Joyous ordination Mass welcomes six new permanent deacons

The newest group of permanent deacons is now serving in the Diocese of Phoenix following a joyous ordination punctuated by reminders of their vital role within the Catholic Church.

The six men — Dcn. Catarino Chavez from Queen of Peace Parish in Mesa, Ariz., Dcn. Jesus Chavez Dominguez of Santa Teresita Church in El Mirage, Ariz., Dcn. Charles (Chuck) Garcia of St. Mary Parish in Chandler, Ariz., Dcn. Harold Morazan of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Queen Creek, Ariz., Dcn. Peter Parian III from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Tempe, Ariz., and Dcn. Matthew Scheller of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Avondale, Ariz.— were ordained during a special Mass celebrated by Bishop John Dolan at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix on Saturday (Nov. 7).

Auxiliary Bishops Eduardo Nevares and Peter Dai Bui were concelebrants.

“It is a joy for us to gather, especially with my six brothers,” Bishop Dolan told the congregation.

An estimated 1,200 worshippers, including family, friends, diaconal colleagues and laity, filled the overflowing cathedral. Ushers brought in folding chairs to allow worshippers unable to find space in the pews to sit along the walls of the outer nave aisles.

According to the Catholic Code of Canon Law (Canon 1008) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Article 6, section 1536), deacons are among three orders of the Catholic Church along with bishops and presbyters (priests).

The ordained deacons serve the people of God in the ministry of the Word in communion with the bishop and his presbyterium. This includes proclaiming the Gospel, assisting in liturgy, and engaging in catechetical work. They serve where assigned by their bishop.

Most deacons are married; however single men can apply, but they must remain unmarried after ordination.

The liturgical ministry of the deacon also includes directing the prayers of the faithful, helping the celebrant at the altar and distributing Holy Communion. A deacon can preside at baptisms, weddings, funerals and blessings. He sometimes preaches. He also evangelizes and teaches in sacramental preparation and faith formation.

Outside the parish, a deacon can be found ministering in streets, hospitals, prisons or among the poor and suffering.

“A deacon Is [essentially] a bridge between the bishop with his [priests] and the people of God,” explained Dcn. Mark Veazie, associate director of Education and Formation for the diocese’s Office of the Diaconate.

“I can’t say enough about how they help, especially in big parishes,” said Fr. Bryan Buenger, parochial administrator of St. Thomas Aquinas. The steadily growing southwest Valley parish, one of the diocese’s largest, has nearly 10,000 registered families. Its staff clergy includes Fr. Buenger, two other priests and four deacons.

Configured to Christ

During Saturday’s rite, Bishop Dolan reminded the new deacons their role is much more than a myriad of service. They must be, as Jesus urged His followers in the day’s Gospel reading from St. Matthew, the salt and light of the world. (Mt 5:13-16)

“You are not simply being commissioned to perform certain duties, you are being configured to Christ, who came not to be served but to serve (a reference to both the Gospels of St. Mark 10:45 and St. Matthew. 20:28).“May your words proclaim Christ, your service reveal His mercy, your lives radiate His peace and your ministry draw others into His love.

“For the world does not simply need more people who speak about Christ, the world needs people through whom Christ can be encountered.”

The day was a culmination of much preparation for the men and their wives.

The cohort, the term for a group of men on the path to the permanent diaconate, was required to complete five years of formation. This included two years of learning through the diocese’s Kino Catechetical Institute, where catechists, clergy and religious instruct students from laity to aspiring deacons, providing a foundation in doctrine and dogma of the Catholic faith. Aspiring deacons are required to carry at least a B grade in all classes. The latest cohort had several unique challenges. They started formation around the height of the COVID 19 pandemic, forcing them to learn and largely interact virtually during the initial years. Additionally, some of the men in the group were raised speaking foreign languages in Mexico, Nicaragua and the Philippines, a reflection of the ever-growing diocese’s cultural diversity.

Yet, Dcn. Veazie said, they responded to the Lord’s call, and with their wives, relied on His grace to navigate the process.

“They persevered, forming a close family of disciples who grew intellectually, spiritually, pastorally and as human beings,” he said.

“This is a special group of men and wives.”

Intimate moments with God

On Saturday, after Dcn. Veazie affirmed to the bishop the elect were worthy, they were consecrated one by one, each promising to discharge with humble charity his new office, conform his way of life always to Christ’s example and pledging obedience to the bishop and his successors.

At that point, the elect lay face down on the floor along the cathedral’s main aisle in front of the altar, as the bishop and congregation prayed for them, invoking Christ and the great saints of the Church. The men then rose, and each went forward for the bishop to lay his hands upon them. The ceremony concluded with the newly ordained deacons donning their vestments.

The newly ordained Dcn. Peter of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church later described those intimate moments with God.

“I was just praying, ‘Lord, You own me. I am Yours, and ready to serve You, by Your grace,’” he said.

“It’s so great; just [feeling] serene right now, happy to be here; a new beginning,” he added.

Members of Peran’s family, including his 15-year-old son, Christian Peran, a student at Seton Catholic Prep in Chandler, Ariz., were there.

“It brought me so much joy. I can’t wait [to see] what the future will offer my dad. I’m so excited,” Christian said.

Dcn. Morazan of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Queen Creek said he was reminded of God’s grace as he approached his new role.

“Just to know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came to earth, became a man, and called us His friend, still being sinners, [yet] called us to be part of His mission. I’m just overwhelmed and happy.

“I would like to be a bridge to others; to be closer to Jesus, so [He] can draw His people close to Him, and to be a bridge between the people of God and the bishop. I’m very excited.”

Dcn. Chavez of Queen of Peace Parish said his new role is a means to sharing God’s love and mercy with others.

“I’m very happy that I’m going to be able to serve the Lord,” he said through an interpreter. “I’m very happy my family is here.”

A second-generation deacon

One of the six, Dcn. Matthew, is a second-generation deacon.

His father, Dcn. Dr. Albert Scheller, was ordained in 2000, and served at St. William Parish in Cashion, Ariz., and then at St. Thomas Aquinas until he died in 2018 at age 82.

Dcn. Dr. Scheller’s widow, Carol Scheller, now 89, said, “This is very emotional. I gave [my son, Matthew] quite a few of my husband’s books and study guides. It’s been a big step for [Matthew]. I’m very grateful. It’s beautiful.”

Dcn. Matthew’s wife, Cynthia Scheller, who is principal of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic elementary school, noted her husband began formation the year after his father died.

“Absolute gratitude,” she said, describing the day. “I think in all of our hearts everyone knew that Matthew would someday go into formation.”

While wives do not complete required coursework, they play a vital role, Cynthia explained. During her husband’s studies, she would often review material with him and provide feedback.

“As wives, we are in the thick of it, minus papers and exams. We know the material and the requirements. The formation lends itself to understanding how much the Catholic Church believes in the unity of a husband and wife,” she said.

The spouses also bathed the process in prayer.

Magdaelena Morazan recalled that her husband, Dcn. Harold, took additional time to discern his decision.

“We struggled a little bit. He kept listening for what God wanted him to do, and he sensed that God left the decision up to [Harold],” she said.

“We’re happy.”

Magdaelena and her husband continue to raise the youngest of their four daughters, all of whom attended. She and the other wives will assist with outreach, hospitality and service projects, making them informal partners to their deacon husbands.

“Wherever I can, I will go with him, help him and pray for him,” she said.

Early Church roots

Rooted in the Church’s earliest days, the deacon’s office was at one point largely lost until the Second Vatican Council in 1964 restored it as a permanent order. But its principles date back to when the Apostles, seeking to meet the growing needs of the post-Ascension Church, created the position by choosing seven men of good reputation “filled with the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:1-6) to assist in the ministry. They included St. Stephen, the Church’s first recorded martyr.

The Diocese of Phoenix’s newest deacons hail from professional backgrounds including lawyers, IT managers and businessmen. They have varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

But they share a common bond.

“The diaconate formation process has been a real challenge for each of them,” said Fr. Will Schmid, the diocese’s director of the Diaconate, “and they have trusted completely in the Lord and in His calling. They are not afraid of challenges. They are not afraid of conversion and allowing their lives to become a construction zone for God’s transforming love.

“I believe their parishes and the broader diocese will discover in them examples of what it means to be authentic servants of Christ and what God’s grace can do with willing hearts.”

Fr. Buenger hopes their stories inspire other men.

“For young married men, [it] is a witness to what can happen in a married life. There can still be a calling to serve; to men and women,” he said.

Margy Eroh, a friend and fellow parishioner of the Schellers, sees the impact of Dcn. Matthew and his colleagues. “These men who come forward, they are such an inspiration,” she said. “And [to have] someone from our community who we know, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Cynthia agreed.

“It’s about being grateful that men can have the ability to have a family and to live out the beautiful mission of serving the Church.”

Read the new deacons’ bios here.