Deacon Jeffrey Merritt: 'Go all in'

DEACON JEFFREY A. MERRITT

► Age: 32

► First assignment:  St. Dominic, New Orleans

► First Mass: June 5, 11 a.m., St. Andrew the Apostle, New Orleans

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

When Deacon Jeffrey Merritt was taking a two-year hiatus from his studies at Tulane University Medical School, he began attending daily Mass at St. Dominic Church in New Orleans.

Little did he realize that just a few years later, his first priestly assignment would be at St. Dominic.

On July 1, the parish that the Dominican friars established in 1924 will be staffed for the first time by diocesan priests. The future Father Merritt will be a parochial vicar, serving with pastor Father Wayne Paysse.

“The people I’ve talked to are very excited about some new life or some new energy in the parish,” Deacon Merritt said. “They don’t want to lose their Dominican identity or charism, but there is going to be a new dynamic, and I’m excited to be a part of that. When I first started discerning the priesthood, I was living in an apartment in Lakeview, so I’d go to St. Dominic for daily Mass. So, it’s actually kind of full circle.”

As Deacon Merritt prepares for his June 4 ordination to the priesthood, his prayers have been centered on making a full gift of himself to the people he will serve.

“For myself, I’m hoping to not hold back and to go all in and really get to know the parish, inside and out, get to know the people and the spirituality of St. Dominic and figure out how I can support that and raise it to new heights,” Deacon Merritt said.

Music is one of Deacon Merritt’s gifts – he has sung in choirs in grade school at St. Andrew the Apostle in New Orleans, at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and in the Notre Dame Seminary schola. 

He was moved recently when he went, with his guitar, with Archbishop Gregory Aymond on a visit to the Orleans Justice Center on Holy Thursday when the archbishop washed the feet of 12 inmates.

“Music has always been a part of my life,” Deacon Merritt said. “My family is very musical, so there was always music around the house. My mom and dad (Leslie and Greg) were both in the choir at St. Andrew, so it’s always been part of my faith life. I was never an altar server until I came to the seminary. I was always in the choir. The first time I altar-served was in the cathedral in front of the archbishop, and I was like, ‘What do I do?’ Fortunately, they had really good deacons telling us what to do, and I can follow directions.”

Deacon Merritt said his five-month diaconate internship at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Metairie last year helped him get first-hand experience with thriving, multi-faceted ministries.

“I really enjoyed working with the CYO,” he said. “They’ve got a very active group there.”

He also found himself growing in his homily skills and in his interaction with parish groups through the counsel of a lay support committee, which consisted of more than a dozen parishioners of all ages, both married and single.

“I felt like they were literally supporting me,” he said. “I loved all the feedback they were helping me with. They were always trying to build me up, never pushing me down, even when they were saying they wanted me to do something different. They were always pulling me up.”

Father John Talamo, pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle, will vest Deacon Merritt in his priest’s chasuble at the Ordination Mass.

pfinney@clarionherald.org