“This is my first ordination – ever,” said Cleveland Bishop Nelson Perez as he began the liturgy on Oct. 28, at which four seminarians from Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology were ordained as transitional deacons. It was another step in their journey to ordination as priests next May.
“I’m grateful for the presence of (retired) Bishops (Anthony) Pilla, (Roger) Gries and (Martin) Amos to be sure I do this right. You’ll know if we have to stop and start over again,” Bishop Perez quipped.
The ordination took place during a Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland.
The newly ordained deacons, their home parishes, parents and diaconate assignments are:
- Deacon Matthew Cortnik, St. John Vianney Parish, Mentor; son of Michael and Diana Cortnik of Mentor. He is assigned to St. Luke Parish, Lakewood.
- Deacon Michael Feldtz, St. Patrick Parish (Bridge Avenue), Cleveland; son of Richard (deceased) and June Feldtz of Broadview Heights. He is assigned to SS. Robert and William Parish, Euclid.
- Deacon Richard Samide, St. Mary Parish, Hudson; son of Paul and Sue Samide of Hudson. He is assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel (East) Parish, Wickliffe.
- Deacon Armando Padilla Contreras, CSJ of San Jose Obrero Parish, Mexico; son of Armando Padilla Rodriguez and Leonor Contreras Carreon of Mexico. He is assigned to St. Jude, Elyria.
Bishop Perez welcomed the family, friends, teachers, classmates and benefactors of the new deacons.
“And through the magic of technology, Armando’s family is watching back home in Mexico,” he said, referring to the live stream of the liturgy on the Diocese of Cleveland website.
The bishop told the new deacons that they each were called by name by God for their ministry. “Maybe it was a whisper or a rumble,” he said, “but you were called.”
As they continue their formation and approach their ordination to the priesthood, he said they should be grateful for the help they’ve received from their family, friends, teachers and formulators. He said they’ve achieved various steps along the way, including being called to the ministries of the acolyte and lector, and now deacon. The bishop said the four transitional deacons will face the challenge to develop a profound, deep, sacramental relationship with Jesus as servants. To this point, he said they’ve been the recipients of all gifts from God, including life.
“Our greatest gift is time. We may whine and say we don’t have enough time, but I respectfully disagree. Time is the one thing we have plenty of. God is asking you to use your time to serve the Church completely,” Bishop Perez told the four men who were being ordained. “In a few minutes, you will be asked to make three promises: to live a celibate life and give yourself completely to the bigger family of God; obedience to your bishop, who will use your time for the good of the Church; and to pray for the Church.”
He referred to the words of the Holy Father regarding the role of a deacon in the Church, noting that the deacon should give up the idea of being the master of his day because it belongs to God.
“He should be open to God’s constant surprises,” Bishop Perez said. “Be ready. I know from my 28 years as a priest that God is full of surprises.”
He said deacons share God’s word; they help the bishop and priests in the ministry of the Church and Gospel. Deacons also bring viaticum (last rites) to the dying, celebrate funerals, assist with and bless marriages, baptize, instruct and perform works of charity “in such a way that you’ll recognize them as those who are not to be served, but to serve. Do the will of God from your heart and serve the people with joy,” the bishop said, referring to the words of the Holy Father.
After the homily, the rite of ordination took place, including the promise of the elect; the litany of supplication, during which the four men prostrated themselves on the floor around the altar; laying of hands and the handing on of the Book of Gospels, after which they vested and were greeted and congratulated by other clergy in attendance, including deacons from the diocese.
Bishop Perez charged the new deacons to “believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.”
After Mass, the bishop thanked the families of each new deacon. “Without them, you literally would not be here,” he said. And he encouraged them to “lean on your classmates. They will be a source of great strength.”
The newly ordained deacons will continue their formation for the priesthood while ministering in their assigned parishes for the next several months.
For more information on vocations, including the diaconate and the priesthood, visit clevelandcatholicvocations.com.