“Become fire!” We are looking for men who are not half-hearted but whole-hearted, willing to lay down their lives for others…. We need men who actually believe that sainthood is possible… We need men burning with ardent and gentle zeal …. We need men who understand that a vocation to priesthood begins at the burning bush, before the majesty of God himself.” Are you that man?
The
Rite of Admission to Candidacy is a pivotal step in the journey to the ordained
priesthood. It is celebrated when a seminarian has reached a maturity of
purpose in his formation and has demonstrated the necessary qualifications for ordination. In
the presence of the bishop, he publicly expresses his intention to complete his
preparation for Holy Orders and his resolve to fully invest himself to that
end, so that he will serve Christ and the Church faithfully.
Lukas Gruber is pictured with The Most Reverend Robert Brennan, Bishop of Columbus and Vice-Chancellor of the Josephinum, and Father Steven Beseau, President/Rector of the Josephinum.
Another step along the way toward ordination for both priests and deacons is the installation as lector and acolyte. In most dioceses around the world, seminarians are the only men formally installed as lectors and acolytes.
Lector
The bishop’s instruction
tells them, “You will proclaim the word in the liturgical assembly, instruct
children and adults in the faith and prepare them to receive the sacraments
worthily. You will bring the message of salvation to those who have not yet
received it.”
Acolyte
When instituting
acolytes, the bishop tells them, “You will have a special role in the church’s
ministry. The summit and source of the church’s life is the Eucharist, which
builds up the Christian community and makes it grow.” The instruction notes
that they serve priests and deacons at the altar and also distribute Communion
at Mass and to the sick.
Seminarian Leagon Carlin is installed as lector and acolyte by Bishop LaValley.
Prior to ordination to diaconate or priesthood, the candidate must make his Profession of Faith and take his Oath of Fidelity.
Leagon Carlin recites his Profession of Faith, using the words from the Creed. Bishop LaValley witnesses this.
Leagon Carlin takes his Oath of Fidelity. Leagon will be ordained a transitional deacon in October when his father is ordained a permanent deacon.
An essential part of the summer workshop is prayer. Here, Father Carrara leads a Holy Hour with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
Vocation Director, Father Christopher Carrara, speaks to the recent graduates from the Pontifical College Josephinem.
In 1968 Pope Paul VI, as a result of the Second Vatican Council, reinstituted the office of Permanent Deacon within the hierarchy of the Church. Since that time, more than 17,000 Permanent Deacons have been ordained to service within the Catholic
Church in the United States. Within the Diocese of Ogdensburg today, there are 91 such men serving the needs of God’s people.
The formation program for diaconate begins with the Formation For Ministry
program, a two-year program leading to being commissioned as a lay minister for work in the parish. If a man feels called to become a deacon, there are an additional four years of study and spiritual formation leading to ordination.
Do
you have a sense that God may be calling you to this special ministry? Start by visiting with your pastor. He can lead you through the discernment process. For more information, you can contact the Director of Deacon Formation: Monsignor Robert Aucoin at msgraucoin@gmail.com
"What is marriage? It is a true and authentic vocation, as are the priesthood and the religious life. Two Christians who marry have recognized the call of the Lord in their own love story, the vocation to form one flesh and one life from two, male and female." (Pope Francis, Meeting with the Young People of Umbria, October 4, 2013)
A question that confronts us: Are couples really prepared for marriage and the life that follows it?
The three stages of marriage preparation – remote, proximate, and immediate . According to St. John Paul II's exhortation Familiaris Consortio, marriage preparation is to be seen and put into practice as a gradual and continuous process beginning with the family, the domestic church.
