After years of preparation and study Br. David Spencer, O. de M. will be ordained a transitional deacon at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Philadelphia on Saturday April 6th at 9:30AM. This will enable him fulfill the Order’s redemptive charism in a special way as a one ordained into the service of Christ.
The deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three groups, or “orders,” of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops, presbyters and deacons. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came “to serve and not to be served.” The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church.
As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of Sacrament, deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services. As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshalling the Church’s resources to meet those needs.
Men, such as Br David, who are in priestly formation are first ordained Transitional Deacons. This is a temporary state of men who intend to go on for the priesthood. Br David will serve as a deacon in the Order for a period of time as he learns and prepares for Priestly Ordination.
Let us keep Br. David in prayer during the next few days as he prepares to receive this great Sacrament. May Our Lady of Mercy give him the graces he needs to respond to this great call!