Diaconate is 'surrender' to Jesus, U.S. archbishop says at ordination Mass

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Before the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, a symbol of the Catholic Church's unity behind the successor of St. Peter, 15 men laid prostrate to express their humility and take vows of chastity and obedience to their bishop.

But despite the ornate setting and the throngs of family and friends, "it's not about you," Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of Portland, Oregon, told the candidates from 13 U.S. dioceses seated before him Oct. 3. "First and foremost, it's about servanthood, it's about service to the people of God and to Christ the Lord."

"The symbolism of laying flat on the ground is the complete surrender of your life to Jesus," he said in his homily. "We worry about all kinds of things in the world today, in the church and in the world. Jesus has got this, he's got you."

U.S. Cardinals James Harvey, archpriest of Rome's Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and Edwin F. O'Brien, retired grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, attended the Mass for the ordination of the men studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Eight other U.S. bishops concelebrated the Mass.

In his homily, Archbishop Sample noted that in the Gospels the apostles are occasionally depicted as arguing about who is the greatest among them, earning admonition from Jesus who did "not come to be served, but to serve."

"This is the image that you take upon yourselves today" by becoming deacons, he said. "You are taking on the identity of Christ who comes to serve, to be a slave, to lay down his life as a ransom for the world."

While many people may ask what tasks a deacon can perform, Archbishop Sample said in his homily, a deacon is defined by his identity as "an icon of Christ."

He said that even as the newly ordained deacons continue into the priesthood, "you will always be a deacon," noting how the College of Cardinals has cardinal deacons and how a priest would serve as a deacon at a high Mass celebrated in the Traditional Rite. Additionally, a bishop wears a dalmatic, the traditional vestment of a deacon, under his priestly vestments on certain occasions "to be reminded that he is always a servant, as you will be always a servant."

After the Gospel reading, each candidate to the diaconate presented himself to Archbishop Sample who confirmed the worthiness of the candidates to applause from their family members, friends and fellow seminary students.

Each seminarian promised "to discharge with humble charity the office of the diaconate," hold fast to the mystery of faith, embrace celibacy, be obedient to his bishop and conform his life to Christ.

In the most ancient part of the sacrament of holy orders, the candidates knelt before the archbishop who laid his hands atop their heads and called the Holy Spirit upon them. The 15 seminarians then laid prostrate to receive the ordination prayer.

In preparation for the Holy Year 2025, the Altar of the Chair, where the ordination Mass was celebrated, is undergoing renovation works and is currently behind scaffolding.

Deacon Christian Hamrick from the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, told Catholic News Service that although he was worried the scaffolding would be a blemish on his big day, seeing scaffolding around him was a reminder that renewal "is the way the church, and our own lives of faith."

"We need the support; we're constantly renewing ourselves," he said.

With declining vocation numbers in the United States, he said, he sees himself and his fellow deacons as "signs of hope" for the faith and for people unsure about the future of the church.

Deacon Tristan Schubert of the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, said he was "thrilled" not only to be ordained a deacon in St. Peter's Basilica, but to have his archbishop preside over the Mass.

"For most of the guys, he's saying, 'Do you promise obedience to your ordinary?' but for me it's 'to me and to my successor,'" he told CNS. "It's much more connected."

A tour guide for the Vatican necropolis, where the tomb of St. Peter is believed to be located, Deacon Schubert said he was particularly pleased to be ordained "in the presence of Peter, knowing a lot about the history of what's down there and why St. Peter's (Basilica) was built here."