Archbishop Gilbert ordains six deacons

Roman Catholic Archbishop Edward Gilbert yesterday ordained six new deacons at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He said the event showed that the momentum for vocational recruitment will pick up and visibility of the church would be made evident.

Addressing the deacons — transitional deacons aiming to eventually become priests — Gilbert said that many people were “frightened to death” of making a commitment which would last their whole life. But he recalled Pope John Paul once advising those undertaking a vocation to listen to the Holy Spirit, pursue holiness and keep God as their priority. “Holiness is very specific — an honest attempt to live our lives according to God.” Disclosing that millions of people loved the Lord and had committed themselves to ministry, Gilbert urged: “Don’t be afraid to make this commitment, to surrender yourselves to the Lord...If you do, I guarantee you will have a full life and a fulfilling life, and will touch the lives of many people, many who you have not even met yet.” He warned the deacons that although presence and service were at the heart of ministry, they also had a duty to sustain their Christian life by daily prayer. “Transitional deacons as of today will accept the responsibility to pray every day for the church.”

Gilbert spelt out four requirements for ministry. He said those ministering should act out of love (rather than duty), be patient, respond to the needs of their people, and be willing to shift gears emotionally, say from a joyous wedding in the morning to a sad funeral in the evening. He advised: “It is not what you feel but the people who you are serving.” In a warning to anyone who likes to be centre-stage, he said: “But the church tradition says ‘serve’ selflessly and generously. If you are looking for adulation, for praise, for acceptance, for joy, there is still time to leave. “In the Roman Catholic tradition, meaning comes in only one way — surrendering to God. Any other agenda will eventually work against you.” Those ordained were: Wilfred John, Derek Anton, Brother Alan Mohammed, Brother Dwight Black, Brother Gerard Tang Choon, and Christian Chambers.  As the Archbishop presented a copy of the Bible to each deacon, he advised: “Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practise what you teach.”