Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat told the faithful, “St. Padre Pio reminds us: prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart,” as he presided over a Diaconate Ordination Mass at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers.    

At the Saturday, November 9 gathering, which drew nearly 300 people, eight seminarians were ordained by Bishop Espaillat into the diaconate as transitional deacons to be later ordained into the priesthood next May. Three of the men will serve in the Archdiocese of New York: Michael F. Coleman, Kevin A. Noyola, and Aaron J. Salvan.

The other five men will serve in the Diocese of Brooklyn: Benoit Chavanne, Juan C. Herrera-Posada, Callistus C. Ibeh, Robert A. Ruggiero, and Alvaro M. Sanchez. There were 70 concelebrants, including Monsignor Robert Murphy from the Holy See Mission to the UN, who was representing Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia; Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Raymond Chappetto, Diocese of Brooklyn; and Bishop James Massa, rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary and Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.                       

“Peace be with you – welcome everyone. Welcome to this wonderful day of celebration in which we gather as a Church to ordain these eight brothers to the diaconate,” Bishop Espaillat said in his welcoming remarks at the start of Mass, celebrated inside the seminary chapel. “This is a glorious day, and we rejoice.”  

The homily message 

During his homily, the bishop spoke about the importance of the diaconate, noting that the word’s Greek origin (diakonia) means “service, ministry.” He said that we all should allow the Holy Spirit to work in us so that we can “work through Him for the Kingdom.”

“As bishops, as priests, as deacons, we are – and should be – permanently in a state of diakonia. We should always be in the state of ministry, in the state of service,” Bishop Espaillat said, emphasizing the paramount significance of maintaining a prayer life as a central part of service. Not doing so, he said, “could quickly spiral out of control, and it becomes ‘about me,’ and it becomes about feeling good.”  

The bishop added, “And can I quickly remind you what happened in the Garden of Eden, and fast-forward you to the state of our world today. Because many people think, ‘It’s all about me.’ We can never forget, my brothers, whose Kingdom we are serving and why.” He went on to cite the teachings of St. Padre Pio, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” And the bishop noted, “When God is not the center of our world, it can be disastrous. St. Padre Pio reminds us:  Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart.” He told the seminarians, “I want to thank you for saying yes; thank you for accepting the call.” The homily was then proceeded by the Promise of the Elect, the Litany of Supplication, the Laying of Hands and Prayer of Ordination, and the Vesting of the New Deacons. 

Bishop Massa, the seminary rector, gave closing words of gratitude. The morning Mass was followed by a breakfast reception at the seminary. 

Interviews with new deacons

After the Mass, newly ordained Deacon Coleman told The Good Newsroom that he had long wanted to serve the children of God as a member of the Catholic clergy.

“The Lord has asked me to take on this call to the priesthood, to help with the salvation of souls,” Coleman, 31, said shortly after taking outside photos with relatives and friends who attended the gathering. “I truly know that no matter where I go, He’s always with me.” Coleman was born in Nyack and raised in Pearl River. His current home parish is St. Margaret of Antioch in Pearl River. 

 Deacon Noyola, 30, said, “The diaconate means service, and that’s what it’s really all about. Deep down, we’re rooted in service – loving God and loving our neighbors; we’re giving our lives away to be of service to God and to His people.” Noyola was born in the Bronx and raised in Harlem. His current home parish is St. Joseph of the Holy Family in Central Harlem.   

Deacon Salvan, 28, said, “Today was a wonderful day; this is my seventh year in formation to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. I’m excited because this means that, as a deacon, I can now serve more closely in the parishes.” Salvan was born and raised in the Philippines. His current home parish is St. John Chrysostom in the Bronx.