Amarillo—Seventeen deacon candidates for the Diocese of Amarillo were installed to the Ministry of Lector during a Nov. 18 Mass, celebrated by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
The current Deacon Formation Class began their formation in January 2016, and will culminate in Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate in the summer of 2020.
There are three Liturgical steps leading to ordination. • The first Liturgical Step for a Deacon Aspirant is to be instituted as a Candidate. This was accomplished for the current Deacon Formation Class by Bishop Zurek at St. Mary’s Cathedral during a Mass on Jan. 21 of this year. • The second step, Installation as Lector, occurred Nov. 18, as noted above. • The third step is installation to Acolyte, which is scheduled to take place sometime during the fall of 2019. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive formation process, through these three steps, the Candidate will be Ordained to the Ministry of Permanent Deacon sometime in the summer of 2020.
The Lector is appointed for a function proper to him, that of reading the word of God in the liturgical assembly, though not the Gospel. While Lay Readers function similarly, they receive a blessing, usually from the Pastor, to function in their particular parish. The Bishop-instituted Lector, on the other hand is becoming more visible at the Ambo in preparation for when he is ordained to the Office of Deacon and able to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord. Permanent Deacons, Transitional Deacons and all Priests go through these steps.
Of course, Transitional Deacons go one step further by being ordained into the Sacramental Priesthood as evidenced by the Ordination of Father Shane D. Wieck on June 2 this year at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Installed as Lectors by Bishop Zurek were: • Bryan Adams and his wife Jackie of St. Laurence Church, Amarillo; • Ricky Delarosa and his wife Rosemary of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Dumas; • Darryl Dixon and his wife Nina of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Amarillo; • Guillermo Estrada and his wife Guadalupe of St. Peter’s Church, Booker; • Ronald Fetsch and his wife Deborah of St. Anthony’s Church, Hereford; • Tino Frausto and his Stephanie of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo; • Patrick Griffin and his wife Patricia of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo; • Mike Guerrero and his wife Grace of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo; • Ronald Herr and his wife Levina of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo; • Francisco Ibarra and his wife Cecilia of St. John the Evangelist Church, Borger; • Gerald Marnell and his wife Denise of St. Anthony’s Church, Hereford; • Baltazar Montoya and his wife Teresa of Blessed Sacrament Church, Amarillo; • Kevin Morris and his wife Cheryl of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo; • Kevin Neusch and his wife Gayle of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Amarillo; • John Renteria and his wife Maria of St. Joseph’s Church, Amarillo; • Joseph Roder and his wife Karen of St. Ann’s Church, Canyon; and, • Mark White and his wife Terry Ann of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Amarillo.