By Thomas Piro
After seven long years, I can’t believe the day is about to come! I’ll be ordained a transitional deacon on May 11, 2024, at Saint Joseph Church in Sea Isle City. This is the final “step” to becoming a priest. I will receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders and be able to serve the faithful in South Jersey by baptizing, blessing homes, witnessing marriages, preaching and more.
As a deacon, I am to assist in the ministry of the Word, liturgical worship, leadership and serving with charity. Of these four roles, I am looking forward to serving as a minister of the Word. At the ordination rite, Bishop Dennis Sullivan will present the Book of the Gospels to me and say, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.” After ordination, I will be able to proclaim the Gospel and preach in the name of the Church.
While growing up, I received the Gospel of Christ. From my parents, teachers and mentors, I have received the Gospel of Christ. In all my years of formation, study and prayer, I have received the Gospel of Christ. At my ordination, I will receive the Gospel of Christ, and will be given a mission to be a herald, to be an announcer of the Good News. I will do this by preaching at Mass with my words and leading the faithful by my actions.
Preaching the Gospel will be a great joy for me, particularly at Mass. For years, I have studied and prayed with the Scriptures. Soon, I will be able to preach every weekend. When I entered the seminary, preaching was something I looked forward to, but was always nervous about. I am an introvert and would always get nervous speaking in front of others. In fact, I still do! Throughout my years of formation, however, I learned to trust the Lord and give him all my fears. While doing that, I always felt calm when I approached the pulpit or lectern, whether it be vocation talks, class presentations or simply making announcements at the seminary. There were times when I felt like I could do it on my own, but those talks always fell flat. Eventually, I realized that if I place my trust in myself, I’m not going to be effective; my preaching will bear no fruit. If I give everything, however, to God, he will do marvelous things with me.
At my ordination, I will be a herald of Christ – not myself. I will lay prostrate on the floor of Saint Joseph Church and give myself completely to the Lord and his people. In my preaching, I will always make sure that Christ is the center of my homilies. I am not here to preach my Gospel, but His. Please pray for me as I begin this adventure with the Lord, and pray that more young men may hear the call to preach the Gospel as priests of Jesus Christ.
Thomas Piro is third theology, Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Yonkers, N.Y.
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