Diaconate Class of 1997 marks its 15th anniversary

Intermountain Catholic

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Deacon Héctor and Vita Mota

SALT LAKE CITY — Sixteen men ordained into the diaconate formation program by Bishop George Niederauer in the Cathedral of the Madeleine in 1997 will mark their 15th anniversary Nov. 30.

Of the original class members, two are deceased and five have moved out of state. The deacons who are still active in the Diocese of Salt Lake City are Mark Allan Bourget, Michael Bulson, Richard Huffman, Phillip O. Johansson, Sefo Manu, Andrew C. Montoya, Hector Mota, Mario A. Rodriguez and Rubel J. Salaz.

While the diaconate had its origins in the early Church and flourished during the first four centuries, it went into decline until the Second Vatican Council restored the diaconate as a permanent ministry in the Church "primarily to restore the Church to the full complement of active apostolic ministries, and secondarily to more fully serve the needs of the people," said Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. "I think it is most important to remember that the diaconate has its own unique and special charism and purpose in the Church – the ministry of service. It is not just a way to help fill in for a temporary shortage of priestly vocations."

Deacons direct the Church’s service to the laity. They proclaim the Gospel, preach, voice the needs of the people in the general intercessions, assist in the presentation of the gifts, and distribute Communion. The deacon can also perform baptisms, witness marriages, bring Viaticum to the dying and preside over funerals and burials. In addition, he can preside over liturgies of the Word, lead non-sacramental reconciliation services and administer certain sacramentals.

Mark Bourget of the Class of 1997 has been a deacon at Saint George Parish for 13 years. He celebrates Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest services at Zion National Park from Palm Sunday through October, ministers to the incarcerated at Purgatory Prison in Washington County, and is on call with the St. George City Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

"In these situations, people know that whatever we talk about will remain confidential," said Deacon Bourget. "Sometimes that first step in healing is gaining trust and talking to someone with an attentive ear. My job is to help the incarcerated be able to adapt to society when they are released. It’s nice in such a thankless job to see an inmate cross the street just to shake my hand. That’s the reward of it all: to see them breathing in freedom and realizing they don’t want to go back through that revolving door."

For Hector Mota of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish ,the road to the diaconate started when he moved to Utah from California in 1979. He grew up in a family who had a belief in God but didn’t attend church, he said. He and his wife, Vita, started going to church once they moved to Utah and got involved in catechism at Saint Patrick Parish, he said.

Years later Father Hernando Diaz at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish asked Mota to consider the diaconate. "I thought it would be a good way to learn more about my faith," said Mota, who also has a prison ministry.

Deacon Mike Bulson, another transplant to Utah, arrived 34 years ago. He is at Saint Andrew Parish in Riverton and moved there three years ago after being a member and deacon at Saint Joseph Parish in Ogden for many years.

"Being a deacon has been very meaningful and it puts me in a position where I can serve in the capacities that I otherwise could not, especially preaching," he said. "I’ve been called upon in the diocesan capacity and have served on the environment and liturgical commissions and Stewardship Council and I see those roles as a continuation of what began when I first converted at 18 and really fell in love with the Church."

Deacon Bulson grew up a Lutheran in North Dakota and converted to Catholicism after being introduced to the Church by some friends. "I really had a devotion to Mary," he said. "As a result of my conversion, I went to Carroll College, a Catholic college in Helena, Mont. instead of the University of Montana."

While working in a law firm in New York City, "I had a further conversion there working with low income people," he said. "There was a job offer in Utah that was centered around social justice issues and representing the marginalized."

The seed was planted to become a deacon after he worked with Deacon Doug Sliger and Father Thomas Kaiser to keep open the St. Ann Center, a homeless shelter in Ogden, he said. "I saw how Deacon Sliger was able to do a lot in terms of social justice as well as his religious role."

After ordination, Deacon Bulson discovered he was called to preach and to teach, he said. Paulist Press has published three books of his homilies.