ORLANDO | Eighteen men promised to serve the Lord with their lives, becoming deacons for the Diocese of Orlando, June 8, 2024. Family and friends packed the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in support of the new clergy who offered themselves as witnesses of faith and diakonia, which is Greek for “service.”

As he prayed with his wife, Lynette, just hours before ordination, Deacon Edgar Jecino’s thoughts returned to his recent retreat reflection on Eucharistic Prayer III. At the retreat, the 18 men were asked to reflect in what way were they willing to offer themselves as “spiritual sacrifice.”

Deacon Jecino recalled the Mass, when the priest extends his hands over the offerings and says, “May He make of us an eternal offering to you, so that we may obtain an inheritance with your elect.” He said that sentence stood out in his mind. “I never thought of us deacons as offering ourselves eternally. I always thought of it as Christ offering Himself. But in the prayer, we are trying to reciprocate that offering — that our life going forward is offered for Him and the Kingdom of God.”

He said he thought about lying on the floor before the bishop. “We are going down into the tomb with Him, dying to self eternally, joining Him in His sacrifice.” The reality of what this meant, what it entailed was sobering, yet filled with peace. “What Jesus did for us was out of love. If I am going to follow Him, this is the path,” he said.

Deacon Jecino knows it will not be easy. He has already had his share of tribulation, losing his son early in his formation. But he said he knows Jesus will continue to provide the strength to help him surrender, putting himself last to help bring forth God’s kingdom. He acknowledged the difficulty of constant surrender, and noted he will continue to depend on God to sustain him and his wife in their commitment. “Scripture is my fuel, and daily Mass. They set the tone.”

Deacon Felix Hernández and his wife, Becky, agreed. “We are full of joy for this moment. It’s been a journey accompanied by many in our community of St. Isaac Jogues,” said Deacon Hernández. Then he quoted, Rom 8:30: “And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.” “Scripture is a way God speaks to us. Upon interior reflection we walk and try to hear and understand His call for us. The more we walk and discover Him, the more we are filled with the glory of the Holy Spirit. We’ve been given the opportunity to have journeyed through long years of joy and tribulations, to arrive here, together. Each of us 18, was chosen to serve their communities and become the image of Christ for them. We thank you for the support of those communities. Without that, we could never have made it.”

In his homily, Bishop John Noonan quoted Pope Francis. “As Church, we are entrusted with the task of putting out into the deep waters of the sea and casting the nets of the Gospel, not pointing fingers, not accusing, but bringing to the men and women of our time an offer of life, the life of Jesus.” Bishop Noonan continued, “You are called to open the Gospel and invite people to hear God’s Word in a multicultural society; to bring the closeness of the Father to situations of increasing uncertainty and poverty, especially among young people. You are called to bring the love of Christ wherever families are fragile, and relationships wounded. You are compelled to transmit the joy of the Spirit where discouragement and fatalism reign.” The mission is a great one, but the new deacons are prepared.

Deacon Joe Pizzarello and his wife, Kristy, are parishioners of St. Margaret Mary. They spoke of how their journey has been preparation, not just for them but also their children, now ages 8 to 18. Deacon Pizzarello recalled a family video of the years in formation. “Just watching the children grow up during the whole process was pretty amazing. It’s been an amazing journey for all of us and I know that each of them has found their own calling with the Lord. It’s a celebration — not only for our family — but for our parish family, diocesan family, our whole Church family. I know for my 17 brothers and I, we’re ready to serve the Lord in the same way we’ve served our families. And our family is ready to serve one another as they have throughout this process. We’re excited and hope to continue to hear what the Lord is calling us to do in our own way. All we can do is what we do every day – say, ‘Here I am Lord. We are ready to serve and move forward.’”

Click here to watch the ordination video.

Diaconate Ordination 2024

By Glenda Meekins of the Florida Catholic Staff, June 13, 2024