Diaconate formation continues for eight men in diocese

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Nov. 1, 2007

Eight men in the Diocese of Sioux City took another step towards being ordained a deacon on Oct. 20 through the Rites of Candidacy and Lector.

Rick Roder of St. Mary's Parish in Remsen said that like all other rites of the church receiving the Rite of Lector was very special.

"Knowing that the ministry of Bishop Nickless unites directly with the Apostles, it certainly is an awesome and humbling experience to kneel before him and receive his instructions and affirmation with our four hands joined together by the Word of God," he said. "I love the history and tradition of our faith and when you use those three words (history/tradition/faith) the Scriptures naturally come to mind."

He is a lector at St. Mary's. In receiving the Rite of Lector, he believes that "God grants me even more grace to be present to him in the word and to hopefully be an image that inspires others to be open to the grace God so deeply wants to give."

"I think we sometimes take this ministry for granted," said Roder. "God is truly present in the word, but his presence can only grace us if we are present to him in return."

The other men who received the Rite of Lector at Sacred Heart Church in Early are Bill Black of St. Cecelia's in Algona, David Brown of Sacred Heart in Boone, Bruce Chartier and David Lopez of St. Joseph's in Sioux City, Gary Schon of St. Elizabeth Seton in Glidden and Steven Twiselton of St. Boniface in Sioux City. Darwin Messerly of Sacred Heart in Boone received the Rite of Candidacy and the Rite of Lector.

The Rite of Candidacy is the official admission into the "state of proximate preparation for ordination to holy orders in the diaconate - transitional or permanent," said Lopez, director of diaconate formation for the Diocese of Sioux City.

"Candidacy means that the candidate believes and expresses a putative vocation to holy orders. The people who are responsible for his formation agree that he gives solid evidence of having that vocation to holy orders," he said. "The whole church in public says, 'This person is being designated as someone very likely to become a cleric.' They think they have a vocation, we think they have a vocation and we are telling everyone that this person probably has a vocation to holy orders."

During the years of candidacy many things happen including spiritual formation, human formation, pastoral formation and intellectual formation.

The Rite of Lector is being commissioned by the church in an official way to proclaim the word of God. Since they are not officially ordained, they will not be able to proclaim the Gospel. They can read the first and second readings, the psalm and the Gospel in other settings such as in RCIA or in the home.

"Being commissioned in that way is a function of the clergy. The next step in their training is that they will practice this responsibility, which is proper to clergy and shared by lay people," said Lopez. "This is one of the public responsibilities they will have in the church as an ordained minister. Now they begin to function in that capacity in a limited way and then after ordination they will have that experience to draw on as they begin to exercise that function in a new way - proclaiming the Gospel."

Each rite is a step in the direction of diaconate ordination.

Roder and his wife, Wendy, attended an informational meeting at Sioux City Blessed Sacrament in early 2004 and not long after that he became an aspirant.

"I do believe that everything I am currently doing flows from a vigorously renewed prayer life that God graced me with at age 40," he said. "For me, life really did begin at 40. My older sister handed me a book in November 2003 on centering prayer and everything changed. I am trying to do God's will in everything I do every day. I, of course, fail but at least now I am finding him even in the failings."

Bill Black of St. Cecelia Parish in Algona started classes in the fall of 2002, but he said the process of becoming a deacon started long before that for him.

"I look back over life and see that God has been with me every step of the way and leading me to where I am now," he said. "I had a friend, Deacon Bob Larsen, who had been planting seeds for years. The time came when they approached my wife and I to start the classes. I went to the first initial meeting and have been going ever since."

He said he has grown through the formation process and has enjoyed meeting people from around the diocese.

"It is very encouraging to see other peoples faith lived out in such a positive way," said Black. "It is a life changing event going to these classes and growing in my relationship with God."

After many trips to Early for classes, the trip on Oct. 20 was a little more exciting for Black.

"To be called forth in front of the bishop and to kneel in front of Bishop Nickless was a very humbling experience," he said. "I felt God's presence. It has led me into a deeper understanding of what is expected of a deacon."

The next rite the men will receive before being ordained to the permanent diaconate is the Rite of Acolyte. Acolytes are those who serve at the altar.

Future rites for the men in diaconate formation are being planned and will be announced.