PHOTOS: 12 New Deacons Called to Lay Down Lives in Imitation of Christ the Servant
- André Escaleira, Jr.
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
As the country prepared to celebrate Father's Day last weekend, 12 local men experienced a profound expansion of their fatherhood, laying themselves — and their lives — down before Jesus Christ through their ordination to the diaconate.
Accompanied by their families, children and new spiritual families, the Archdiocese’s 12 newest deacons received their mission to preach, teach and serve the people of God, all in a spirit of profound humility and service.
“As you are ordained deacons today, you will be configured to Christ the Servant, Jesus who gave his life completely and made his life a total self-gift to the Father and to those he served,” Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila said to the 12 ordinandi during his homily. “And, my sons, you are called to that. You are called to give yourselves as Christ gave himself. That is true of every ordained ministry. We are to lay down our lives, give our lives, to go wherever we are sent in order to proclaim the Gospel, to proclaim Jesus Christ.”
The new deacons are called to serve everyone they meet in the spirit of Christ, Archbishop Aquila noted. As ministers of the Word, the altar and charity, their primary duty is to preach the Truth to a world filled with darkness.
“You, too, are called in these times to be prophetic. Pope Leo reminded the clergy of Rome, he reminds us today that we have a prophetic role to play in the proclamation of the Gospel. All of us know the world is a mess. All of us know that the world, at this point in time, is very near to its own destruction with war, violence, hatred and all the vitriol that is out there. Our task as ministers of the Word is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ,” the archbishop explained.
Regardless of their particular ministry, Archbishop Aquila reminded the 12 new deacons that they are called to imbue their service with a Eucharistic spirit of self-gift, turning to Jesus, abiding in relationship with him and inviting others to the same.
“Always remain close to the Eucharist and have a love for the Eucharist,” Archbishop Aquila exhorted those to be ordained. “In every Mass that every disciple goes to, we are called to offer ourselves with Jesus Christ to the Father. We offer ourselves as a sacrifice to the Father, just as Jesus did on the Cross. We must never forget that. We must enter into the Mass and be in relationship with Jesus. And as we gaze upon his Body and Blood, we are gazing also upon his Soul and Divinity. We receive the second person of the Trinity and join our lives to him so that we may lay down our lives for those we serve, just as he laid down his life.”
(Photos by Dan Petty/Denver Catholic)
As they lay their lives down in service of the Gospel and the people of God, the new deacons are also called to be witnesses to hope, especially during this Jubilee Year of Hope, the archbishop noted.
“We are called, then, and especially in this Jubilee Year of Hope, to be those who proclaim our hope,” he said in his homily. “As Pope Francis reminded us in his declaration of the Jubilee Year, Jesus Christ is our hope. My sons, if you make Jesus Christ your hope, your only hope, you will find joy and peace that only Christ and Christ alone can give. The world is in despair. The world is dark. The world is seeking, and we see that in the young people who come to us. We are called to serve all peoples.”
In that Eucharistic spirit of hope, the Archdiocese’s 12 newest deacons are excited to get to work preaching, teaching and serving their new spiritual families.
“I’m looking forward to serving others wherever they may be on their spiritual journey,” Deacon Brice Glasscock told the Denver Catholic. “Whether I’m preaching, praying with someone after Mass or talking to someone in the grocery store, I want to be the kind of deacon who’s approachable, faithful and present. I’m just here to point people to Jesus — sometimes with words, sometimes just by being there when they need someone to lean on.”
“As a member of the Church and a deacon, showing the love and mercy of God for his children fills me with much joy,” added Deacon Alvio Rangel.
At the start of their diaconal ministry, amid excitement and nerves, Archbishop Aquila highlighted Jesus’ enduring presence with the 12 newly ordained — a hope-filled reminder for the men laying their lives down in service.
“Always remember the Lord’s promise to Jeremiah, for that promise is also given to you today,” the archbishop concluded. “As you are ordained, he sends you and he commands you to speak the truth of the Gospel, to invite others to encounter Jesus Christ, to accompany others with Christ, leading them to the only one who can give them hope. Today, as you are ordained, hear the words of the Lord speaking to your hearts: ‘I am with you to deliver you. … I place my words in your mouth’ (Jeremiah 1:8-9).”
