Dear Friends:
As a parish community we rejoice in the upcoming ordination to the Order of the Diaconate of one of our own, Louis Santiago. He will be ordained as a permanent deacon by Archbishop Blair in solemn ceremonies at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford this coming Saturday, June 3, at 11:00 AM. Any and all of our parishioners who would like to attend the ceremony are more than welcome.
Louis has come to this important day in his spiritual life after a lengthy process of formation, formation that involved academic work, spiritual exercises, pastoral training and human development. It was my privilege to recommend the admission of Louis, along with his seven classmates to the formation program for the diaconate when I was at the end of my time serving as Director of Diaconate Formation. I will say that the ensuing years have had more than their challenges for this class of very fine and able men. The formation program was revamped, and in the middle of it all, the pandemic came upon us, wreaking its havoc. Nonetheless, they have persevered and are now ready to proceed to ordination as deacons. We congratulate Louis, his wife, Giuliana, and his daughters. We wish him well as he embarks on a life of service to God’s people in the Church, wherever the Archbishop assigns him, which, at this writing, has not been announced formally.
Next Sunday, June 4, Trinity Sunday, Louis will assist at his first Mass as a deacon at St. Mary’s at 10:00 AM. He will be delivering his first homily at that Mass. After the Mass, in Father Cronin Hall, there will be a simple reception for purposes of greeting Deacon Santiago, congratulating him, and wishing him well. I hope that many of you will make an effort to be at that Mass next Sunday.
The following Sunday, June 11, is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the patronal feast of our parish. We will be celebrating this important day by having a solemn procession with the Blessed Sacrament on the grounds of St. Agnes’ Church after the 10:30 AM Mass, followed by time for silent prayer and adoration along with devotional prayers and reflections, and concluding with Benediction at 2:00 PM. Come to part of it or all of it as your schedule permits. Any time spent with our Eucharistic Lord is time well-spent. More details will be made available in next Sunday’s bulletin.
Have a good week!