Meet transitional deacon candidate Henry Chinonso Nwaeze

May 8, 2020

Twelve men will be ordained May 16 as transitional deacons, six for New Orleans

On May 16, 12 men will be ordained as transitional deacons – the final step before ordination to the priesthood next year – at a 10 a.m. Mass celebrated by Archbishop Gregory Aymond at St. Louis Cathedral. Six of the transitional deacons will be ordained for the Archdiocese of New Orleans; the remaining six will be ordained for other dioceses in the U.S. and Africa. The Clarion Herald asked the diaconate candidates for the Archdiocese of New Orleans to reflect on their service, particularly in light of the coronavirus pandemic. They also were asked to reflect on the reasons they selected the person who will vest them with their deacon’s dalmatic during the Ordination Mass. The Mass will be broadcast live on WLAE-TV and live-streamed at nolacatholic.org.

Henry Chinonso Nwaeze

Age: 33

Home parish: St. Christopher, Metairie
Diaconate internship: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Belle Chasse

Who will vest you and why did you select him?

I chose Father Cletus Orji to vest me because of the impact he made in my life when he was in Notre Dame community. He helped to give me a smooth transition. I have looked up to him because of his priestly life, his virtues and the motivation, encouragement and support he has given me, including prayers. It is an honor for me to give him the privilege of vesting me.

What has your seminary discernment been like?

I am putting together the four pillars of formation – pastoral, human, spiritual and intellectual – and it has been interesting to see how these four pillars have come together to shape me into the best version of myself. Actually, being in the seminary is not really easy because one is expected to be at a certain place and certain time and to meet some requirements. It is a rigorous process as well as a sweet one. We have the professors, formators, priests and also a board of seminarians accompanying me to be a better person. I am grateful and excited, too, moving into the diaconate.

How challenging have the last two months been since the seminary went into lockdown? Do you have any thoughts about how the world may have changed?

As we all know, this has been a challenging time for the nation and for the world. Life in general has taken a new turn. Things we used to do before, we can’t – like hanging out, going to school, going to our normal businesses and job. This also has affected the ministry and the way we have been celebrating the sacraments in the church. In the seminary, we have been prevented from going outside and engaging in some of the activities that we used to do. We are worried about our family members.

I think about those who were part of my pastoral ministry at Christopher Inn, which I used to visit once a week. In the seminary community, we have been taking some necessary precautions and maintaining protocols to keep everybody safe. The economy is going down because people are not going to work, and so many families are struggling to put food on the table and some are going hungry. The way we interact with each other has changed automatically with social distancing.

What are you most looking forward to in your ministry as a deacon, knowing there still may be some restrictions on the size of the parish congregation for weeks or months?

I am looking forward to the ministry of diaconate, which is basically a call to service – to always be available to serve the people of God in whatever capacity the pastor and the parish where I am going will put before me. I am looking forward to ministries that are relative to the office of the deacon, such as baptism, assisting in marriage and funerals.

In a special way, I am also looking forward to doing homilies and putting into practice all of the principles and skills that I have learned in the homiletic classes at the seminary. I have engaged in deeper study of the sacred Scripture, living it out and also journeying with the people of God by proclaiming the good news. I am also looking forward to accompanying the people of God both in good times and in bad, especially at this time when everybody is confronting COVID-19.