Four new deacons ordained in joyous moment for Church

In a moving ceremony on Sunday, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., archbishop of Newark, ordained four transitional deacons in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

The newly ordained transitional deacons are Robert Burkot, Bernardo Garcia, Frenel Phanord, and JuHyun Andrew Lee. They are current seminarians who will each spend the next year serving an archdiocesan parish by performing charitable works, proclaiming God’s Word, and assisting in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. This will culminate in their own ordinations to the priesthood one year from now.

Cardinal Tobin said during his homily the deacon brings the ordained ministry of the Church to every dimension of human life: the workplace, marketplace, home, school, hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons.

The ordination of deacons was held in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart on May 22, 2022. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., presided, and Robert Burkot, Bernardo Garcia, Frenel Phanord, and JuHyun Andrew Lee were ordained. (Photos by Julio Eduardo Herrera/Archdiocese of Newark)

---

“In a very real way, you signify Christ the servant in your vocation,” he said. “The ordination of deacons reminds us of the diaconal nature of the Church, of all of us. Of our service to word, sacrament, and charity. And there is a fundamental unity in that service that this expects and demands a balanced approach to ministry on the part of the deacon. And all of it — your service to word, your service to sacrament, your service to charity — is to be permeated by a commitment to love and to justice.”

Any man interested in exploring a life in the priesthood is encouraged to contact the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office of Priestly Vocations, which fosters a culture of vocations through prayer, recruitment, and accompaniment. To learn more, visit www.newarkpriest.com.

Sean Quinn contributed.