Diaconal Ordinations in the United States, Venezuela, and Brazil
United States
On July 8th, Mons. Leonard Blair, Bishop of the Diocese of Hartford, ordained brothers David Spillane, Adam Zettel, Andrew Tarleton, and John Klein, Legionaries of Christ, as deacons. The ordination Mass took place at the parish of St. Bridget of Sweden in Cheshire.
During the homily, Mons. Blair said: «The deacon serves as Jesus Christ, who is the “deacon” of all of us. You must preach the Gospel, and live the Gospel you preach.»
After the ordinations, a celebration was held for the guests at the Cheshire Novitiate and Humanities Center, where fathers John Klein and Adam Zettel played and sang some musical pieces. Father Adam’s father commented to those present: «When we were returning from visiting Adam, in Cheshire or wherever he was, my wife and I would say: Isn’t Adam the happiest of our children? I believe that happiness came from his sense of belonging to the Legion family, his new family, and from doing the will of God.»
Venezuela
The brothers Andrés Orellana Schiskin and Leonardo Pérez-Castilla Martín, Legionaries of Christ, were ordained deacons on July 15th. The ceremony took place at the Church of Our Lady of Cobre in Caracas and was presided over by the city’s Archbishop, His Eminence Jorge Urosa Savino. Alongside him, several Legionary priests concelebrated, including Father Julio Martí, LC, territorial director.
During his homily, Cardinal Urosa recalled Jesus’ words at the Last Supper: «No one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his friends» (Jn 15:13); and he pointed out: «They are ordained deacons “not to be served, but to serve,” in imitation of our Lord, and to participate in the prophetic and evangelizing mission of the bishops, in their mission of sanctification through the sacred liturgy, and very specifically, in the exercise of concrete charity especially towards the poor.»
More than 400 people attended the ceremony, including family members, friends, the community of priests and novice Legionaries of Caracas, consecrated persons, members of Regnum Christi, and apostolics.
Brazil
On July 22nd, Mons. Paulo José De Conto, Bishop of Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul, presided over the diaconal ordination ceremony of Fathers Antônio Lemos, Luis Fernando Bueno Costa, and Daniel Hinestroza, Legionaries of Christ, at the Sanctuary of Christ the King in Curitiba.
«The priest has the hands of Christ: hands to welcome, embrace, bless, forgive, anoint, consecrate, and send. Through the hands of the priest, Christ becomes present in the bread that becomes His Body and in the wine that becomes His Blood. Before serving at the altar of the Eucharist, the deacon must serve at the altar of the brother. And how many of these suffering, forgotten, help-needy altars are there!», said Mons. Paulo during the homily.
Additionally, on August 5th, Mons. Vicente Costa, Bishop of Jundiaí, ordained brothers Wagner Campopiano and Anderson de Oliveira, Legionaries of Christ, as deacons at the Church of Our Lady of Candelaria in Itu, São Paulo, Brazil.
