t was the best First Sunday of Advent I ever celebrated in my life as a bishop.” These were the words of Bishop Rodimer, emeritus of Patterson, NJ, at the conclusion of the Diaconate Ordination celebrated at St. Therese in Chinatown on Dec. 3, 2006.
Bishop Frank Rodimer ordained the Xaverians Alejandro R., Ignatius Z. and Dharmawan A., and the Redemptorist Thong N to the order of Deacons on the first Sunday of Advent, a day full of meaning for Catholics in the world, as they prepare for the Season of expectation and longing for Christ’s birth. That day also recalled the 500th anniversary of birth of St. Francis Xavier, the great missionary to the East, patron of the Xaverian Missionaries.
The liturgy of Ordination lasted two hours, in the church of St. Therese Chinese Mission in the heart of Chinatown, Chicago, which saw people of every culture and race. The local Chinese choir was accompanied by Indonesian dances and songs, by a Vietnamese choir who sang the Communion song, and by the congregation’s famed hymn “O come Emmanuel.”
The church was filled, and the concelebrant priests were about 30, representing various religious communities present at Catholic Theological Union, the school where the ordinands attend their final courses before their Priesthood ordination in 2007.
The Litany of the Saints accompanied the candidates as they fell prostrate in front of the altar, and as the congregation knelt in prayer. The simple rituals of Investiture with Stole and Dalmatic and the presentation of the book of the Gospels spoke well of the commitment of these “four heralds of the Gospel” as Bishop Rodimer reminded all in attendance.
The presentation of the Gifts included incense, representing the fragrance and loving sacrifice of the faithful, flowers, reminding of God’s beauty, fruits, expressing the grace of God and the work of human hands, bowl, towel and water, as symbols of service in the church, and the bread and wine, symbolizing the gifts of the earth which become the Body and Blood of Christ. And in the background, the words of the song “You are Mine” calling the congregation to “come and follow me… I love you, and you are mine.”
The celebration continued in the St. Therese School hall, which provided a multi-cultural dinner and refreshments for over 300 people. The newly ordained deacons expressed their deep gratitude for all in attendance, and asked to be sustained with prayers and signs of self-giving. “You have supported and strengthened us through prayers and love. May God reward you with abundant blessings.”
They are especially grateful to Fr. Michael and the community of St. Therese in Chinatown for their “cordial welcome,” their classmates, their ministry sites’ friends, and in particular their family members who (from a distance across the world) joined them in prayer for this important step in their total dedication to God and the church’s ministry.
Indeed, this First Sunday of Advent was like no other.
(From Xaverian News)