Diaconate Ordination in Rome

On The Feast Of The Archangels

MICHAEL, RAPHAEL, AND GABRIEL, September 29th, twenty-three of my classmates from the Pontifical North American College and I were ordained to the transitional diaconate in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican by Bishop Austin Vetter. After seven years of seminary formation, and many more years prior of discerning the Lord’s calling in my life, words truly cannot describe the profundity and beauty of receiving this gift. By our diaconate ordination, my classmates and I became the Lord’s servants and desire nothing more than to be attentive in all our thoughts, words, and actions to the needs of His most holy Church.

In the ordination Mass, my brother deacons and I freely made the promises of prayer, celibacy, and obedience. It is in and through these three promises that we are called to offer our lives in prayerful service to God’s people and to the Church. The first promise that is made is to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and, by doing so, keep the command of Christ to pray always. When praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the deacon, and all those who promise to pray it, is not only offering these prayers for himself and sanctifying the hours of his day; rather, he prays for the sanctification of the Church and God’s people worldwide. In his homily, Bishop Vetter beautifully said, “When we get to heaven, I think that we will be shocked by the difference that our praying the breviary has meant for the world.” We, therefore, pray with and for the world! We also promise obedience to our bishops and their successors, in whom we are privileged to share in the ministry entrusted to them. In the promise of chaste celibacy, we unite ourselves to Christ and become fully committed in making the Kingdom of God present in the world.

After being ordained and vested in the proper vestment of the deacon, I knelt before the bishop as he handed me the Book of the Gospels and said, “Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” This is a beautiful prayer and a profound commission that the Holy Church gives to deacons; to receive, believe, proclaim, and teach the Gospel of Christ. Throughout my month of being a deacon, I have loved the gift of proclaiming the Gospel as deacon within the Holy Mass and also of preaching the Gospel message through my life and through homilies. I have been privileged to preach and serve the altar as deacon many times since I have been ordained at holy sites like the rooms of Ignatius, where I prayed especially for Loyola College Prep, my alma mater, and for the students there, and at the tomb of St. John Berchmans, where I prayed for the Cathedral parishioners and indeed for the faithful of the Diocese of Shreveport.

Throughout the next several months, I will continue my studies and priestly formation. In a beautiful and exciting manner, the primary focus for this academic year is rooted in learning how to celebrate the Sacraments worthily and prayerfully; namely, the Holy Mass, Marriage, Baptism, and Reconciliation. While I continue my studies, I look forward with great anticipation to my priestly ordination. On June 24th, 2023, the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Bishop Malone will ordain Deacon Gabriel Cisneros Campos and myself to the holy priesthood at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans at 10 AM. All are welcome and encouraged to join in this wonderful celebration!

The days leading up to and following my diaconate ordination, I received many messages of congratulations and prayers from the wonderful, faithful people of the Diocese of Shreveport. I was grateful to be once again reminded of the prayers and support of all the many people who encouraged and inspired me to openly follow the Lord. Once again, I am incredibly grateful. Throughout the next few months, I humbly ask that you continue to pray for Deacon Gabriel and for me. Please also join me in praying that more men from the Diocese of Shreveport will openly and prayerfully consider the beautiful and life-giving vocation to the Holy Priesthood.

JUNE 24, 2023, 10 AM