Institution of Acolyte

The Institution of Lector and Acolyte

A Life Worthy of the Priesthood

ZACHARY SCHAEFBAUER ’22, DIOCESE OF SIOUX FALLS Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of his Church.” When I reflect on these words from the Rite of ,, 2020, by Archbishop J. Augustine DiNoia, OP, Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. With the installation of acolyte, a seminarian takes on a

Institution of Acolyte, two things come special responsibility with regard to to mind. First, I cannot believe that I the Holy Eucharist. Acolytes are am nearing the end of my seminary instructed “to assist Priests and formation. It seems like only yesterday Deacons in carrying out their ministry,

I was walking through the doors of St. and as special ministers to give Holy

John Vianney College Seminary in St. Communion to the faithful at the

Paul, Minnesota, with the priesthood liturgy and to the sick.” The rite also remaining in the distant future, but I challenges the acolyte to conform now find myself being instituted an himself more closely to Christ’s acolyte with the priesthood practically sacrifice and live more fully in the knocking on the door of my heart. image of Christ, particularly by

My classmates and I were instituted one another.” acolytes on Sunday, February 23, fulfilling his command “to love

Zachary Schaefbauer ’22 (Sioux Falls) stands with his diocesan brother Rev. Anthony Klein ’20 (Sioux Falls) at the foot of the sanctuary in the Immaculate Conception Chapel. My institution as acolyte is yet another instrument by which God disposes my heart to greater receptivity of his divine assistance, that I may purify my life and thus serve worthily in the sacred vocation of the priesthood.

This brings me to my second thought: a haunting feeling of unpreparedness. I am led to ask questions such as, “Am I really ready for priesthood?” and “Am I even worthy of such a call?” In a sense, no, I am not ready. I am not worthy. However, this is a beautiful realization: it is not by my own power or perfection that the priesthood is given to me. It is a divine gift for which God and his Church prepare me and make me worthy. Nevertheless, I must make my life worthy by cooperating with God’s grace and the Church’s formation. My institution as acolyte is yet another instrument by which God disposes my heart to greater receptivity of his divine assistance, that I may purify my life and thus serve worthily in the sacred vocation of the priesthood. n