Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost ordained six men -- Charles Renwyck Cairnie, Mitchell Timothy Carson, Cameron Michael Ferrell, Nathan Michael Frankart, Troung Joseph Viet Ho and Sean Patrick Neville as the newest transitional deacons for the Diocese of Cleveland during a Mass on April 12 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
In his homily, Bishop Woost urged the newly ordained to “Put flesh to fire.”
He recalled the message Pope Francis had for transitional deacons who were ordained in his Diocese of Buenos Aires the year he was elected pope, telling them: “…May your priestly existence be a service: service for Jesus Christ, service for the Church and service to brothers (and sisters), especially the poor and those most in need. Don’t be ‘part-time deacons’ or functionaries. The Church is not an NGO. May service enhance your lives. Put flesh to fire.”
“That’s a great line. I love that line,” the bishop said.
(See a photo gallery from the ordination Mass above.)
When asked about it later, he said the pope talked about how he was inspired by the example of St. Lawrence, a deacon in the third century who was martyred. Lawrence, he said, believed that those he served spiritually and physically, including widows, orphans, the homeless, immigrants, the sick and hungry, the poor and all in need – were created with dignity in the image and likeness of God and loved by Christ. He considered them his brothers and sisters and the Church’s greatest treasures, which is what led to his martyrdom.
The bishop shared the story of Pope Sixtus being beheaded while celebrating Mass. Six of the seven deacons of Rome met the same fate, leaving only Lawrence. When he was arrested, he was ordered to present the community wealth to the emperor. Lawrence complied by gathering the poor, telling the judge, “the needs of the needy are the great wealth and treasure of Christians.”
The judge ordered Lawrence to be grilled alive.
“Put flesh to fire,” Bishop Woost repeated.
“Chuck, Mitch, Cam, Nathan, Joe and Sean: It is the Lord who has called you and the Holy Spirit who has inspired and guided your vocational discernment … Your call has been ratified and echoed by our bishop. You have been found worthy … Put flesh to fire.”
He also encouraged them to ignore those who say they are too young and reminded them of the words of St. Matthew. “ … Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be the first among you shall be your slave, Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life s a ransom for many.”
“Put flesh to fire,” the bishop said.
He told the six men they were “about to be barbecued … although not in the same way as Lawrence. God’s word – the word of God which you chose for this morning’s ordination liturgy – has ignited the fire and fueled the flames. This word of God – God’s word – intends to be incarnated once again in you: made flesh in your diaconal ministry of altar, word and charity.”
He urged them to put flesh to fire by their proclamation of the Gospel, their preaching, their assisting at the altar, their sacramental ministry of baptizing, witnessing marriages and bringing the Eucharist to the sick and dying and the homebound, their consoling presence at funerals, their prayerful celebration of Eucharistic adoration and benediction and their service of charity to the needy and the poor.
“Put flesh to fire by living out the promises you are about to make … Become a servant to benefit the Christian people by assisting the bishop and his priests in their ministry. With your lives – your words and actions – authentically proclaim our faith and the Church’s teaching,” Bishop Woost said.
This could seen overwhelming and an impossible way to live, but “This life according to Jesus – to be a servant, to be a slave, to be a deacon – is the only way to greatness. Impossible? Yes, unless we let ourselves get burned,” he added.
In his encyclical Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis said the heart of Jesus is a raging fire, an open, living flame of love.
“The heart of Jesus beats and burns as the heart of the community of faith … Come now, let us put flesh to fire once again. The whole Church is here to pray with and for you,” Bishop Woost told the six new deacons. “Put flesh to fire as we as the intercession of the saints in glory to fan the flames. Through the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the laying on of my hands, let the fire fall and submit yourselves to burn with God’s passionate love for you and all his people. Then, united with the heart of the Lord Jesus, put flesh to fire as ordained deacons for his Church.”
Bishop Edward Malesic attended the Mass. Also participating in the liturgy were the new deacons’ pastors, priests from Saint Mary Seminary and diocesan vicars, as well as dozens of priests and deacons from across the diocese. Borromeo and Saint Mary seminarians, faculty, staff family and friends filled the cathedral.
Bishop Woost offered a welcome to Deacon Ho’s extended family and friends who watched a livestream of the liturgy in Vietnam.
The Mass included presentation of the six men for ordination, consent of the people, promise of the elect, the litany of supplication during which the men lay prostrate on the floor around the altar, laying on of hands, the prayer of ordination, investiture with the stole and dalmatic, handing on of the Book of Gospels and the fraternal kiss of peace.
After the ordination rite was completed, the new deacons assisted with the liturgy serving at the altar, presenting the offertory gifts and assisting with the distribution of Communion.
A Vietnamese choir from St. Boniface Parish sang a Communion hymn.
Bishop Malesic delivered some remarks at the end of the Mass, congratulating the newly ordained and noting there now are 14 transitional deacons ministering in the diocese.
“I will reduce that number by eight next month. I can’t wait to get my hands on them to ordain them as priests,” he said, as those preparing for priestly ordination were recognized.
After Mass, the newly ordained deacons received a Book of the Gospels and paperwork authorizing them to fulfill their ministry.
Their parish assignments for the next year are: Deacon Cairnie – Immaculate Conception, Willoughby; Deacon Carson – Divine Word, Kirtland; Deacon Ferrell – St. Ladislas, Westlake; Deacon Frankart – St. Mary, Wooster; Deacon Ho – St. Bernadette, Westlake and Deacon Neville – Holy Rosary, Cleveland.
The parents and home parishes of the newly ordained are: Deacon Cairnie, Robert and Paula Cairnie and Alexa Cairnie of Wooster, St. Mary of the Immaculate Parish, Wooster; Deacon Carson, son of Dennis and Rhonda Carson of North Ridgeville, St. Peter Parish, North Ridgeville; Deacon Ferrell, son of Brandon and Carrie Ferrell, Doylestown, SS. Peter and Paul Parish, Doylestown; Deacon Frankart, son of Steve and Kim Frankart of Vermillion, St. Joseph Parish, Amherst; Deacon Ho, son of Hoc Viet Ho and Lanh Thi Ngyen of Ha Tinh, Vietnam, St. Boniface Parish, Cleveland, and Deacon Neville, son of Jim and the late Colleen Neville of Olmsted Falls, St. Mary of the Falls Parish, Olmsted Falls.
The newly ordained will minister as deacons in their assigned parishes while continuing their studies and formation for priestly ministry.
The livestreamed ordination liturgy can be viewed on demand here.