They almost didn’t make it.
The traditional Nigerian garments Deacon Johnpaul Ubah’s mother, Grace, had spent weeks sewing in Nigeria still hadn’t arrived at her son’s home in Maryland in the days leading up to his Sept. 30 ordination to the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
But, with the help of a priest friend from Africa and a trans-Atlantic journey that included an eight-hour bicycle ride in Nigeria, the precious clothing arrived one day before the ordination.
Eight of Deacon Ubah’s 10 children and his wife, Joy, proudly dressed in the circular-patterned clothing for the first time on the morning of the ordination (two children could not attend). Their colorful garb stood out in a congregation of more than 1,000 as they watched Archbishop William E. Lori confer the sacrament of Holy Orders on Deacon Ubah and 13 others.
The blue-and-black color scheme was selected by Deacon Ubah to reflect his family’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and his role as a police officer for the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
Moments after the final lyrics of a triumphal rendition of “Go Make of All Disciples” resounded off the cathedral’s stone walls at the conclusion of a more than two-hour ordination liturgy, Deacon Ubah held a young daughter in one arm as he traced the sign of the cross on her forehead. Other new deacons embraced family members, accepted congratulations and posed for photos from numerous well-wishers.
Ordination was a moment of great joy, Deacon Ubah said, and it felt good to reach the long-awaited day. Ordination of this year’s class had been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“As a deacon, I know that my service to the church is to take care of people who are in need, especially the most vulnerable in our society,” said Deacon Ubah, a parishioner of St. Joan of Arc in Aberdeen. “And being a deacon now, I know that I have more opportunities to actually do that job effectively for the church and the mission of God.”
Archbishop Lori ordained the largest class of permanent deacons since ordaining 16 in 2013. All 14 of this year’s class spent four and a half years of formation at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Roland Park and at various pastoral assignments in parishes, hospitals, prisons and other institutions throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
In addition to Deacon Ubah, the other new deacons include Deacons Manuel Aliaga of St. John the Evangelist in Columbia; Juan Orlando Beltran Argueta of St. Gabriel in Woodlawn; Christopher Cosentino of St. Ann in Hagerstown; Magnus Okwudili Ezeani of St. Thomas More in Baltimore; David Glassman of St. Isaac Jogues in Carney; Kenneth Goedeke Jr. of St. Ignatius in Hickory; and William Hyde of Holy Family Catholic Community in Middletown.
Others were: Deacons James Johnson of St. Timothy in Walkersville; Michael King of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City; Brian Olsen of St. Margaret in Bel Air; Daniel Webster of St. Margaret; Oscar Rolando Velasquez of Sacred Heart of Jesus/Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Highlandtown/St. Patrick in Fells Point; and Thomas White of St. Joseph in Sykesville.
In his homily, Archbishop Lori said the hallmark of diaconal ministry is “charity flowing from the heart of Christ.” If God is love, he said, then true power and true authority are nothing other than love.
“We can only belong to one another if we subordinate ourselves to one another,” said Archbishop Lori, who was joined at the Mass by Auxiliary Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., and more than 100 priests and deacons.
The archbishop challenged the new deacons to read Scripture daily. He told them to keep their eyes “fixed on Jesus” when they assist at the altar and perform other diaconal duties.
During the liturgy, the deacon candidates placed their hands in those of Archbishop Lori, promising respect and obedience to the archbishop and his successors. After their ordination, they were vested in stoles and dalmatics, the liturgical garments of their office. The archbishop handed each new deacon a book of the Gospels and offered each a fraternal kiss, a gesture that was repeated by more than 50 other deacons.
Deacon Goedeke said the highlight of the liturgy for him was prostrating himself in the sanctuary with his brother deacon candidates as the entire congregation chanted the Litany of the Saints.
“I definitely think that was the most moving moment,” he said, “as we asked all those who’ve gone before us to pray for us as we partake in this new ministry of service to others. We know that we don’t do this alone. We do so with the cloud of witnesses before us who are praying for us and interceding for us.”
Deacon Goedeke expressed gratitude to his wife, Bridgit, for her support of his discernment to diaconal ministry – a sentiment that was shared by all the new deacons for their wives and family. At the end of the ordination liturgy, all 14 new deacons stood and applauded when Archbishop Lori thanked their loved ones for their prayers and support of the new deacons.
“There were a lot of sacrifices on all of our behalf,” Deacon Goedeke said. “But they were just prayerfully supportive the whole way. Our family is one that definitely looks at doing ministry together – that we are called as a family unit to serve the people of God. And my wife and my children have definitely been with me very much along the way.”
Several of the newly ordained deacons speak multiple languages. Some of the readings and songs at the Mass were proclaimed and sung in Spanish, and there was a significant contingent of Spanish-speaking parishioners in the congregation.
Deacon Aliaga, a Spanish-speaking Catholic originally from Peru who works at the Catholic Center in downtown Baltimore, said he hopes his bilingual skills will serve the people of God in his ministry as a newly ordained clergyman.
“For me, that’s a priority,” he said. “I want to be able to build bridges and help people meet each other and have a church that is at the same time more united and more diverse.”
Deacon Olsen, an owner-architect of Skorpa Design Studio, said he felt “just a little overwhelmed” about his ordination.
“I’ve always had a passion for youth ministry and men’s ministry, so those are kind of the two areas that I’m probably most excited to keep working in a more official capacity,” he said, “but serving at the altar is just something that’s beautiful.”
Deacon Olsen’s wife, Bethany, said she was proud of her husband.
“It’s incredible,” she said. “It’s something he’s worked so hard for, and to have God in our life like this and to lead him and lead this family, it’s a blessing.”
Deacon Glassman said it was good to be with his brother deacons after a circuitous road to ordination for all of them.
“It was a long journey and extended a little bit more than normal because of COVID,” he explained. “It’s just so exciting to be here and be able to come to this transition in life, where we’re all transitioning to God’s call to be deacons and what that brings.”
To view more photos or to purchase prints, visit our Smugmug gallery here. To watch a recorded livestream of the ordination, click here.
For capsule profiles of the new deacons, click here.
Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org
To view more photos from the ordination, click through the slideshow below:
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