Some hear their call through their loved ones. Others may receive
confirmation in a far-off land. Yet no matter how they came to their answer,
five men answered the call to be permanent deacons in the Diocese of Arlington.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated the Mass of Ordination of
five permanent deacons — Felipe Tubil Averia, Malcolm Louis D’Souza, Kenneth
Joseph Galvin, Anthony Joseph Renzette and Peter Andrew Reyda — at the
Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington Jan. 12.
“They finished their formation in the year of the 50th
anniversary of the reinstitution of the permanent diaconate in the United
States,” said Father Paul D. Scalia, episcopal vicar for clergy and director of
the Diaconate Formation Program, in an interview before the event. “I think
they represent a maturation of the process of formation and our understanding
of the permanent diaconate and how we are forming them for the three-fold
ministry of the word, the altar and of charity.”
During his homily, Bishop Burbidge asked the deacons to reflect
on three words — selected, sent and stay.
“Say ‘present’ to the Lord each day, ever confident that the One
who selected you will strengthen you,” he said. “Ordination instructions
highlight the word ‘go’. Go and bring glad tidings to the poor. Go and heal the
broken hearted. Go out to the world and proclaim the Good News.”
Bishop Burbidge told the deacons they are called to imitate
Jesus. “It is in that going that you bring his compassion, his love and light, especially
to those in most need,” he said.
“With God’s grace and the help of Our Blessed Mother, rejoice
daily in knowing that you have been chosen by God, the One who sends you forth
to imitate his Son, the one who came not to be served but to serve — but of
course, only after you have responded to the invitation to stay with him; to
abide in him. For only then, will you be able say each day: ‘Present. Here I am
Lord. Here I am.’
Mary Galvin, daughter of Deacon Ken Galvin, “he’s always been
such a father figure to me and it’s almost like we as a family are donating him
to be a father figure for a lot of other people,” she said of her father. “He
is such a good father and he is going to be such a good person of the church.”
Rowena Averia, wife of Deacon Felipe Tubil Averia, said she was very
excited the ordination was finally here. “(The formation process) made us
closer as a family,” she said. “We pray together and it’s a journey for both of
us.”
Deacon Ken Galvin
Deacon Ken Galvin, a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist
Church in Warrenton, had to look no further than his wife and her father for
inspiration to become a deacon. Deacon Galvin, who looks forward to seeing how
God’s plan unfolds, said his late father-in-law, Deacon Michael Kronschnable,
was “an excellent example of discipleship and a joyful servant of Jesus who I
hope to emulate.”
Deacon Galvin said his wife, Chris, is his best mentor.
“Her unique perspective as the daughter of a deacon and her
devotion to our family, and our parish family, is a constant source of wisdom
and insight,” he said. “It was my kids’ support of their imperfect dad that
gave me the courage to give my ‘fiat.’”
Deacon Malcom D’Souza
For Deacon Malcom D’Souza, a parishioner of Holy Spirit Church in
Annandale, the call to the diaconate grew from a gentle nudge from God to
something more persistent. A father of four, Deacon D’Souza wasn’t quite ready
to answer the call until 2012.
“It was at the tomb of St. John Paul II in Rome where it hit me
the hardest to stop being afraid and answer this call to become a deacon,” he
said. “It was then a gradual process of deep prayer, discernment and formation
that led me to this awesome point in my life.”
Deacon D’Souza was a high school football official in Northern
Virginia for 15 years. “Over those years, I pushed away the gentle nudge from
God because I was ready to advance to the collegiate football officiating
level, but somehow something always interrupted that progress,” he said.
“Finally, an injury to my legs allowed me the time to seriously consider this
calling to the diaconate, and returning from Rome, I made the initial inquiry
into the diaconate formation program.”
Deacon D’Souza, who attended St. Anthony of Padua School in Falls
Church and Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, has been supported by his
family and parish. “My Holy Spirit family is an extraordinary source of
encouragement through their prayers and constant reassurance,” he said.
Deacon Peter Andrew Reyda
For Peter Andrew Reyda, his was a persistent call from a fellow
St. Timothy Church Deacon Jim Hepler and Father Gerald Weymes, the pastor at
the time. The first invitation came while Deacon Reyda was helping sell
Christmas trees for the Knights of Columbus. “I kind of laughed it off,” said
Deacon Reyda. “(Deacon Hepler) asked me again a few months later.”
Then it was Father Weymes’ turn to ask. This encouraged Deacon
Reyda to pray, seek spiritual direction and affirm what he thought about
becoming a deacon. Father Weymes asked again — a little more forcefully. “He
said stop discerning and go apply,” said Deacon Reyda.
“I think without this journey I wouldn’t have learned or grown to
trust Christ the way I’ve come to trust him now,” he said.
Deacon Felipe Tubil Averia
Growing up in the Philippines, Deacon Felipe Tubil “Ping” Averia
wanted to be a priest. He and his brothers were altar servers and active in
youth groups. The entire family always was involved in lay communities. “It was
natural for my wife and I to join Families in Christ Jesus Community (FCJC),”
he said. “The desire to serve the Lord and his people always remained in me,
and I believe the call was consistently there. It was more dependent on me —
when I will finally say ‘yes’ to the call.”
That “yes” came after a conversation with Deacon Ralph Poyo from
Raleigh, N.C., whom he met at summer conferences at the Franciscan University
in Steubenville, Ohio. Deacon Averia told Deacon Poyo of his desire to become a
deacon four years earlier. “I intended it to be the end of the casual
conversation and was preparing to leave when he asked, ‘what stopped you?’”
said Deacon Averia. “I told him that I talked to the FCJC elders about it at
that time and that, in the end, the thought of losing the youth ministry
stopped me from proceeding. Deacon Poyo said, ‘That’s what you want, but what
about what God wants?’”
Deacon Averia said the answers from the Lord were clear. “The
permanent diaconate is the next level of service for me,” he said.
Deacon Anthony Renzette
Deacon Anthony Renzette is looking forward to seeing how God will
use him as a servant to the church. He’s done various types of ministry,
ranging from teen ministry and WorkCamp, to teaching CCD, and helping in a
local food ministry in his parish. “Every one of these has been wonderful and
very rewarding and I’m equally curious and excited to learn what God has in
store next,” he said.
Deacon Renzette appreciated the interest of his family in his
diaconate formation. “Their questions and conversations throughout the process
have been great,” he said. “It has been a great blessing knowing that my family
not only supports the work I was doing in formation, but also took a great
interest in such a large part of my life.”
