This week’s issue covers the diaconate ordination of Christopher R. Lapp. Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades offers the Church’s teaching on marriage in this week’s In Truth and Charity column. The diocese will ordain Jacob Meyer and Ben Muhlenkamp to the priesthood on May 26 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
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FORT WAYNE — “With joy and thanksgiving, we have gathered to celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Christopher Lapp as he enters the Order of the Diaconate through the sacrament of Holy Orders,” Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades said as he opened his homily at the ordination Mass.
Bishop Rhoades ordained Christopher R. Lapp to the order of the diaconate on May 12 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne. He will minister for a year as a deacon before his ordination to the Priesthood on June 1, 2013.
Bishop Rhoades spoke about the divine initiative, as spoken by the Lord to the Prophet Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”
“Today, Chris makes that response,” Bishop Rhoades said. “With faith, he says ‘yes’ to the Lord’s call. He trusts in the Lord’s words to Jeremiah: ‘To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you.’ With confidence in the Lord and His grace, Chris comes forward to be consecrated for the Church’s ministry, to be ordained a deacon, a minister of Jesus Christ.”
Bishop Rhoades spoke of celibacy, which the deacon embraces. “The celibate life is a sacrifice and involves renunciation, yet it is also a means to embrace life fully. Compelled by the sincere love of Christ and living this state with total dedication, Chris will cling to Christ more easily with an undivided heart. Celibacy frees Chris more completely for the service of God and others,” Bishop Rhoades said.
Deacons are called to be servants of the liberating truth of the Gospel. “They are to be filled with the conviction and spirit of St. Paul who wrote to the Corinthians: ‘We do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus,’” Bishop Rhoades said.
“Notice how Paul did not direct attention to himself as a savior figure, nor did he promote himself or his own advantage,” Bishop Rhoades added. “He preached Jesus Christ as Lord and only preached himself as a slave for the sake of Jesus. These are strong words. To be a slave means to belong to someone else and to live one’s life in humble service. Chris, like St. Paul, knows that he belongs to someone else, to Jesus Christ.”
The humble, self-giving love those ordained are called to live is an imitation of Jesus who came “not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many,” Bishop Rhoades quoted.
He spoke of the heart of diaconal spirituality. “The service of the deacon in the Church is threefold: the ministry of the word, of the altar, and of charity,” Bishop Rhoades said. “These ministries are all interconnected. In preaching Jesus Christ as Lord, in serving at the altar and in serving God’s people with charity, the deacon is living the configuration to Christ the Servant that takes place in ordination.”
“You will teach and serve in a society and culture that desperately needs the liberating Truth of the Gospel. You will teach and serve the Gospel of life in a society where the culture of death continues to spread. May you be filled with zeal for the new evangelization,” Bishop Rhoades said.
“I also encourage you to be close to the poor and needy, like the early deacon saints of the Church, remembering that the poor need not only our material help, but also the hope of the Gospel,” he added.
Bishop Rhoades also encouraged the candidate to be “a man of prayer who lives each day in communion and friendship with Jesus, embracing His Gospel as your daily rule of life.”
The Rite of Ordination itself is rich with meaning and symbolism. After the chanting of the Gospel, came the Election of the Candidate, whereby the candidate is formally chosen for ordination and becomes referred to as the elect. The candidate was presented to the bishop by Father Jacob Runyon, parochial vicar of St. Matthew Cathedral, South Bend and associate vocation director. Father Runyon testified to his worthiness, after which Bishop Rhoades formally accepted Lapp to be ordained as deacon.
After the homily, the elect declared his intention to assume the responsibility of the office of deacon, and promised obedience and respect to Bishop Rhoades and his successors. During the Litany of Supplication, the candidate laid prostrate on the sanctuary floor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception while the intercession of the Saints and Angels was invoked.
After the litany, Bishop Rhoades laid his hands on the head of the elect in accordance with the apostolic tradition. Then, with the elect kneeling and with hands outstretched, Bishop Rhoades solemnly recited the Prayer of Ordination.
The newly ordained was then invested with the stole and dalmatic — the proper liturgical attire of the diaconate. He were also handed the Book of the Gospels, symbolizing the task of the deacon to proclaim the Gospel in liturgical celebrations and to preach the faith of the Church in word and deed.
Bishop Rhoades then bestowed the traditional liturgical gesture known as the fraternal kiss of peace, and thereby welcomed the new deacon into their ministry. The other deacons present also welcomed the newly ordained.
After the diaconate ordination Mass, family and friends gathered to congratulate the newest deacon in the diocese. Deacon Lapp was rendered nearly speechless and said he was “overwhelmed.” His father Greg was equally overwhelmed with the ordination ceremony and said, “It was awesome! I was raised Catholic and love the Church and all the tradition.”
Deacon Lapp’s grandmother, Dorothy Van Auken was overjoyed to have witnessed her first diaconate ordination and said, “It was fabulous. I am so proud of Chris.” Brother Josh added, “He’ll be great at it (being a priest) because he’s a great leader.”
Mom Juli spoke with a mother’s heart of the change she has witnessed in her son, “He’s still your kid, but he is much more devoted and holy.” Of her son’s future she said, “He is a leader and a servant.”
Jacob Meyer offers reflections on the road to priesthood
FORT WAYNE — With his ordination to the priesthood set for May 26 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne, Deacon Jacob Meyer recently shared his reflections of his spiritual journey with Today’s Catholic. Memories of travel, learning administrative duties of the clergy, ministering to the sick, sharing and witnessing with parishioners and youth groups, and moments of sadness and joy were among the milestones Deacon Meyer recalled as he prepared for his religious vocation.
Many of Deacon Meyer’s first experiences involved on his journey to the priesthood began with his home parish of St. Pius X. “Not all seminarians come from such vibrant parishes with such loving people and I realized that right when I got to seminary,” he said.
“Many of St. Pius’ parishioners don’t know that at one point in time I was praying about possibly going into a religious order rather than entering the diocesan priesthood, but it was my love for my parish that made God’s will evident for me that I was called to stay in the diocese. So in a very real way, because of their prayers and support, I am where I am today and so I would like to thank them!” Deacon Meyer explained.
He credits Msgr. Bill Schooler, pastor of St. Pius X, with teaching him all the various aspects of becoming a priest. “At the seminary, you learn how to do all the things a priest does, but a seminarian learns how to be a priest from another priest. Msgr. Bill has been my mentor now for six years and he taught me how to spend myself for the sake of the people entrusted to me. He has always gone out of his way to help me learn all about ministry to every type of person/situation, parish administration, and balanced life of service to the Church and healthy rest,” said Deacon Meyer.
During the summer breaks Seminarian Meyer spent time at various parishes around the diocese.
“I began at St. Jude Parish in Fort Wayne, which is set in a beautiful neighborhood and I loved it from the moment I arrived. The pastor, Father Shoemaker, and the parish staff taught me a lot about ministering to the grieving and how to plan funerals,” he recalled.
The following summer Seminarian Meyer had the opportunity to work with parish youth. “I was assigned to St. Charles Parish in Fort Wayne. Father James (Kumbakkeel, parochial vicar) welcomed me and I had a wonderful summer of learning from these three great priests. I had a lot of fun that summer with Vacation Bible School, the youth group and learning from the parish staff doing Baptismal preparation.”
While at St. Charles Parish, Seminarian Meyer had an opportunity to work with Father Phil Widmann at the diocesan museum. “I have always loved history and Father Widmann and the museum have taught me a lot about our diocese. It has been a great honor to help preserve the historical artifacts of the diocese and I have continued helping in the museum to the present day,” said Deacon Meyer.
After being ordained a deacon last May, Meyer was assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. “Father Jim Shafer and Father Drew Curry were so good in helping me learn about the parish and how it functions from the perspective of the ‘big picture.’ Father Jim has a great sense of catechesis and administration and I spent the summer learning from this experienced pastor how to administer a parish and feed the flock entrusted to us.”
A friendship with newly ordained Permanent Deacon Jim Kitchens also developed at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Deacon Kitchens became a mentor in pastoral ministry for Meyer as well.
International travel was among Deacon Meyer’s important milestones on his journey to the priesthood. Travel to Mexico during one of his summer breaks is one of Deacon Meyer’s favorite memories and he recalls the experience with humor and affection.
“When the vocation director, Msgr. Bernard Galic, first called me to tell me I was going to Mexico, I was a little apprehensive because I knew enough Spanish to read the Taco Bell menu, but that was it,” laughs Deacon Meyer.
“When I arrived in Queretaro, Mexico, my host mother was talking a mile a minute and the only thing I knew to respond with was, “si, si, si.” She quickly realized I had no clue what she was saying and we began a process of learning sign language that helped me not only eventually learn a little Spanish, but also become a part of the family there.”
World Youth Day in Spain in 2011 was also a great experience for Deacon Meyer. In addition to enjoying the many events, Meyer was selected to be one of the deacons of the Mass at the Love and Life Center, a large sports arena in Madrid. There he had the privilege of meeting Archbishop (now Cardinal) Timothy Dolan, who was the main celebrant.
As he looks forward to his ordination to the priesthood, Deacon Meyer offers some insight to others thinking about pursuing a religious vocation.
“Pray and spend time with our Lord, present in the Blessed Sacrament. Go to Confession regularly, and know that you cannot do this alone,” Deacon Meyer reflects.
He concludes by urging those who are considering a religious vocation to talk to a priest. “God calls everyone to a vocation, but no vocation is discovered in isolation. A priest is always involved. Know that there are a lot of people praying for you and that I will be praying for you.”
Benjamin Muhlenkamp to be ordained into the priesthood
FORT WAYNE — Just a few years ago, Benjamin Muhlenkamp had big plans for his future — farming, marriage and children. But he now knows God had other plans for him. Deacon Ben Muhlenkamp is preparing for his ordination into the holy priesthood on May 26 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne after discerning his future as a priest the past six years at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.
Born in Coldwater, Ohio, in 1982, the third of five children and only son of Gary and Mary Agnes Muhlenkamp, Deacon Muhlenkamp was raised on a dairy farm near Geneva where he learned the value of service. Growing up attending the rural St. Mary of the Presentation Parish in Geneva, Muhlenkamp was active as an altar server and attended catechism classes. But during his youth, he says, his relationship with Christ “didn’t make the top of the list.”
But God was relentless and later as a young adult, while earning his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and management at Indiana University-Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Muhlenkamp began in earnest to investigate the faith.
He says, “During this period of time I felt like I was Indiana Jones, discovering unknown secrets, and buried treasure. … I became excited about how beautiful my faith was.”
After attending a college-age retreat he found himself assisting with the youth ministry at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Fort Wayne, where his nascent devotion rose to the challenge.
As his prayer life expanded, the idea of a vocation came, says Deacon Muhlenkamp, “as I was serving the teens and praying for them in front of the Blessed Sacrament. I felt that I was being invited to the priesthood.”
So after much prayer and encouragement from several priests, he applied to seminary and entered Pontifical College Josephinum in 2006.
Of his formation there he says, “Seminary is the place that we go to fall in love with Jesus. There I was surrounded by men who were also striving to grow in holiness. The class of 13 men that I was with really became close. We have spent many hours together every day these past years, in class, meals, studying and in prayer.”
His assignments as seminarian and later deacon took him to several parishes around the diocese including St. Pius X in Granger, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Vincent de Paul and St. John the Baptist, all in Fort Wayne.
With his interest in metal fabrication, carpentry and fixing farm machinery, Deacon Muhlenkamp’s skills were put to good use as he ministered at each parish he was assigned. He says, “I love the opportunities I get to work with my hands. … My dad always says that you can take the boy from the farm, but you can’t take the farm from the boy. I know that this is true for me.”
In addition to being of assistance to the pastor of each parish with maintenance issues, Deacon Muhlenkamp took the initiative to visit with families and make new friends. His personal and social involvement within the parish has endeared him to many. And following his ordination to the diaconate in May of 2011 Deacon Muhlenkamp has served in a multitude of ways.
“At seminary once you become a deacon, you get a parish assignment, which is so nice. I love helping out at the parish, meeting people, baptizing babies, preparing couples for marriage. I even had the opportunity to form a small Christian community. I just love helping people see the beauty of our faith,” says the enthusiastic priest-to-be.
Deacon Muhlenkamp’s hope for his future as a diocescan priest?
“I just look forward to praying the Mass, hearing Confessions and offering time for Eucharistic Exposition in the parish I get placed,” he says. “I also look forward to spending time with the priests of our diocese and learning from them. … I am amazed at what the Lord will do through these hands.”
Brontavious Coleman enjoys the new swing donated by Mishawaka Catholic students and installed recently at Beardsley Elementary School in Elkhart. Coleman has physical disabilities stemming from Dandy Walker Syndrome that keep him from walking and from playing on playground equipment with his classmates during recess.
ELKHART — A friendship between one Mishawaka Catholic Schools teacher and her public school counterpart has enabled a physically handicapped student to swing through the air next to his classmates.
Sue Felix teaches first grade at Beardsley Elementary on Elkhart’s near east side. Her own children attend Mishawaka Catholic Schools, which is how she and Mishawaka Catholic Schools first-grade teacher Beth Whitfield first became acquainted.
Felix’s and Whitfield’s classes have corresponded with each other for several years as pen pals. Earlier this year Whitfield’s students even enjoyed a virtual visit from Felix’s. Whitfield said she also keeps Beardsley students in mind when the opportunity arises to act as Christ to others by way of school or classroom service projects.
In observance of Catholic Schools Week in January, Whitfield gave consideration to a new idea from Felix.
“She’s always said there’s a great need. She talked about it with students here, regarding how it’s different for kids there — how they don’t always have food at home, or enough clothes to wear when it’s cold,” Whitfield said. So, at first, Whitfield’s class discussed raising money to make blankets. But then the talk turned to one of Felix’s students, seven-year-old Brontavious Coleman, who has physical disabilities stemming from Dandy Walker Syndrome that keep him from walking and from playing on playground equipment with his classmates during recess.
The St. Bavo campus Mishawaka Catholic Schools first graders held a one-day “Change for Change” campaign during Catholic Schools Week and raised enough money for Beardsley to order a special swing that Coleman can be fastened into to swing on the school’s playground. Last month, they traveled to Beardsley to present the money and to meet their pen pals and Coleman.
“The Beardsley kids were just as glad as we were when I walked in with a big (cardboard) check,” Whitfield said. “That was nice for my kids to see, too.”
Mishawaka Catholic Schools’ St. Joseph and St. Monica campuses also chose recipients for their Catholic Schools Week charitable efforts. The third through fifth grade St. Joseph campus collected money for Chiara House in South Bend, where out-of-home respite care for families caring for members with special needs is provided. The funds raised by the sixth through eighth grade St. Monica campus went, by popular vote, to the Ronald McDonald House, where home-away-from-home support for families of seriously ill children being treated at Indianapolis hospitals is provided.
“Fundamental to our Catholic Schools is the idea of service to community,” Principal Vickki Wojcik said. “We wanted our children to follow the role of Jesus in the world. Part of the hope is that they’ll realize they can make the world a better place.”
After spending time with Coleman and his classmates, Whitfield said her students are hoping for the opportunity to return to Beardsley now that the swing has come and will be installed soon. They’d like to see Coleman have the opportunity to trade in his wheelchair for some air under his feet.
Whitfield said the young man smiled a great deal during their visit, and thanked them for their gift. “He seemed so happy to have them there. Really, all the kids did,” she said.