OCEAN CITY – Shortly after being ordained a transitional deacon, Ricardo Lozano Cruz embraced hundreds of friends and family, parishioners, clergy and religious with his warm, heartfelt gaze.
“You are my vocation,” he said, as the excited hum in Saint Damien’s parish hall fell silent. “Thank you very much for inspiring me and teaching me about faith.”
That sentiment of community was present throughout the day as Bishop Dennis Sullivan celebrated the Ordination Mass of Ricardo Cruz on May 20 in Saint Augustine Church, a worship site of Saint Damien Parish. There, hundreds from across the Diocese and beyond – including family from Colombia – filled the pews, raising their voices in prayer and song as the seminarian took his next steps on the road to priesthood.
“Do you resolve to conform your manner of life always to the example of Christ?” Bishop Sullivan asked during the Promise of the Elect.
“I do,” Ricardo Cruz answered as he then knelt before the Bishop and promised obedience to him and his successors. After lying prostrate during the Litany of Supplication, he once again knelt before Bishop Sullivan as the Diocese’s shepherd placed his hands upon the young man’s head, bestowing the Holy Spirit and the conferral of the diaconal order.
In his homily, Bishop Sullivan referenced a recent reflection written by Ricardo Cruz in which the seminarian spoke of his summer assignment in Holy Cross Parish, Bridgeton. “I had a powerful experience of God through the vibrant and overflowing faith of the community. … I felt God was uncovering my heart to talk in the deepest silence of my soul,” the Bishop quoted.
“The heart of our soon-to-be deacon was reached and touched, not through reason, but by people – by women and men, girls and boys, consecrated religious women and parish priests,” Bishop Sullivan said. “They strengthened his call, encouraged his call to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. And many of them are poor immigrants whose love for God, parish and family was observed and ingested by this young seminarian. Ricardo, your essay tore at your bishop’s heart.”
He continued, “My son, Mijo, this ordination puts you directly on the road to the ordained priesthood by joining you more closely to the altar of the Lord. [The diaconate] is a ministry of triple service: service of liturgy, service of the Word of God and service of charity. … As you undertake these triple ministries, you act officially as a minister of the Church. Oh yes, you have been doing ministry as a requisite of your formation in the seminary. The difference is that as an ordained deacon, your ministry is that of a public figure in our Church.”
Reflecting on the Gospel reading from Matthew 5:13-16 – “You are the salt of the earth. … You are the light of the world” – Bishop Sullivan said, “Light up the world with the brightness of your joy and your laughter and your infectious smile. … Make the world more to God’s taste. … When you are at the altar as a deacon, show deep reverence for the body and blood of the Lord, show a reverence that inspires the people so that they turn their thoughts and hearts not to you, but to Christ and to his real presence in the Holy Eucharist.”
Spiritual Manhood
Bishop Sullivan also preached on the sacrifices of a transitional deacon, and the requirement of celibacy.
“Celibacy has as much to do with love as the Sacrament of Matrimony. It can widen your heart to hear, to listen, to respond, not just to one person, but to all women and men,” he said, reflecting on celibacy as spiritual fatherhood. “A spiritual father loves, guides and helps his children. The spiritual father relates maturely to women, whom he respects. Ricardo, be a spiritual father, and you will find as much satisfaction as does a natural father.”
This was a sentiment in which Father Thomas Newton, pastor of Saint Damien Parish, agreed. As the one to vest Ricardo Cruz with his liturgical garments, Father Newton has seen the seminarian’s discernment mature since he first arrived in the United States. Knowing little English and having no family in the Diocese, Ricardo Cruz lived with Father Newton, who was then a pastor in Cherry Hill.
“I watched him grow in these past five years – in terms of his intellectual and theological abilities, as a spiritual person and in his ability to speak English. But more than anything, grow into a healthy, Christian man. You can’t be a priest or deacon without being a healthy man,” Father Newton said, explaining that part of formation should include introspection and understanding one’s own happiness, sadness, pain and struggles.
“I have learned a lot from him about the desire to serve God more deeply. I learned about laughter and humor. So when he asked me to vest him, it was a testimony to our friendship. I really think of him as a brother. He brings hope to my life as a priest and a man, and I think he brings hope to the Church,” Father Newton said.
A Shining Light
If the crowds of people were any indication, Ricardo Cruz is already bringing that hope to the Church of Camden. Many in attendance at the Mass and luncheon afterward were parishioners from his summer assignments and those he has gotten to know over the years.
“It was beautiful to see a good number of people from different parishes and his different assignments. We are thankful for their love and support,” said Father Adam Cichoski, diocesan director of vocations.
Father Matthew Weber, pastor of Holy Cross Parish, said he was moved by the sentiments expressed in Ricardo Cruz’s essay – the one referenced in Bishop Sullivan’s homily.
“He immediately, from the day he arrived, gave his all. He was such a positive influence,” Father Weber said.
In the year ahead, Ricardo Cruz will finish his studies while also serving as a transitional deacon in the Diocese. Father Weber said he sees this next step as the fruit of Ricardo Cruz’s daily “yes.”
“He is that salt and light that we need. He’s bringing joy, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit,” Father Weber said. “He’s so generous, so giving, and he’s willing to help in any way possible. And he’s open. I think that’s key. He’s open to serving all people, and he’s open to learn.”
That was a trait Deacon Bill Johnson saw while he was serving at the Bridgeton parish, too. “He’s very spiritual, very willing to learn and he possess all of the qualifications God is calling a deacon and a priest to be.”
While these gifts continue to be discovered by those in the Diocese of Camden, there are some who have known it their whole lives.
“Ricardo is always smiling. I think happiness is very useful to communicate God’s Word,” said Ricardo Cruz’s sister, Erika, who traveled with family from Colombia for the Ordination Mass. “It’s really, really great for me to know that not only is he my brother, he also is an instrument of God who will help a lot of people.”
His mother, Miryam, said she was sure from the beginning that her son would be called to the priesthood. “It is a gift from God for me, too. I am very happy.”
The Ordination Mass for Ricardo Lozano Cruz was livestreamed on diocesan social media accounts. To watch a replay of the Mass, visit YouTube.com/camdendiocese.
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