24 New Deacons: “Our Lord is calling all men and women to holiness”

Excerpt from the homily of Bishop Yanguas at the diaconal ordination of 24 faithful of Opus Dei, and also some words from the Prelate of Opus Dei after the ceremony.

Bishop José María Yanguas, bishop of Cuenca (Spain), ordained the new deacons in a ceremony held in the Basilica of San Eugenio (Rome), on Saturday November 20th.

In his homily. Bishop Yanguas addressed the deacons with the following words: “I am the one who has chosen you, Jesus says. I have singled you out; I have loved you with predilection, with a special love. This love is not a reason for pride or vanity; it does not make anyone worthy of admiration, to be held in high esteem by others. Divine choice is always a gift, something gratuitous. This should lead you to always live your vocation with humility, with the clear awareness that it is a gift that demands in return the fruits of holiness and pastoral dedication.”

And he continued: “Our Lord wants to make use of each of you to remind people that He is calling all men and women, through your words and your humble but authentic commitment to live a life fully consistent with the Christian faith. We don’t want to be like that famous captain who urged the others to embark while he remained comfortably on the shore. Our Lord is calling us personally to live the adventure of holiness, with the fullest possible identification with Him, and to remind people that this is God’s will for each person.”

Words of the Prelate of Opus Dei

At the end of the ceremony, the Prelate of Opus Dei, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, addressed some words to those present.

Your excellency, dear Don José María, dear new deacons, relatives and friends:

I want to congratulate you and join in the joy of the whole Church for this diaconal ordination. I give thanks to God for continuing to send forth “laborers into his harvest,” in particular in this small family of the Work within the people of God.

As deacons you are called to a special vocation of service, in the liturgy, in the proclamation of the word and in charity. You know that Christ is the model of service, that out of love He made himself the servant of all. In these final weeks of the Year dedicated to Saint Joseph, we can learn from the Holy Patriarch, as Pope Francis insists, to watch over and love tenderly all those entrusted to us, always thinking about their good and their happiness. Let us ask Saint Joseph for a heart that watches over the needs of others, so that Christ’s words become a reality in us: “I have not come to be served, but to serve.” In the encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist and in prayer you will always find the grace needed to carry out your ministry.

I address now especially the families of the new deacons. They need you now in a special way. They are relying on your closeness and your prayer in this time of formation before their priestly ordination. And all of you who are physically far from them should realize that we are actually very close because of the communion of saints. I am sure that the new deacons can sense your support and affection at this time.

Today is also a day to remember Saint Josemaría, Blessed Alvaro and Blessed Guadalupe. We turn to their intercession asking that the new deacons may truly have a heart that watches over the needs of others.

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The 24 new deacons come from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, the United States, the Philippines, France, Mexico and Switzerland.

These are their names:

  • John Warriner Boles (United States)
  • Lucas Calonje Espinosa (Spain)
  • Andrés Ramiro Cárdenas Matute (Ecuador)
  • Jorge Francisco Castillo Olvera (Mexico)
  • Marcos Cavestany Olivares (Spain)
  • Eduardo De la Morena de la Fuente (Spain)
  • Lorenzo De Vittori (Switzerland)
  • Etienne Alexandre Marie Desjonquères (France)
  • José María Díaz Dorronsoro (Spain)
  • Santiago Díaz González (Spain)
  • Jaime Falcó Prieto (Spain)
  • Jose Paulo Reyes Luistro (Philippines)
  • Ignacio José Manzano Fontaine (Argentina)
  • Pedro Medina de Arteaga (Colombia)
  • Carlos Merino Tormo (Spain)
  • Jesús Salvador Olmeda Román (Mexico)
  • Gabriel María Pérez Halcón (Spain)
  • Alberto Pérez Herrera (Spain)
  • Rubén Rodríguez Rubio (Spain)
  • Felipe Gustavo Román Larrea (Ecuador)
  • David Samudio Torres (Colombia)
  • Juan Pablo Sánchez del Moral (Spain)
  • Santiago Vigo Ferrera (Spain)
  • Álvaro Zaragoza Salcedo (Spain)