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| January 7, 2009 |
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Meet the new deacons of the Diocese of Palm Beach
JASON COLLINS | FC PALM BEACH GARDENS | They are a diverse group and represent a wide cross section of the community. Their experiences run the gamut: medicine, sales, management, government. But they share a common passion in their deep faith and devotion to God and to service. Eight men were ordained as permanent deacons Sept. 6 in ceremonies at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens. The Florida Catholic briefly talked with the new deacons to find out a little about them.
DEACON JOSEPH O’CONNELL Deacon O’Connell completed an application as part of the diocesan formation program to become a permanent deacon, but then he began contemplating whether or not the role was for him. Out of the blue one day, while riding in a car with his wife, Marjorie, he saw a sign that convinced him that he was on the path meant for him. “I was telling my wife, ‘You know, I don’t think I’m worthy. I don’t have the knowledge or anything.’” He spotted a billboard with the words: “God does not call the qualified – he qualifies the called.” “She (Marjorie) said, ‘Don’t you think maybe God is trying to tell you something with that sign?’ “So, I said, ‘You have a good point, there.’” A mail carrier by trade, Deacon O’Connell, 57, has continued to actively serve St. Rita in Wellington as he studied and completed the four-year formation process leading up to his ordination. He serves as a lector, extraordinary minister of holy Communion and directs the parish baptismal preparation classes. He is also director of altar servers and assists in various capacities in St. Rita’s faith formation program. Deacon O’Connell is a volunteer at St. Mary’s Medical Center in the pastoral care department where he will continue to work under the direction of Father Aidan Lacy, chaplain. The department offers assistance to patients, family members, and even doctors and nurses. “If we see that you’re in the waiting room … we will stop and talk with you,” he said. In October, he and Marjorie celebrated 38 years of marriage. They have two children and two grandchildren. O’Connell expects to continue his duties at St. Rita, expanding service and helping with baptisms, weddings and funerals. “I have to honestly say I enjoyed it overall,” he said about the diaconate formation program. “The best part was the camaraderie, the sense of brotherhood that I developed with the other men in formation. You put your trust in God and if he really wants you, if it’s really, truly a calling, he’ll see you through it no matter what.” DEACON WILLIAM FERGUSON Deacon Ferguson, 67, a retired software engineer, is the oldest of the new deacons. He and wife Dorothy have three daughters and four grandchildren. At St. John the Evangelist, Deacon Ferguson is a lector, extraordinary minister of holy Communion, bible class facilitator and minister to the sick. He hopes and expects to remain at St. John following his ordination, performing many of the same duties and carrying out additional tasks. “I’ll still be participating in Masses as a deacon,” he said, “so I’ll be proclaiming the Gospel.” Deacon Ferguson also also expressed interests in working with the diocesan Ecumenical Office and possibly developing shared Scripture studies with other denominations. He told the Florida Catholic he enjoyed the diaconate program. “I was a fundamentalist as far as the Bible went when I started,” he said, “and I was really astonished at some of the things I learned. You’re astonished and taken aback at first, but then you look at it more closely and it’s, ‘Oh yeah, that’s right.’ The professors are really good. “My wife has been very supportive being proactive … encouraging me.” Deacon Ferguson said service work is rewarding and he is anxious to continue his work in his new role as a deacon. “You get back what you give. I’m really looking forward to it. A lot of my friends in the parish are enthusiastic about it too, so that’s really great.” DEACON WILLIAM JACOBS Deacon Jacobs, a family doctor with his own private practice, enjoys sharing his own personal spiritual reflections with members of his faith community. “Parishioners seem to like it,” he said. Jacobs, 50, and wife Toni have three sons. As far as parish ministry work, he is involved with religion classes at St. Thérèse and helps with baptismal preparation sessions. In September when vacations are over, schools are in sessions and parish activities pick up, he said “he is delighted to” take on more duties. “I think that one of the assets that a permanent diaconate has is real-life experience to bring to a homily or a situation,” he said. “We’ve raised kids. We’ve balanced checkbooks. We pay bills and fight off bill collectors. So I think it can give us so much more insight during a homily or when we counsel somebody.” Deacon Jacobs, who has his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology, had good things to say about the diaconate formation program. “That’s certainly a top-quality program,” he said. “The professors who teach at the regional seminary … are the same professors we (deacon candidates) get – the same top quality of education.” He said he received a lot of support as he journeyed along his formation path. “My wife has been absolutely vital in her prayers and in her support. Dr. Sixto Garcia (a professor at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary) was my master’s thesis director. He’s a great guy, a brilliant mind, great inspiration to me and my studies and encouragement for all of us in the program.” Deacon Jacobs reflected on his feelings about the reasons behind his desires to become part of the church’s clergy. “We want to be deacons. We want to stay deacons. We don’t want to be mini-priests. We’re already serving and we want to be able to serve more deeply and more humbly in the church’s service by ordination. I’m excited.” DEACON RICHARD LYLES Deacon Lyles, 58, is the first African-American to complete the diocesan diaconate formation program and be ordained. His career has been in law enforcement for 36 years, the last 16 with investigations in the state attorney’s office. He is active at St. Francis, serving as an usher, parish council member, member of the leadership council for Black Catholics Ministry and a participant in a parish mentoring program. As a deacon, his responsibilities and duties will increase. “Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do,” he said. “We can do a lot of things with the parishioners that give the priests a break sometimes.” Deacon Lyles is married to Lorraine Lyles, the director of the diocesan office of Black Catholic Ministry. They were married at St. Francis in 1973 and have three daughters. Making time for studies at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary over the past four years was a challenge with work and a family, he admitted, but it was also rewarding, with many opportunities including “a chance to meet people from throughout the diocese and outside of the diocese,” he explained. He credits his family for supporting him through the formation process. “That’s a big sacrifice, going to school on a Wednesday night for four years and weekends. That can be real taxing on the family. The wife and kids supported me. They are my backbone.” Deacon Lyles hopes to retire from his job in about five years to concentrate full-time on church duties and working with kids. “People have helped me throughout my life,” he said. “I’ve been truly blessed and I think it’s my job to give back. This is one way I can give back.” DEACON MIGUEL MUNOZ Deacon Munoz, 61 and single, serves St. Juliana as a lector, extraordinary minister of holy Communion and “a little bit of everything,” he said. “To become a deacon, you have to feel a vocation of service.” He is president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at his parish, helping the poor and needy and he hopes to continue working in this service area as a deacon, and possibly assisting priests who are infirmed. “We are there to serve the people,” he said. A computer designer at a local firm, Deacon Munoz admits juggling work schedules around seminary studies as part of formation was a bit challenging. “It was demanding, but very rewarding. I would say we learned a lot.” He added that seminary training was not all work and no play. “On a personal level, I would say the eight of us had fun together. I think we have become friends for life.” What was the best part of the seminary experience for Deacon Munoz? “The camaraderie,” he said. “It was unique because everybody was interested in everybody else. There was time for the academics, but there was time that we spent together. We prayed together. We ate together. We socialized together. That was a very a good experience.” Now, he’s looking forward to “being able to help people in a wider way than what we do right now,” he said. “We will be of more help.” DEACON LON PHILLIPS In his role as pastoral ministries coordinator, Deacon Phillips works with the many ministers of the parish, assisting them and helping them foster efforts and services. He also trains ministers and lectors, and coordinates Ascension’s construction and renovation projects. “There is always something going on,” he said about the busy parish. He said that Ascension pastor Father Charles Hawkins has expressed his excitement about having another clergy member aboard. “He reminds me that I’ll be really busy,” Deacon Phillips said with a laugh. Deacon Phillips, 59, and wife Jan live in Boca Raton and they have a daughter living in Chicago. He feels like Ascension is his home away from home. “I couldn’t think of a better place to work.” About his addition duties as a deacon, he said, “I look forward to and I’m sure I’ll be called upon to assist in baptisms … (and) liturgical functions in the parish.” His duties will also include involvement in the diocesan Ministry for Young Adults under the direction of Terence McCorry. Deacon Phillips spoke highly of his experiences at the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. “The program is terrific.” When asked about support during his four years, he said he received encouragement, prayers and help from “everybody.” “In terms of the formation process, nobody can do it alone,” Deacon Phillips said. “Success in the formation of a permanent deacon, I think, requires a sense of community. I can’t think of trying to do it any other way.” He is looking forward to his new role as deacon. “I can’t wait,” he said. DEACON STEPHEN SCIENZO Deacon Sceinzo is an independent insurance agent and has been in the business for the past 36 years. He admits keeping up studies along with work were a challenge as he went through formation to become a deacon, but prayer was the key to his success. “God gave me the strength and the fortitude and the perseverance to move forward,” he said. “It seemed the second year started to get easier and easier. God was leading me in the call to the diaconate.” He is active at St. Peter and oversees the parish’s ministry to the sick, working with Deacon John Kucera to visit and bring the Eucharist to the hospitalized, to residents of nursing homes and the homebound. Deacon Scienzo, 58, told the Florida Catholic that he has a great interest in helping in family ministry, reaching out to divorced seeking annulments. Other work areas include involvement in hospital ministry at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach under the direction of Father Aidan Lacy, chaplain. He said Cheri, his wife of 36 years, has been very supportive from the very beginning of his formation process. They have two children and three grandchildren. “It was a great four years. I will miss the teachers and the people who were so good to us,” Deacon Scienzo said. “It’s (St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary) just a great institution for learning as far as preparing for a call to the diaconate. They couldn’t have picked a better facility.” DEACON MARTIN SERRAES Deacon Serraes, 45, said he has been involved in many aspects of the church over the years. He expects his parish involvement will increase as he takes on the new role of deacon. “Being clergy, I will be sitting on several committees as a representative of the pastor, plus taking on the duties of doing wake services, hospital visits and funerals. I will be at the service of the pastor.” Deacon Serraes works in a family construction business. He and his wife, Sheila, have four children. In his new deacon role, his work will includes prison ministry and a position on the diocesan Building Committee. He admits that his four years in formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary caused him to make some sacrifices in being away from the family, but as far as his seminary experience, “I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he told the Florida Catholic. “The experience of the formation (process) with the rest of the group – you can’t place a value on it,” he said. “Things I’ve learned in those four years have completely opened wide my love for the faith and love for the church. The academics themselves were more than we could ever ask for.” He said he received a lot of support throughout his four years from family, close friends, fellow parishioners and members of the Knights of Columbus at Holy Name of Jesus. “The parish was very enthusiastic toward all of us who have been going through the program,” he said. “Father Gavin (Badway, pastor of Holy Name of Jesus) has been the No. 1 fan of the (formation) program. He truly believes in the permanent diaconate and its role in the future of the church.” Deacon Serraes is looking toward his future. “It’s starting to sink in,” he said about his new title. “Things are going to be a little bit different. It’s exciting to say the least.”
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