This coming Saturday, Jan 13th, Bishop Ryan P. Jimenez will install five aspirants to the Permanent Deaconate as Acolytes. This is an important step towards diaconal ordination. The church reminds us that before anyone may be promoted to the diaconate, whether permanent or transitory, he must have received the ministries of lector and acolyte, and have exercised them for an appropriate time, so that he may ‘be better disposed for the future service of the word and the altar’. In this way the candidates come to sacred orders fully aware of their vocation, ‘fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, constant in prayer and aware of the needs of the faithful’ (Rm 12:11-13)”.
Sometimes we call our altar servers as ‘acolytes’. This is a term reserved for those who are allowed to do certain functions at the altar in assisting the priest at Mass. Some of our altar servers may have been made acolytes but most have not been received into this position.
According to the liturgical guidelines of the Church, “The acolyte is appointed in order to aid the deacon and to minister to the priest.” It is his duty therefore to attend to the service of the altar and to assist the deacon and the priest in liturgical celebrations, especially in the celebration of Mass; he is also to distribute communion as a special minister… “In the same extraordinary circumstances an acolyte may be entrusted with publicly exposing the Blessed Sacrament for adoration by the faithful and afterward replacing it, but NOT with blessing the people.
The Rite of Installation will take place at Santa Soledad Church on Saturday January 13th at 10:00 AM. Family friends and parishioners are invited to join. Light refreshments will be served afterward.
This is the final “minor order” they will receive prior to their ordination to the permanent diaconate. Stan Benavente, Jeff Camacho, Tony Yarobwemal, Tom Schweiger and Rosiky Camacho were installed as Lectors on Dec 13th at St Jude Church. The ordination to Permanent Deaconate is scheduled for Saturday April 7, 2018 at Mt Carmel Cathedral.
