Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Ordination as Deacons to be celebrated for five men in program

Intermountain Catholic

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In the Catholic Church, the stole is a badge of the diaconal and priestly orders. Deacons wear the stole diagonally, with it resting on the left shoulder, crossing the breast and falling to the right side. Priests wear the stole across both shoulders.

SALT LAKE CITY — Five Diocese of Salt Lake City men will take the first ritual step toward becoming deacons during the Feb. 3 celebration of the Rite of Admission to Candidacy at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

Over the years, the diocese has seen several classes of deacons. The most recent was a year ago, when 15 Spanish-speaking men were ordained for service in the diocese. The current class differs in one respect: All of its participants are certified lay ecclesial ministers, having completed a four-year formation course with a curriculum that included many of the topics covered by the diaconate program. Therefore, their training will be accelerated; their ordination is anticipated to occur in three years, rather than four, said Deacon Drew Petersen, director of diaconate formation for the diocese.

The process for the accelerated diaconal program began with interviews of potential candidates a year ago. Seven men who had completed the lay ecclesial ministry formation program had expressed an interest in becoming deacons, but only five submitted applications, Deacon Petersen said.

Among the candidates are Jeffrey Allen and Tom Devereux, who both said they felt a call to become deacons even before entering the lay ecclesial ministry formation program.

Allen found that the LEM program helped deepen his faith and led him to find a calling working with the sick, he said; he has also completed the chaplaincy training program at St. Mark’s Hospital. At St. Vincent de Paul Parish, he is a member of the RCIA team, the Knights of Columbus, the parish council and serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and lector.

“For me, I feel like I’m being called by God and this is what he wants from me,” he said.

Devereux followed a similar path. With the LEM certification completed, he began volunteering as a chaplain at Ogden Regional Hospital as well as conducting adult faith formation and serving as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and lector at St. Mary Parish. However, he has felt called to preach and teach, “things that deacons do,” he said.

Allen, Devereux and the other three men began the diaconal aspirancy period in April. Since then, they have had classes with an emphasis on spirituality and prayer as well as homiletics. Some theology also was covered, but not as heavily as in a typical diaconate formation program because the assumption is that the men were taught that in the lay ecclesial ministry formation program, Deacon Petersen said.   

The Feb. 3 rite will be the first in a series; as their formation continues the men will be instituted as lectors and acolytes before being ordained, said Fr. Eleazar Silva, director of academics for the diaconate formation program. 

Deacons are one three major orders of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and they serve “to enrich the Body of Christ and help the Body of Christ grow,” Fr. Silva said.

Deacons may officiate at baptisms, weddings and funerals, read the Gospel and preach at Mass, and help with the canonical process for marriage and baptism.

A number of other men have expressed an interest in becoming deacons, but the next class likely will not start until after this class is ordained in 2020, Deacon Peterson said.

The five candidates and their wives are Jeffery and Mindi Allen, St. Vincent de Paul Parish; Jeremy and Melissa Castellano, St. Joseph the Worker Parish; Robert and Rocio Cowlishaw, St. Francis Xavier Parish; Thomas and Maria Devereux, St. Mary Parish; Gregory and Teri Werking, St. Thomas More Parish.

WHAT: Admission to Candidacy for the Order of Deacons

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 3, 10 a.m. to noon

WHERE: Cathedral of the Madeleine, 309 E. South Temple, SLC

All are invited.