’s a lot of wisdom in that one room,” said Mills, who was one of the five instituted as an acolyte. “If I had more time tonight, I would have loved to have just heard stories and picked brains from a few more deacons just so I can learn from the people that have come before me, certain situations and what they did or how they handled it or maybe something they said or what they were thinking. Maybe when I'm, God willing, a deacon in 40 years, I can pass some of that along.”
Mills can’t believe how fast time has gone by and is looking forward to ordination in 2027. For the time being, he will be an acolyte at his parish, St. James in Highland.
“I'm ready to go in and get started. I want to go headfirst into the deep water. So, let's go,” exclaimed Mills.
Garwood and Mills admitted they were a little nervous serving their first Mass as acolytes, but credited Father Marty Dobrzynski and Deacon Mike Halas, who guided the newly instituted acolytes.
Garwood shared, “I always loved going to Mass. But being up there and being involved and being a part of it was exciting. It was nice as a brotherhood to actually do that together.”
Deacon Martin Brown, with over 17 years serving as a deacon, offered sound advice to the five candidates.
“Just enjoy the ride, because the ride is worth it. Life after ordination is all about what the Holy Spirit does with you. Grab on and hold on because you're in for the ride of your life,” said Brown with a big grin.
Caption: Bishop Robert J. McClory hands a ciborium to diaconate candidate Manuel Pena as Father Marty Dobrzynski holds the book during the Deacon Jubilee Mass that also included the Rite of Acolyte for the five diaconate candidates. (Deacon Bob Wellinski photo)
