Seminarians Kurt Meyer, left, and Hai “Francis” Pham lie prostrate earlier than the altar because the folks sing the Litany of Supplication. (Photograph courtesy of Dann Ebina)
By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
“There’s a lot love on this church at this time,” Bishop Larry Silva informed these assembled to witness the ordinations to the transitional diaconate of Kurt Meyer and Hai “Francis” Pham Could 20 within the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa, that he wished to channel it by his fingers as he lay them on the heads of the 2 males within the act of ordination.
“I ask all of you,” he mentioned in his homily, “to position that love in my fingers, to fill my fingers … so after I place these fingers on our brothers to be ordained deacons, they might be stuffed with a lot love … to let the sunshine of Christ shine within the darkness of the world.”
The bishop mentioned he wished to “place that love on them, the love of Christ himself, in order that they might change into the very sacrament of Christ, the common-or-garden savior, who got here to not be served however to serve.”
“It’s the name of each member of the church to serve others in love,” mentioned Bishop Silva. “However the Lord is aware of we frequently want sacramental reminders, and so he has instituted the order of deacon.”
Bishop Larry Silva lays his fingers on Pham, ordaining him a deacon. (Photograph courtesy of Dann Ebina)
The bishop ordained the 2 seminarians who’re finding out for the diocesan priesthood at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California — one part-Hawaiian from Oahu, the opposite a local of Vietnam — in a church full of household, buddies and classmates. A few of Pham’s family got here all the way in which from Vietnam for the celebration.
The Mass had bi-lingual touches. The primary Scripture studying was in Vietnamese as was the refrain of the offertory hymn.
The Ceremony of Ordination passed off after the studying of the Gospel, starting with the formal introduction of the 2 candidates to the bishop and the meeting by the diocesan Director of Vocations, Father Joseph Diaz.
Bishop Silva responded by saying, “Counting on the assistance of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, we select our brothers for the order of deacon.”
The folks expressed their consent with an brisk “Thanks be to God” and spherical of applause.
New deacons Meyer and Pham help Bishop Silva on the altar. (Images courtesy of Dann Ebina)
Bishop Silva then delivered his homily and questioned the candidates with an inventory of pledges, together with one promising obedience to the bishop and his successors.
Meyer and Pham then lay prostrate earlier than the altar as everybody sang the prolonged Litany of Supplication, also referred to as the Litany of the Saints.
The sacred act of ordination adopted, the bishop laying his fingers silently for a number of seconds on the heads of the 2 males.
The brand new deacons had been then vested with their deacon stoles and dalmatics, the outer diaconal garment formed like a “T,” and acquired leis.
After the newly ordained got a fraternal “kiss of peace,” an embrace from every of the 2 dozen deacons gathered within the sanctuary, they themselves exchanged a hug to the applause of the congregation.
For the remainder of the Mass, the newly ordained assisted on the altar of their new liturgical roles as deacons.
Father Arrion Rosales-Llantos, who the night earlier than was ordained a priest in the identical church, recited the second half of the Eucharistic Prayer, standing beside the bishop.
Deacon Meyer, 51, is the son of the late Frederick and Rebecca Meyer. He grew up in Honolulu’s Aliamanu district the second youngest of three boys and two ladies of Hawaiian, German, Chinese language and Japanese ethnicity. The Meyer household was very lively at St. Philomena Parish in Salt Lake.
A Radford Excessive College grad, he attended the College of Hawaii-Manoa the place he earned a bachelor’s diploma in accounting and an MBA. He labored within the discipline for 20 years.
His ministry with teen parishioners at St. Philomena led him to think about the priesthood.
He entered St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California, in 2017 the place he has been lively in scholar authorities, ultimately serving as scholar physique president.
He has yet one more 12 months of research towards his grasp’s of divinity diploma after which he might be ordained a priest.
As a brand new deacon he has a busy summer time forward. He baptized the toddler of a buddy the afternoon of his ordination, will help on the five-day Christian Management Institute for top schoolers at St. Stephen Diocesan Heart in Kaneohe, and assist at Annunciation Parish in Waimea on the Large Island.
Deacons Meyer, left, and Pham alternate the fraternal kiss of peace with everlasting deacons. (Photograph courtesy of Dann Ebina)
Deacon Hai (Francis) Pham, 31, grew up in Vinh Metropolis in central Vietnam in a multi-generational dwelling with seven siblings, their mother and father Joseph Hoang Pham and Therese Khuong Nguyen, aunts and uncles, and all 4 grandparents. He’s the second oldest youngster.
Pham’s household are primarily farmers, with a spiritual facet. Two aunts are non secular sisters and an uncle is a priest. Considered one of Pham’s youthful brothers is a seminarian for the Diocese of Vinh Metropolis.
In school his objective was to be a physician or a pharmacist. As a substitute, upon graduating he grew to become a hospital supervisor, typically partaking in social work and outreach, which led him to pursue non secular life.
Pham joined the Carmelites round 2011 and stayed for about 5 years.
He later was launched to Bishop Larry Silva by a mutual priest buddy and was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Honolulu. He started his research at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park in 2019.
This summer time, Pham might be assigned as a deacon to Our Girl of Perpetual Assist Parish in Ewa Seashore. Like Kurt Meyer, he may also return to St. Patrick’s for his ultimate 12 months of research for his grasp’s diploma in theology. He’ll then be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Honolulu.
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