Bishop encourages new acolytes to ‘hang on to the altar’

The journey towards ordination to the permanent diaconate in the United States follows directives issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. These directives specify a five-year program of human, intellectual, spiritual and pastoral formation with three preliminary stages prior to ordination: candidacy, lector and acolyte.

On Sept. 16, sixteen men from 14 parishes took this third step in their formation, as they became acolytes for the Diocese of Metuchen.

The Mass of Installation was celebrated in Sacred Heart Church, a worship site of Christ the Redeemer Parish, Manville. Bishop James F. Checchio served as principal celebrant and homilist. Redemptorist Father Stanislaw Slaby, pastor, and a number of pastors and priests from the parishes of the candidates were concelebrants.

Father Slaby welcomed Bishop Checchio and thanked him for coming to the parish for the installation. He added that he and the entire parish community were pleased to witness the candidates taking the final step before hopefully being ordained next spring.

In his homily the Bishop recounted that a former vice rector of the North American Seminary in Rome had been diagnosed with a neurological disease that affected his muscle control. One day during a Mass the priest realized he would not be able to reach the ambo to preach and decided to preach from the altar.  He thought,  “I know that I am not supposed to preach from here, but if I hang on to the altar I know I will be OK.”

Echoing that thought, “Hang on to the altar,” Bishop Checchio said, “We reverence the altar as the symbol of Christ. You men to be ordained will serve the altar, you will serve on it, it will be the source and summit of all the service you will do throughout the week for God’s holy people. It must determine what you do and who you are. Hang on to the altar.”

“Today the Church is certainly grateful for your gift of self as you prepare for the diaconate,” Bishop Checchio said.

The Roman Missal defines the acolyte as one who, “is instituted to serve at the altar and assist the priest and deacon … it is his responsibility to prepare the altar and sacred vessels.” In recognition of this role, after the homily, Deacon Stephen F. Kern, diocesan director, Office of the Permanent Diaconate, called the candidates forward and as each man knelt before the Bishop he was handed a paten with a host on it.  The Bishop then instructed, “Take this vessel with bread for the celebration of the Eucharist.  Make your life worthy of the service at the table of the Lord and of his Church.”

As is the custom, these preparatory rites are celebrated in various parishes throughout the Diocese. One of the newly instituted acolytes, Robert Greco of St. Francis Cabrini Parish, Piscataway, commented, “As a candidate, one can sense the welcome of these communities as well as the hope and good wishes they share in our path to potential ordination.”

Maria Scarpantonio, of the host parish and daughter of candidate Anthony Scarpantonio, agreed, saying, “Everyone came together to make the ceremony. There was an atmosphere of unity, and love throughout.’

Anna Bui of Immaculate Conception Parish, Somerville, and wife of deacon candidate Tuan Bui, reflected, “I realized that as long as we hold onto the altar and keep Christ at the center of our lives, we will always be supported regardless of what we are called upon to do.”

At the end of Mass, the congregation was invited to join the newly instituted acolytes and their families for a reception.