The ceremony took place in the Basilica of St. Eugene in Rome, and the consecrating bishop was Monsignor Hugo Nicolás Barbaro, bishop of San Roque De Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña (Argentina).
Monsignor Hugo Barbaro: “Be a carpet for others”
In his homily, Monsignor Barbaro underlined the spirit of service that characterizes the life of the deacon and the priest, “because Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his own life.”
The consecrating bishop encouraged the new deacons to help the prelate of Opus Dei in his pastoral service and to burn into their souls “the teachings of St. Josemaría, who longed to be the servant of the whole world, without distinction.”
“So what does the diaconate add to the service of a layman, what does it add to the future ministerial priesthood? St. Josemaría himself answers them: the priest must be a carpet where others tread softly; then begins for you a time of training in this, of being a carpet,” he said.
The bishop recalled these words of Pope Francis: “To serve means to be available, to renounce living according to one’s own agenda, to be prepared for the surprises of God that manifest themselves through people, through unforeseen events, through changes of schedule, through situations that do not fit into one’s own plans.”
And he explained to the deacons: “It is logical that a deacon and a priest have a schedule, a plan of activities, but it is important – part of service and dedication – not to lose sight of the fact that God speaks through the needs of our brothers, of the people, and often they do not fit with what is planned.”
To be “a carpet on which everyone treads softly” – he added – it is necessary “to have one ear on God and the other ear on the people, as the Pope often says.” And quoting the founder of Opus Dei again, he added that “we are here to serve others, making their path easier” and that “to serve is to help, to pray, to forgive, to smile, to encourage, to mortify oneself, to attend, to listen, to treat everyone with the same affection.”
Monsignor Ocáriz: Christ is the model of service
At the end of the ceremony, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, prelate of Opus Dei and Ordinary of the new deacons, thanked the consecrating bishop and congratulated the ordinands and their families. He also stressed that in this “special mission of service to the people of God, Christ is the model.” For this reason, “the personal encounter with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and in prayer is fundamental, because that is where we enlarge our hearts, so that all people can fit in,” in imitation of the heart of Christ.
Addressing the families, he encouraged them “with your prayers to continue accompanying the new deacons in the months prior to their ordination as priests.” “I cannot help but think,” he added, “of the joy that St. Josemaría will have in Heaven at this moment. We turn to his intercession so that the new deacons may know how to welcome and accompany all souls. On this journey they will always be able to count on all of us and on the maternal mediation of the Blessed Virgin.”
The 20 new deacons are: Vincenzo Affinita (Italy), Stefano Baravelli (Italy), John Robert Bickford (United States), Daniel Callejo (Spain), Ramón Díaz Perfecto (Hungary), Artur Escamilla (Australia), Santiago Fabregat (Mexico), Ramón Fernández Aparicio (Spain), Luis García-Menacho Ariz (Spain), José María López-Barajas (Austria), Jose Miguel Marasigan (Philippines), Robert Alvin Marsland (United States), Ezequiel Mercau (Ireland), Álvaro Orejana Martín (Spain), Pedro Perkins (Argentina), Santiago Populín Such (Argentina), Enrique Sañoso Vela (Spain), Antonio Santos García (Spain) Gonzalo Silió Pardo (Spain), Cristóbal Vargas Balcells (Chile).
In this link you can see the streaming broadcast offered by the Basilica of San Eugenio. Here you can download the book with the texts of the ceremony.-
