St. Bernard's Magazine - Spring 2024

T . B E R N A R D ' S M A G A Z I N E

THE WORD BECOMES

A WAY OF LIFE: SERVICE SACRAMENTALIZED: HONORING DEACON JIM CANTELLA

www.stbernards.edu

120 French Road | Rochester, NY 14618 (585) 271-3657

Administration, Faculty, & Staff:

Stephen Loughlin, Ph.D. | President

Matthew Kuhner, Ph.D. | Vice President & Academic Dean

Marco Stango, Ph.D. | Associate Professor of Philosophy

Lisa Lickona, S.T.L. | Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology

Daniel Drain, Ph.D. (Cand.) | Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology

Bernadette Bobrowski | Director of Marketing & Communications, Editor

Matt Brown, M.P.A. | Director of Admissions & Student Services

Deacon Edward Knauf | Director of Finance & Human Resources

Ryan Stansbury | Director of Development

Katharina Nieves | Registrar & Coordinator of Academic Planning

Kelly Brunacini | Executive Assistant to the President

Mary Colleen Drain | Admissions & Marketing Associate, Contributing Editor

Shannon Toot | Bookkeeper & Financial Aid Coordinator

Maria Mruzek | Events Assistant

Julia Sengenberger | Library Assistant

Follow us! @StBernardsSTM

Front Cover Photo: 2023 Ordination to the Diaconate in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, NY Courtesy of RCDA’s Office of Vocations

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

RECENTLY, I HAD THE

opportunity to read through the minutes from Board of Trustees’ meetings from the time of the establishment of our School as St Bernard’s Institute (in 1981 upon the closure of St. Bernard’s Seminary) What I thought would be a penance became a gripping, dramat-

tic read of the School’s history and a profound witness to the care and dedication exhibited by the St Bernard’s community to its students and the quality of the education they received.

The overriding desire felt by this community upon the closure of the Seminary was that it continue to exist as a theological and ministerial resource for both the local Diocese and those beyond who had come to rely upon St Bernard’s for their formational and educational needs In these historical accounts, one encounters faculty, staff, trustees, priests, and alumni intent upon this desire, realized first in St Bernard’s Institute and then in its current iteration as St Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry. In this final iteration we continue in this work, attending to the theological formation required of those who desire to beautifully show forth in their lives and ministries all that is particular to the Catholic Faith, realizing that

To witness generations of students lovingly pour over God’s revelation and then apply what they have learned both to their own lives and that of others is a joy and a privilege made possible by the sacrifices of St Bernard’s staff, faculty, and trustees both past and present, by our Chancellor, His Excellency Bishop Salvatore R Matano (who recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester!), and finally by the continued support that we receive from you, our friends, donors, and alumni Thank you!

In this edition of the St. Bernard’s Magazine, we’d like to share with you a few stories of those who engage upon this work today. We could easily fill these pages four times over with stories such as the ones you are about to read Let the stories, then, that we offer here of dioceses, staff, faculty, students, and alumni be a small but representative sample of the blessings received as they, together with those unnamed both now and from the past, continue to honor the theological and ministerial legacy that is St. Bernard’s these past 130 years

love and grace of God and by the Catholic theological and philosophical traditions their respective ministries must be fueled by the

Sincerely, President

The Word Becomes a Way of Life: Theology and Sanctity

Lisa Lickona, S.T.L.

“Young Virgin Mary” (Oil on Canvas) by Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato

In his apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict XVI encourages scholars to “study the relationship between Mariology and the theology of the word. . . This could prove most beneficial both for the spiritual life and for theological and biblical studies” (n 27) This makes sense No one “hears the word of God and acts on it” (Lk 8:21) as Mary did. For Mary, this hearing and acting was inseparable from a dialogue with God in which she was “keeping all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:19).

This is the heart of theology: pondering God’s word in one’s heart and then letting it grow and be magnified in one’s life.

Reflecting on Mary’s Magnificat, Benedict notes that Mary is “completely at home. . . with the word of God, with ease she moves in and out of it. She speaks and thinks with the word of God; the word of God becomes her word, and her word issues from the word of God Here we see how her thoughts are attuned to the thoughts of God, how her will is one with the will of God” (Deus Caritas Est, n. 41).

But, of course, God’s word is also a Word that has become flesh in Mary. Mary’s main dialogue is with reality itself, the child who grows inside her and is born of her, God mysteriously present in her son Why “mysteriously” present? After all, doesn’t Mary know from the beginning that her son is also the Son of the Most High? She does, of course but we must also admit that after the wonders of the Annunciation and Jesus’ birth, this revelation becomes hidden from her sight. Except for that one moment when they find the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple doing “his Father’s work,” life at Nazareth is normal and unremarkable Mary teaches Jesus to read Joseph educates him in a trade. Jesus grows up and becomes a man among his people. And while all this was happening, Mary had to walk by faith She had to continue to trust God and love her son in the everydayness of it all

How this must have opened Mary’s heart to her neighbors! After God had acted so decisively in her life, what couldn’t she do for others? In this time, God was already preparing Mary to be the mother of each one of us, to take us to herself.

Benedict XVI tells us that, “Mary. . . symbolizes openness to God and others; an active listening which interiorizes and assimilates, one in which the word becomes a way of life” (Verbum Domini, n 27). We see this kind of active listening at the Wedding Feast at Cana (Jn 2:1-11). Mary notices before everyone else that the wine is running low and goes to her son: “They have no more wine ” She then turns to the servants and discreetly tells them, “Do whatever he tells you.” Note well: first she draws her son to the need of their hosts: “They have no more wine ” Then she connects the servants to her son: “Listen to him ” She is intercessor, mediator, mother

How can we do as she does? By letting the Word become a way of life We meet Him in the circumstances of life. Let us serve Him and serve Him in each other.

Lisa Lickona, S.T.L., is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Bernard’s, after having served for eight years as Editor for Saints at Magnificat, where she researched and wrote daily on the lives of the saints Lisa earned her B A at the University of Notre Dame and holds a Masters in Theological Studies and Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.

Professor Lickona will be teaching two Abbey Retreat Courses this summer at the Abbey of the Genesee:

Contemplative Prayer: A Monastic Immersion (June 24 - 28), and Spiritual Formation (July 22 - 26). Learn more: www.stbernards.edu/course-offeirngs

ST. BERNARD’S BOARD OF TRUSTEES: HIGHLIGHTING BOARD MEMBERS

MRS. LIZ GILGES & DR. RICHARD D

EMARTINO

Stephen J. Loughlin, Ph.D.

During the time of my presidency, we have been guided by the Board of Trustees who have given generously of their time, talent, and treasure. The mission, vision, and the gift that St. Bernard’s is to our faith and to the Dioceses that we serve can easily be found in each member of our governing board For their indefatigable work on our behalf, we thank them most heartily!

Allow me to briefly highlight two of our members, Mrs. Liz Gilges and Dr. Richard DeMartino!

Mrs. Liz Gilges joined our board in 2015 She is well known in the Diocese of Rochester and has been an active parishioner of St Benedict’s parish in Canandaigua, NY, for 23 years She is a lector, daily communicant, has taught Pre Cana with her husband for many years, and is involved presently with Baptismal preparation. A mother of six, she finds the time to volunteer with many organizations outside her parish including the School Board of the Diocese of Rochester and most recently The Margaret Home. Liz is the chair of the Board’s Development Committee and in this capacity aids Ryan Stansbury, our Director of Development, in his work. Liz is ever cheerful, full of life and passion for the faith and for all that St. Bernard’s does. Not only does she take our classes whenever she can, she also attends every event that we offer Liz is constantly promoting our mission and has a beautiful way of drawing people together in communal support of great causes

It is my great pleasure to sit on the Board of St. Bernard’s! I couldn’t be more proud of the mission, vision, and commitment of the faculty and staff that make St. Bernard’s the extraordinary institution it is I honestly ask myself, “How did I get so lucky?”

- Liz

Dr. Richard DeMartino also joined our board in 2015 He holds the Albert J Simone Endowed Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and directs the Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He brings much experience to our team, always ready to talk strategy and advise on all budgetary matters. Ever the promoter of our institution, Richard has engaged his undergraduate and graduate students to investigate new opportunities for St. Bernard’s continued growth and can be found praising the gift that St. Bernard’s is even while he is on vacation!

Over the past 9 years, I have had the pleasure to serve on St. Bernard's Board of Trustees, more recently in the capacity of the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. St. Bernard’s activities are so needed in today’s changing world and it has been a great blessing to be part of an organization with such a beneficial Catholic mission.

- Richard

For Liz, Richard, and the entire Board of Trustees, we give our gratitude and thanks!

STAFF HIGHLIGHTS:

Bernadette Bobrowski has served as St. Bernard’s Marketing & Communications Director since early 2019. She is a graduate of Benedictine College in Kansas and the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family

in Washington, D.C. Before arriving at St. Bernard’s, she worked at various non-profits, such as the Word Proclaimed Institute founded by Fr. Francis Martin and the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.

So much of Bernadette’s daily work revolves around increasing the beauty and accessibility of our School: our website that went through an all-encompassing update in 2019, the School’s information brochures and mailings, the refinement of daily and weekly emails that are sent out to our community and stakeholders, the creation and added elegance of our biannual St Bernard’s Magazine, among so many other contributions More importantly, though, Bernadette has been the leader we have needed and relied upon during crucial moments in the life of our institution.

While many of the staff can be quite exuberant, Bernadette brings tranquility and peace to the work environment, guiding our team to make decisions with clarity of thought without missing any of the necessary details. We are so incredibly blessed to have Bernadette here to serve and support our mission at St. Bernard’s!

Matt Brown is St. Bernard’s Director of Admissions & Student Services, a role he has held since 2018 Having received his Bachelor of Arts in Politics from The Catholic University of America and his Master of Public Administration from

SUNY Brockport, much of Matt’s professional experience has been in higher education. He is the backbone of St. Bernard’s Admissions Office and a stalwart guarantor of the School’s mission and vision

As a School of theology and ministry, Matt embodies both of these elements in his everyday meetings and interactions: prospective and current students alike are greeted with enthusiasm and a down-to-earth disposition that is both welcoming and refreshing, allowing opportunities for frank and earnest conversations in service to discernment and formation.

This approach follows the School’s strategic initiative to serve students not only within upstate New York, but also across national and international locales through the investment in online distance education Over the past six years, Matt has made remarkable advancements in serving students from around the world This is no small feat: in every email, Zoom meeting, and phone call, Matt takes the School’s vision to heart in conveying it as an educational institution of theology and ministry that teaches in and from the heart of the Church.

When you next see or interact with Matt Brown, thank him for his incredible efforts, as he is the heart and soul of the Admissions Office!

Diocesan Features

St. Bernard’s is honored to feature each of the Dioceses that we serve in both lay and ministerial formation!

in 1893 and then as an Institute in 1981, St Bernard’s has a long history of serving the formational needs of the Diocese of Rochester. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J Sheen, the 6th Bishop of Rochester, opened the doors of the Seminary to those in formation for religious orders and to lay men and women; he also ordained the first permanent deacon in the United States The School’s service of formation has continued unabated to this very day, offering four accredited degree programs, a wide variety of graduate certificate programs, and the ever-popular “St Bernard’s On the Road,” a series of theological presentations designed for the catechetical needs of parishes in our home diocese

The Diocese of Rochester is St Bernard’s historical home Founded first as a Seminary providing a comprehensive permanent diaconate formation program for men called to this ecclesial mission Our Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies provides the backbone of the intellectual formation provided for the men, and we are blessed to collaborate closely with Deacon Ed Giblin, the Director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate, on the formational team, offering accompaniment and feedback concerning each individual in the program:

My time spent at St. Bernard's, both in study and in fellowship, has not only furthered my understanding of our Catholic faith, but also enriched my spiritual life. This transformation has increased my sensitivities to others' needs and to the responsibility I have as a joyful disciple of Christ.

– Mary Ann Lovelock, ‘21 Master of Arts in Theological Studies

The faculty and staff at St Bernard’s are wonderful partners in the formation program for the permanent diaconate here in the Diocese of Rochester. Beyond the quality instruction for the intellectual dimension of formation, they work with our folks to address the spiritual, pastoral, and human dimensions as well by facilitating opportunities for field education, retreats, liturgies, and prayer. We are most pleased with the conscientious and sincere approach that the faculty and staff, and especially those who serve as advisors, give to the Aspirants and Candidates and their families as they walk the path of formation for ordained ministry in the Church.

–

Deacon Ed Giblin, ‘00

Director, Permanent Diaconate Formation Diocese of Rochester

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rochester, NY

St Bernard’s has served the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany (RCDA) since 1989. During that time, the School has contributed importantly to the Diocese’s diaconate and lay formation programs

Most recently, St Bernard’s has contributed to the intellectual dimension of formation for the RCDA’s seminarians in their Discipleship Stage through the Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy Many have graduated from this program, and we hope that upon the completion of their seminary studies and formation they will be ordained and serve the RCDA as holy and steadfast priests of God

In January of 2024, Bishop Scharfenberger appointed Father Brian Kelly, pastor of St. Ambrose in Latham, NY, and co-pastor of Most Holy Trinity and St Michael’s in Cohoes, NY, as the Vicar for Vocations. He succeeds Fr. Thomas Hoar, SSE, who served in this capacity since August of 2022. Father Kelly is supported by a team that includes Deacon Andrew Haskins, the Director of Initial Diaconate Formation, with whom we work very closely in the formation of their diaconate candidates, particularly as they take advantage of St Bernard’s Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies. Over the past three decades, many graduates from this program continue to serve the needs of the Diocese through their ministry as permanent deacons

The initial formation process for permanent deacons requires the development of the whole person, with special attention to the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral needs of the deacon We are grateful for the cooperation of St Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry as a valued partner in the formation of deacons in the Diocese of Albany. The range of courses offered by St. Bernard’s, the quality of instruction, and the overall educational experience contribute to the intellectual as well as all other dimensions of formation, helping us to prepare well-rounded individuals ready for ministry to the People of God in our Diocese.

– Deacon Andrew Haskins Interim Director of Diaconate Formation Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany

St Bernard’s has provided a solid theological foundation for my ministry in the diaconate. The courses are engaging and applicable for today’s

– Deacon Eddie Trevino Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany challenging and changing world

2023 Ordination to the Diaconate in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, NY

St Bernard’s began its service to the Diocese of Buffalo in 2020 shortly after the

closure of Christ the King Seminary, a truly venerable institution that served the Diocese through formation and education since 1857 Seeking to assist in any way during this extremely difficult time, St. Bernard’s was able to complete the education of some already enrolled at Christ the King through a Teach-Out Plan, emphasizing continuity in coursework and tuition to the utmost degree possible We were blessed likewise to begin collaborating with the Diocese in their permanent diaconate formation program. Working closely with Deacon Tim Chriswell, Director of the Permanent Diaconate, St Bernard’s has provided intellectual formation to several cohorts of men that have been ordained to the permanent diaconate and now serve the people of the Diocese of Buffalo.

As the Director of Formation and Deacons for the Buffalo Diocese, St. Bernard’s assists me in forming men for ministry We spend time together reviewing each student’s progress and determining what is best for them in the upcoming academic year. It is a pleasure to work with the entire team of St. Bernard’s staff and faculty, not just because they are professional in every aspect of their ministry, but because they treat us as their family and care about us. Together, as a team, we assist the men of Buffalo to discern their call to the diaconate.

Lay men and women from across the Diocese of Buffalo are increasingly taking advantage of St. Bernard’s various programs, from the Master’s degree programs to the Certificate in Evangelization Lauri Hahn is a parishioner at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Williamsville, NY, and is a student at St. Bernard’s alongside her husband, Mike Hahn, who is a diaconate candidate for the Diocese of Buffalo Lauri will graduate from our Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies program in May and continues to be an important leader in Catholic education in the Diocese:

I’m so grateful for the Master’s program at St. Bernard’s! As a teacher in a small Catholic school, I enjoy sharing what I have learned with my students and am often amazed to see where the Spirit leads our conversations It is a beautiful reminder of our Christian obligation to spread the

Executive Director and Pre-Calculus Teacher Chesterton Academy of Buffalo, NY Gospel.

– Deacon Timothy Chriswell Director of Deacons, Buffalo Diocese

St Joseph Cathedral, Buffalo, NY, w lemay, CC BY-SA 2 0, via Wikimedia Commons

– Lauri Hahn

St Bernard’s service to the Diocese of Allentown, PA, started in 2021 when the School began to collaborate with the Diocese to provide intellectual formation for their permanent diaconate candidates Since that time, we have worked with Father Eugene Ritz, Vicar for Clergy and Director of the Office for Permanent Diaconate Formation, who has overseen the nurturing of a highly successful diaconate formation program and an impactful college of permanent deacons. The Diocese of Allentown is blessed in many ways, not least of which is the number of men responding to a call to the permanent diaconate!

Lay men and women have also been taking advantage of our programs. It has been a particular blessing for us to support the excellent work in Catholic education within the Diocese! Jason Bach, a longtime theology teacher at Allentown Central Catholic High School and student in our Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy degree program, has brought great insight and passion into our philosophy courses:

St Bernard’s continues to be of invaluable difference!

To try and contain in one or two sentences how much the classes at St. Bernards have helped my teaching is near impossible. I would say this: the philosophy classes at St. Bernard’s, especially because of the professors, always make beauty, goodness, and truth incarnate They do not simply introduce more information superadded to one ’ s undergraduate work; rather, they present knowledge of, and encounter with, a Person, who corresponds to every human being's heart. I have taken this incarnate approach, incorporated it into my own classroom, and it has made all the – Jason Bach Theology Teacher

Allentown Central Catholic High School Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy Student assistance in the formation of men for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Allentown. Their approach understands the beauty and mystery of a vocation in the life of the Church and provides a framework in which a man, together with the Church, discerns the will of God. St. Bernard’s has mastered what Pope Francis calls the “art of accompaniment” as they assist our candidates in each dimension of the process of formation

– Very Rev. Eugene Ritz

Vicar for Clergy and Director of the Office for Permanent Diaconate Formation Diocese of Allentown

2015 Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Allentown, PA

Alumna Highlight, Jen Hughes, ‘22

Faith formation coordinator, art therapist, funeral assistant,

and St. Bernard’s graduate: alumna, Jen Hughes, wears many hats, as do many of those who work in ministry. Though she graduated from our School with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (her second Master’s degree) in 2022, Jen has been working in ministry for over seven years and currently works full time at St. Martin de Porres Parish in the Diocese of Rochester, NY, as their Faith Formation Coordinator

It was her passion for learning and desire to serve her students and their families that led her to pursue theological education with St. Bernard’s in 2018: “I wanted to be able to answer their questions,” she explained, and providentially her pastor at the time was supportive of her efforts, assuring her that, while it was not necessary to receive a degree, doing so may be helpful to her, especially if her heart was drawn in that direction.

St Bernard’s did in fact help in providing not only answers to questions, but deep insights into the faith, all of which Jen is able to put to work through her Family Faith Formation program at St. Martin’s, as well as the Christian Light

services she plans with grieving families at Dougherty Funeral Home where she serves part time. While she learned a great deal during her time at St Bernard’s, Jen asserts that the best part was the camaraderie and friendships she developed with other like-minded students, all of whom were in the same pursuit of goodness, truth, and beauty

"Is it wrong to say my biggest takeaway was my friends?”

As a local student, Jen had the opportunity to attend her courses in person, enabling her to establish several friendships, especially with three of the diaconate candidates from the Diocese of Rochester who studied alongside her It was these friendships that made the initial transition to exclusively online classes during the Covid pandemic more bearable; they are what she continues to cherish deeply post-graduation, meeting up with many of them periodically not only to connect over shared ministerial experiences, but experiences of all kinds

For all those pursuing theological and philosophical formation at St Bernard’s, Jen reminds us that in answering the Lord’s call to discern ministry and formation, He also provides the necessary support and encouragement in the form of classmates and friends, uniquely bonded together in common pursuit of answering the Lord’s call in their lives.

Jen Hughes (2nd row, sixth from the left). St. Bernard’s Class of 2022 Commencement Ceremony, May 6th, 2022

Remembering:

JOLIMORGAN

Class of 2023

Joli Morgan first came to St. Bernard’s in the Fall of 2022 as an auditor for Introduction to Catholic Philosophy, taught by Dr Marco Stango Immediately, Joli became well-known to most of the faculty and staff at St Bernard’s, even as he hailed all the way from Bethel, Alaska.

Joli had an incredibly distinguished life and career: he joined the U S Navy at age 17, worked with different volunteer organizations in Europe, became involved with the Volunteers In Service to America (VISTA) in Kasigluk, Alaska (where he would end up meeting his future wife), was enrolled at Clarkson University in upstate New York where he received his MBA, and then became a Professor at the Kuskokwim Campus of the University of Alaska, where he eventually became a Professor Emeritus

He taught many courses at the Kuskokwim Campus and was a mentor to many students. Joli encouraged students to look at issues from different perspectives and found joy in introducing them to different cultures through films and travel The Smithsonian Institution holds Joli’s films in their archives through the National Museum of Natural History; they document him conducting research on daily life in the Yupik Village in Kasigluk, Alaska, as a VISTA Volunteer.

Though Joli was a member of the Moravian Church for most of his life, he was baptized in the Catholic Church as a child and longed to receive the Sacraments again toward the end of his life. Joli stated that attending St. Bernard’s “led me directly back into the Church.” His professor, Dr. Stango, took notice of Joli’s love and passion for philosophy early on. Dr. Stango recalls “Joli attending classes

from the airport while traveling to and back from his cancer treatments in Anchorage I remember Joli trying to understand every bit of the philosophy we were discussing together as if his eternal life depended on it.”

In June of 2023, Joli passed away from a long, hardfought battle with esophageal cancer, which ultimately spread to his liver. Before Joli passed, he told Dr. Stango, “I imagine I’ll be in a masterclass pretty soon.” St. Bernard’s awarded Joli Morgan an honorary Master of Arts in Catholic Philosophy degree in 2023

Joli is survived by his wife, Ina, of 54 years, and their son, Kevin Morgan. We pray that Joli is finally reunited with his son, Christopher Morgan, who passed away in 2015

Footage of Joli’s research can be found in the Smithsonian Institution’s archives through the National Museum of Natural History here: www.si.edu/es/object/archives/sova-hsfa-1976-07.

DEACON JIM CANTELLA Service Sacramentalized: Honoring

Matthew Kuhner Ph.D.

Every man who receives the sacrament of Holy Orders – every permanent deacon, priest, and Bishop – has a unique mission in the Church. Truly, they are conformed in their very being to the ministerial heart of Jesus Christ through this sacrament, and their role as ordained ministers in the Church is irreplaceable in a general sense Nevertheless, their role is also irreplaceable in relation to this moment in history, to the context and the concerns of their specific ecclesial mission

Jim Cantella’s mission as a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Buffalo was like the proverbial shooting star: bright, burning, and all-too-brief, profoundly impacting all who witnessed it While a shooting star is seen for but a brief moment, the vision of it stays with you forever.

ing brain tumor, which would ultimately conclude his life less than 60 days later. His preparation for ordination took place over the course of six years, spanning two different graduate schools and countless hours of formation. Of particular note, he logged over 45 hours of sacramental and liturgical instruction and over 60 hours of instruction and practice in homiletics And yet, remarkably, he had the opportunity to assist at his first Mass on ordination weekend, only to assist at his last Mass just two weeks later While he had prepared to deliver homilies over many, many years of active ministry, he had the opportunity to preach a homily only once

How are we to understand this mystery, this tragic loss of a great man and a newly ordained permanent deacon – especially in a cultural context that so desperately needs the gifts and the dedication of Deacon Jim? Deacon Jim’s ordination to the permanent diaconate all but coincided with the revelation of a life-threaten-

Grace perfects nature, but grace is never limited by

nature: the constraints of time do not have the last word when God acts When Deacon Jim was ordained, his soul was indelibly marked by the grace of this mighty sacrament: truly, Deacon Jim will be a permanent deacon forever. Indeed, as we pray for his intercession, he offers such intercessory prayers on our behalf now, from heaven, always as a deacon. His ordination made him service sacramentalized: his very existence became a sign that effectively communicated the service, the charity, and the love of Jesus Christ, the one who came not to be served but to serve (see Mt 20:28) Countless people attested to the fact that, between his ordination and his death, Deacon Jim was indeed a living expression of service

During a particularly remarkable moment, the nurses entered Deacon Jim’s hospital room to place him on a ventilator. The nurses, who had come to love and appreciate Deacon Jim, became visibly upset and disturbed about this development and that nothing could be done to avoid it. Deacon Jim, with beaming eyes and no preoccupation with his own suffering, comforted and reassured them throughout the process. Similarly, while many in their final days are tempted to turn inward in their suffering, Deacon Jim – undoubtedly moved by grace –turned outward: he was available for visitation from any and all people until the very end

While Deacon Jim only delivered one homily from the ambo, he continued to preach mightily from his hospital bed. He preached the Gospel to all precisely through the way he suffered and died. What greater service is there than showing so vividly how Jesus has conquered death: not only his own death on the Cross, but all death – even this death that Deacon Jim faced so tragically and so early His unflagging hope in Christ made him no longer regard his own death as a barrier, but a bridge to everlasting communion; he showed what it means to die in Christ, and to believe that nothing at all will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:38) His very soul was marked indelibly with the ministerial office of Jesus Christ; Deacon Jim showed us what it means for this indelible mark to shine through, even in death.

Through Deacon Jim’s entire formation and time as a deacon, his wife, Maria, was always by his side supporting him and encouraging his vocation She showed tremendous faith in Christ for the entire duration of Deacon Jim’s suffering: she likewise could be found encouraging those around her, placing trust in the ultimate goodness of God’s plan. She became the quintessential sign of marital love, which expressed itself through words,

silent presence, tender deeds of care… whatever was required in the moment. Truly, their bond only strengthened in suffering, for they shared “a single hope, a single desire, a single observance, a single service [of God] ” (Tertullian, Ad uxorem, II, VIII, 6-8)

Deacon Jim was ordained alongside six other permanent deacons. For those attending the ordination liturgy, the seven ordinands recalled the great moment in the Acts of the Apostles when the first seven deacons were appointed, men who were “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3) Interestingly, one of those seven, St Stephen, died as a witness to Jesus Christ shortly after he was appointed a deacon Can we suggest that Deacon Jim was the St Stephen of this permanent diaconate class? Did we not discover, just as we did from St Stephen’s martyrdom, that being service sacramentalized means service of the Lord and his Church above all by giving everything – most particularly in our very death?

The faculty and staff of St Bernard’s are honored to have played a role in Deacon Jim’s formation, and we are even more grateful to have received the example and the witness of his final days Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may Deacon Jim keep all permanent deacons in the Diocese of Buffalo and in the universal Church in his prayers

Deacon Jim Cantella and his wife, Maria, with Most Rev. Bishop Michael Fisher

Deacon Cantella (2nd row, 3rd from left), with fellow ordinands and Deacon Tim Chriswell, Director of Deacons, St. Bernard’s Commencement 2023