Bishop Joseph Bambera ordained the men yesterday at St. Peter’s Cathedral. From the Scranton Times-Tribune:
As a newly ordained deacon, John Musyt feels blessed by the opportunity to help others lead a Catholic life. The process of becoming a deacon, however, may have saved his.
The 64-year-old Olyphant man was one of 11 area men ordained Saturday as permanent deacons in the Diocese of Scranton, a role that allows them to perform ministerial functions, such as administering baptism, proclaiming the Gospel, distributing Holy Communion and presiding at wakes, funeral liturgies and burial rites.
Held at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, the ordination marked one of the final steps in a process the deacons began about 4½ years ago — a process that entailed theological study, prayer and, luckily for Musyt, a physical exam.
“As a result of that process, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer,” said Musyt, who in 2013 underwent surgery on All Saints’ Day and is now cancer-free. “It’s something that’s telling me that God perhaps has a bigger plan for me, because without finding that out, I had no physical (symptoms). So, who knows where I’d be now four years later?”
On Saturday, Musyt stood in the company of hundreds of churchgoers and the clergy, his new colleagues, prepared to undertake a deacon’s duties.
“We’re going to deliver God’s message through the Gospel, and hopefully my homilies are such that I can give everyone, in their own way, a message that they can live as Christ showed us to live,” Musyt said. “He is the best example we have of how we should praise the Lord and also how we should treat our fellow man.”
The new deacons, according to the newspaper: Carl S. Albright, 47, of Pleasant Mount; Paul J. Cooper, 57, of White Mills; Herbert Cruikshank, 64, of Mountain Top; Andrew Fazio Sr., 63, of Dunmore; Maxime E. Francois, 54, of Bushkill; Michael M. Golubiewski, 47, of Nanticoke; Leonard Jinselli Jr., 61, of East Stroudsburg; Ronald D. Maida, 64, of Hallstead; John Musyt, 64, of Olyphant; James M. Rebarchick, 65, of Hazleton, and Robert J. Warnock, 59, of Honesdale.
Congratulations, brothers, and welcome! Ad multos annos!
And today we celebrate...