Deacon candidates celebrate a ministry milestone

Eight men discerning for the permanent diaconate reached a milestone in their journey on Saturday, November 16, when they were instituted into the ministry of lector by Bishop James Ruggieri.

Lectors share the readings, other than the Gospel, at Mass and may also announce the intentions for the Universal Prayer or recite the psalm between the readings. While other laypeople may take on these roles, those instituted as lectors are called to a deeper understanding of Scripture and to a greater responsibility for sharing the word of God.

“It’s not just reading texts. You’re proclaiming the word of God, and that assumes or presumes that the word has penetrated first in your hearts. The proclamation comes from your hearts, out of your lips, to the people,” Bishop Ruggieri said. “On the day of your diaconate ordination, please God, you will receive a Book of the Gospels. It’s an essential part of the rite of ordination, but it’s also a central part of your ministry: proclamation of the word. And that begins first by living out a life that is based on the word, a life that has consumed it and continues to consume it and continues to live it out.”

The eight deacon candidates instituted as lectors are Arturo Ayala of Yarmouth, Sean Fidler of Bath, Doug Guerrette of Hampden, Peter Koch of Rumford, Stephen Ritchie of Eliot, Richard Roussel of Gorham, Adam Stearns of Skowhegan, and Timothy Winkeler of Falmouth.

“It’s a confirmation of the importance of sharing the word of God with people, to help them understand how much Christ loves them,” says Stearns.

“Being instituted as a lector is a gift. This is how I see it. It’s part of the potential call to the diaconate,” says Ayala.

“It’s a good point at which to kind of reflect on where we’ve gone, through our discernment, for the past three years, knowing there are still another two years of preparation and discernment,” says Guerrette.

“It’s a milestone in the journey,” says Koch. “It’s a step where there is a different level of trust from the bishop as to our capacity, within our parishes, to proclaim the word.”

During the Mass, which was celebrated at Sacred Heart Church in Hallowell, the bishop blessed the men and then handed each of them a Bible, saying, “Take this book of holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the word of God so that it may grow strong in the hearts of His people.”

“Particularly when I was holding the Bible, there was a sense of gravity and that I’m entrusted with something very special. There is a humbleness to it,” says Fidler. “The gravity of it, the mission of it, and the joy of it, of being able to share Christ with others, I think that’s really what it means to me.”

“All of us, I believe, are already actively reading in our parishes, but it’s a blessing to go through the formal rite and to be installed in this way. I think it brings another level of importance to evangelizing and reading the word of the Lord in Mass,” says Winkeler.

In addition to the eight men instituted as lectors, Ritchie and Roussel were also instituted as acolytes, a ministry dedicated to assisting the priest and deacon at the altar. It is another step in the formation process for those preparing for ordination, whether to the permanent diaconate or the priesthood. While the other six candidates are expected to later become acolytes, Ritchie and Roussel were instituted now so they could assist the bishop at Masses as he travels to different parts of the state.

“It’s another way to serve, another way to find out if indeed I am able to do what the Lord is asking from me,” says Ritchie.

“It’s kind of surreal,” says Roussel. “I love serving at Mass, and it is such a great blessing to be able to serve with Bishop Ruggieri.”

The deacon class, which also includes Peter Czerwinski of Readfield, who was previously instituted as both a lector and an acolyte, began formation in the spring of 2021. After initially meeting virtually due to the pandemic, the candidates and their wives have been gathering monthly for the past two years, something they describe as a blessing.

“The most powerful part of all of this is just the family that we’ve built here around this calling, around the discernment. It’s the support that we have for one another,” says Ritchie.

“Getting to know these brothers and their wives and this whole community has been the biggest blessing,” says Winkeler. “Our community is so close, and the love we have for each other is wonderful.”

“It’s just a fellowship. We share each other’s burdens, but we also share each other’s joys,” says Fidler. “There’s just a lot of warmth with the other men and the other wives. It’s wonderful.”

“We have this little family, this microcosm of the Church,” says Roussel. “These guys are brilliant. I feel so blessed to be with them, and I’ve learned so much from all of them. I think I learn more from them than I do from books some of the time.”

 “We call each other brothers now because we have been in this faith journey together. We know the challenges. We know what is expected of us right now and what might be expected of us in the future. So, we have been united,” says Ayala.

“To journey with my brothers in this process is probably one of the best experiences of my life. The ability to share a deep devotion for God and for God’s people with men who feel the same way and want to do the same thing has just been really a boost in understanding what God might be calling us to,” says Stearns.

 The candidates expressed gratitude to their wives, emphasizing that this journey wouldn’t be possible without them. They say they know there is still a long road ahead but continue to place their trust in the Lord.

“It’s the Lord who is looking after me. It doesn’t matter what I want. What matters is what He wants. So, no matter how much I want to become a deacon, if He says no, it’s no,” says Ayala.

“Whether or not ordination is the final step is not up to me, but I will continue to follow the path that God has laid in front of me,” says Koch. “I question the call every day in my prayers. Is this still the journey that I am on? But interestingly enough, every time that I am questioning, and I am feeling discouraged or unsure, there is a passage in a psalm or there’s a prayer or there is part of the homily or something that hits me.”

While it would be easy to look to the future, the bishop urged the candidates to take time to embrace the journey.

“This is a unique time in your formation and your lives,” he said. “Please don’t get too far ahead. Enjoy the moment and enjoy the opportunities.”