Praise be to God!! Our brother has been ordained!
After years of waiting and the ceremony being postponed countless times, Lynx was ordained a deacon on June 27th at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ. It was certainly a day to celebrate and one that I will always remember.
The Lord has a way of surprising us and He certainly had His own special way for this ordination. As many have experienced across the country and the world, plans for an ordinary diaconate ordination had to be changed. That meant only a few people would be allowed in the Cathedral, that additional measures would have to be taken during the ceremony, and that celebrations would have to be minimal. But all of that was not going to dampen our spirits and we set out to celebrate our brother as best we could.
The ceremony was attended by only a few members of the family and close friends. I will admit that it felt rather empty not having everybody present, especially in the immensity of the Cathedral, but we were safe in the knowledge that many were watching and united in prayer. I thought it particularly touching that the mass was made as joyful of an event as possible.
When it came to celebrate our brother, an official reception was organized by a local parish for a selected few and a second one by my parents for members of the Emmanuel Community and a few close friends. Many had prayed for this long awaited moment, but none quite as much as Lynx had and it was such a pleasure to see him so full of joy.
The very next day, he gave a homily for the very first time at the Spanish mass at the Cathedral followed by a mass in English. As someone in attendance noted, he was transformative. It truly was an honor for us to see the Holy Spirit working through him!
I feel so blessed and privileged to have been able to participate in this wonderful celebration. I am sure that I speak for many people when I say that we are all very much looking forward to what the Lord has planned for him next. God willing, it will begin with a priestly ordination next year!
Marie-Lys (NJ)
Thank you for sharing this wonderful moment! We rejoice and praise God for He is good!
Thank you for sharing your impressions of this great moment in Lynx life, in the Community’s life and in the life of the Church. All glory to God.
Always a joy, joy for all, thank you!