A DISCERNMENT JOURNEY: TOWARDS THE PERMANENT DIACONATE

I grew up within a Catholic family, but never really learned about my faith beyond the basics necessary to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation Then, during my college years, I grew apart from the “Church of my parents;” I came back to the Church following Penelope, the woman who would eventually become my wife. After moving to the United States, God found me, my wife, and our children as well. We recognize that God put many people in our path who taught us about our faith. Later we also met a community of missionaries, who with much love and perseverance, helped us and taught us to not just know about God, but to know God through His Word and encounter Him in prayer.

If I look back, there isn't a definite moment in which I thought: “I want to be a permanent deacon….” Instead, it was a slow process which spawned throughout several years. I must have started to hear the calling about eight or nine years ago. I remember many times during the consecration, while kneeling on the side of the altar serving as a lector at Mass, I felt Him drawing me near and telling me in my heart that He wanted me to serve Him there. During that time, strangers would approach me and ask if I had ever considered becoming a deacon. Finally, in 2019, God worked out everything for me to start the diaconate program as soon as my wife and I decided to move to the Capital Region. One by one, the Lord kept removing roadblocks, making it effortless for me to start formation with the Diocese of Albany.

God has blessed us with many, many priests whom we have had the chance to get to know and be close to. And during my time of discernment, in which I kept listening to His invitation, He put even more people on our path, several of whom were deacons – beautiful and righteous men. They have shown me the compromises and responsibilities of their vocations, but more importantly, the joy of serving Him through this ministry. Fr. Rick

Lesser had an influence in me getting started with the program here in the Diocese of Albany, even before he became the Director of Diaconate Formation. In addition, Fr. George Fleming has given all the support and prayers needed as my pastor. I continue to be blessed by getting to know many deacons that support, encourage, and guide me, and I thank God for all of them.

My wife and I believe the saying that: “in the Sacrament of Marriage, in the love given to each other, nourished by the grace of God, there is also a call to share the Love we receive from God with others, and doing so in service. But we cannot give what we don’t have, and we cannot speak of what we don’t know ” For this reason, the formation and education I have received through St Bernard’s has enabled my wife and I to discover the richness of our faith and go on to share it with others This aspect of diaconate formation helps us not just to know more about the history, traditions, and teachings of God’s Church, but to be prepared to better help, with His Grace, the people He will send us to serve.

The call to the diaconate was initially for me, and the indelible mark of Holy Orders will be upon my soul, marking it with the responsibilities, burdens, and joys of that vocation. But at the same time, the answer to that call must come from both husband and wife; for this reason, my wife, Penelope, tries, as much as possible, to be part of my formation by auditing every class with me. She shares: “The Lord has placed in my mind and in my heart the desire for the well-being of those around me So I attend classes and in doing so support my husband as well ” Being together during this process as a couple helps my wife and I to learn and speak “the same language,” a new one for both of us, so we may experience how amazing our faith is, together

Eric and Penelope Ramirez moved to the United States from Mexico in 2006 and are members of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Round Lake, NY. The call to the permanent diaconate is God’s idea, and their response is one of gratitude.