To Contact Us
Write:
PO Box 1603
Lafayette, IN 47902
Phone:
(765) 742-2050
Fax:
(765) 742-7513
E-mail
our office
Buy, Sell, Trade or Rent with Classified Advertising
Happening ... in the Local Church
 Bishop
William L. Higi offers the prayer of consecration over the four
candidates ordained to the transitional diaconate on June 5: from left,
Anthony Rowland, Sean Pogue, Joshua Bennett and Matthew Arbuckle.
(Photos by Caroline B. Mooney) |
 The
four candidates enter the cathedral at the beginning of Mass on June 5. |
 From
left are Matthew Arbuckle, Joshua Bennett, Sean Pogue and Anthony
Rowland. The four deacons will begin their final year as seminarians
this fall and anticipate ordination to the priesthood in June 2011. |
 Bishop
Higi clasps the hands of Matthew Arbuckle as the candidate promises
obedience to the bishop and his successors. “Serve the people in love
and joy as you would the Lord,” the candidates were urged. |
 Bishop
Higi lays hands on Sean Pogue in the invocation of the Holy Spirit. |
 The
four men prostrate themselves during the Litany of the Saints. “It was a
beautiful ceremony,” Deacon Rowland said after the June 5 celebration. |
 From
left are Deacon Matthew Arbuckle, Deacon Sean Pogue, Bishop William L.
Higi, Deacon Joshua Bennett and Deacon Anthony Rowland. |
 Deacon
Joshua Bennett receives the Book of the Gospels from Bishop Higi. |
 Bishop
Higi exchanges a sign of peace with newly ordained Deacon Anthony
Rowland. |
Bishop William L. Higi ordains four men to transitional diaconate.
By Caroline B. Mooney
The
Catholic Moment
LAFAYETTE — Four men took one of their last major steps toward the altar as they were ordained transitional deacons on June 5 at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.
Matthew Arbuckle, Joshua Bennett, Sean Pogue and Anthony Rowland will enter their final year of formation in the seminary this fall, and anticipate ordination to the priesthood in 2011.
“This is a glorious day for the diocese. We pray for them,” Bishop William L. Higi said as he celebrated the rite. It was the last diaconate class he would ordain. On July 15, Bishop Higi will enter retirement when Bishop-elect Timothy L. Doherty is installed as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana.
Reading from the rite of ordination of deacons, Bishop Higi said, “As a deacon, that is, a minister of Jesus Christ, who came among his disciples as one who served, do the will of God from the heart; serve the people in love and joy as you would the Lord. Since no one can face two masters, look upon all defilement and avarice as serving false gods.
“… Never allow yourselves to be turned away from the hope offered by the Gospel,” he said. “Now you are not only a hearer of this Gospel, but also its minister. Hold the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. Express by your actions the word of God which your lips proclaim, so that the Christian people, brought to life by the Spirit, may be a pure offering accepted by God. Then on the last day, when you go out to meet the Lord you will be able to hear him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.’”
The deacon candidates were called forth and presented to the bishop. The four men then promised their obedience to the bishop and his successors before laying prostrate as the congregation sang the Litany of Saints, invoking the prayers of those who have died before us.
Bishop Higi laid his hands on each man’s head to express the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and then said a prayer of consecration.
Candidates for the priesthood Deacon David Huemmer, Deacon Andrew DeKeyser, Deacon Mark Walter and Deacon Adam Mauman vested the newly ordained deacons with stoles and dalmatics.
Each transitional deacon then received the Book of Gospels from the bishop.
Deacon Rowland, 26, is a student at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md. He was to deliver his first homily at his home parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Carmel, on June 6.
“It was a beautiful ceremony,” he said. “I felt very humbled to be up there in front of Bishop Higi committing myself not only to the diocese, but to the service of the people. I am very honored to be at the service of the Church.”
“It was beautiful, just really special,” said Ed Rowland, father of Deacon Rowland. His brother, Father Bill Rowland, SM, came from Atlanta to concelebrate the Mass.
“We have been waiting a long time for this,” Father Rowland said. “I am so glad I could be here.”
“It has taken so many years of formation to get to this day,” Deacon Pogue said. “It comes down to this one moment, and all I could think about during the rite were all the people who helped get me there. This was just an amazing experience with the Church. I really look forward to preaching.”
Deacon Pogue, 28, was going to preach for the first time at his home parish, Holy Family Church, Gas City, on June 5 before his friends and family had to travel home. He is studying at Saint Meinrad School of Theology in southern Indiana.
“I’m very happy,” said his sister, Cynthia Pogue. “This is something Sean has wanted for a long time. We are very happy he has finally seen this day. I think he will make an excellent priest.”
“Everything was beautiful — we’ve been waiting a long time for this day,” said Deacon Pogue’s mother, Patricia Pogue. “I was especially thrilled he could be ordained this year with Bishop Higi.”
Deacon Arbuckle, 39, also said he was grateful to be in the last class of deacons ordained by Bishop Higi. He also attends Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and was to deliver his first homily at his home parish, St. Joan of Arc Church, Kokomo, on June 6.
“I have a large contingent of my family here, and I didn’t realize how many friends I had until now,” he said. “During the Litany of Saints, a priest friend told me to ask for a cardinal virtue and a gift of the Holy Spirit. So today, I was begging the Holy Spirit for virtue and that gift.”
His mother, Marian Arbuckle, said she felt joy as she witnessed her son’s ordination.
“I started to pray and I couldn’t,” she said. “I said to the Lord, ‘All three of you get in my heart,’ and all of a sudden I could feel my heart expand. My heart just got bigger. We all had a great time — with the Trinity and my guardian angel. I just feel so much joy. It’s what he’s always wanted.”
Jim Arbuckle, the new deacon’s father, said, “I’m the only Methodist who was here watching his son installed as a deacon. I am very proud and happy about the whole thing.”
Deacon Bennett, 29, a student at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, was to give his first homily at his home parish of St. Maria Goretti, Westfield, on June 6.
“This day is just great,” he said. “I don’t know what words to use. It’s going to be so good to get to work as a deacon. We got to work right away on the altar during the rite as soon as we were ordained.
“I look forward to preaching as much as next year with the Eucharist,” Deacon Bennett said. “During the Litany, it was very powerful knowing that not only everyone in this small see church was praying for me but, by invoking the saints, everyone in the big see church was praying for me and my three brothers.”
“When Josh said he wanted to become a priest, I was surprised, but not shocked at the decision,” said his mother, Tina Bennett. “This day is just overwhelming. The rite was very nice, and Bishop Higi did a good job.”