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May 19, 2020Story by Peter Finney Jr. and Beth Donze
Photo by Frank J. Methe
(Click here for gallery)
Like almost everything else during these last two months, the May 16 ordination of 12 men to the transitional diaconate was just a little different.
Inside the 950-seat St. Louis Cathedral, the ordinands, with a very small number of family members and friends, were spaced several pews apart to satisfy the city’s social-distancing requirements as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus.
But even though the physical congregation was limited, Archbishop Gregory Aymond said the liturgy had global implications.
“We could only have 100 people inside the cathedral, but through livestream, hundreds of people from around the world joined us – people from Vietnam, people from Africa,” he said. “So, it really was the universal church right here.”
In addition to the six transitional deacons ordained for the Archdiocese of New Orleans – Ajani Gibson, Michael Lamy, William Mumphrey, Henry Nwaeze, Truong “Peter” Pham and Andrew Sanchez – six others were ordained for dioceses in the U.S. and Africa.
“I’m going to call them the ‘Coronavirus Class,’” Archbishop Aymond said jokingly.
The six other deacons who were ordained for other dioceses were Thomas Binanbiba Bamoah (Yendi, Ghana); Clement Manjas (Tororo, Uganda); Bobby (Thomas) Kennedy (Alexandria), Robert Johnson (Alexandria), Casey Weber (Memphis) and Ares Jonathan Perez Leon (Memphis).
“It just goes to show you that we can work and pray in the midst of a challenge, in the midst of a crisis,” Archbishop Aymond said.
Most of the ordinands mentioned that the most striking part of the ordination liturgy came when they prostrated themselves in front of the altar as a sign of making a total gift to God.
“That prostration before the altar is really a sign of them saying, ‘Lord, I give myself entirely to you. I need you. I need the prayers of the saints,’” Archbishop Aymond said. “So it really is a very humbling thing.”
Deacon Gibson: ‘Tangible’
“As I laid on the floor of the cathedral, there was just this overwhelming sense that you could feel the prayers of the people, not only in the pews, but also the people who were joining us on the livestream,” said Deacon Gibson. “It was a powerful moment. It was tangible.
“The archbishop, in a beautiful way, reminded us that we are ordained to serve and not to be served.”
Deacon Gibson was mentored as a teenager by the late Edmundite Father Michael Jacques, who was pastor for many years at St. Peter Claver Church in New Orleans.
As a sign of their fraternity, Deacon Gibson wore a cross under his vestments that Father Jacques once wore.
“Father Michael has been with me on this journey,” Deacon Gibson said. “I know that he has been here and he is here praying for me. I’m grateful for the example and the witness of Father Michael and that encouragement he gave to me – to be able to be here at this point.”
Deacon Lamy: Peace and joy
Deacon Lamy called the virus-related restrictions “less than an ideal circumstance,” but he said he was overwhelmed “by the peace and the joy I feel right now.”
“I’m ready to serve the church in this new way,” he said. “I hope that I grow in my vocation as a deacon and become the minister that God wants me to be.”
Deacon Mumphrey: ‘Share’
Deacon Mumphrey said his ordination was the culmination of many people’s prayers and his hope to serve others selflessly.
“I’m feeling great,” Deacon Mumphrey said. “It’s really a joy, an accomplishment, and just an honor to God and for my family and all of the church – everybody I know. I’m ready to get out there and make a difference.
“I hope that I’ll be comfortable, able to be myself and share the love of God.”
Deacon Sanchez: ‘Open’
Deacon Sanchez said during the liturgy, he was asking the Holy Spirit to “open my heart to receive the graces of God.”
He prayed for those he loved and also for “the poor and the outcast whom we’re called to serve as deacons – all those many people that I feel moved to love with the love of Christ.”
He recalled how during the Litany of the Saints, when he was prostrate before the altar, he heard the name of St. Andrew invoked.
“It almost made me tear up,” Deacon Sanchez said.
He also was at the side of Archbishop Aymond when he received the offertory gifts, some of which were brought forward to the altar by his parents.
“I noticed my mom – she was starting to tear up – and it almost got me there,” he said.
Deacon Sanchez will go to St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Metairie for his diaconate internship from June through October.
“I’m most looking forward to being a part of people’s lives, bringing Christ into their lives and letting them bring Christ into my life through my interaction with the people of the parish,” Deacon Sanchez said.
Deacon Nwaeze: ‘A dream’
Deacon Nwaeze called his ordination “a dream come true.”
“The joy of the Lord is my strength, and I’m so happy I’m going to exercise the three offices of a deacon (minister of charity, of the word and of prayer).”
During the Litany of the Saints, Deacon Nwaeze said he prayed to God for “the wisdom, the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that it will be an avenue for me to minister to the people of God.”
Deacon Pham: No sleep
Deacon Pham said he was thrilled to see so many people that he had not seen in months because of the virus-related restrictions on large gatherings.
“Especially this week, leading up to the ordination, there were so many people who reached out to me, saying that they were praying for me, wishing they could be here,” Deacon Pham said.
“I guess it really didn’t hit me until this week, but with the outpouring of support and prayers from family and friends, it made this day a lot more special. I was so nervous all last night I could not sleep.
“It still feels unreal. Maybe it will hit me when I start serving in the ministry more. Right now, I just need time to process everything.”
The six transitional deacons will take up their internships this summer before returning to Notre Dame Seminary in October to complete their theological studies.
They are scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood in 2021.
Peter Finney Jr. can be reached at [email protected]. Beth Donze can be reached at [email protected].
