DIOCESE OF SAN ANGELO PO BOX 1829 NONPROFIT ORG. SAN ANGELO TX 76902-1829 US POSTAGE PAID SAN ANGELO, TX Inside this issue: PERMIT NO. 44 • Bishop Sis on the vocation of deacon (Page 2) • Safe Environment training now online (Page 7) • Hermitage to celebrate anniversary (Page 11) • Photos from the Rural Life Mass (Page 24) AWESTNGELUS TEXAS Serving Catholics in the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas Volume 41, No. 6 June 2021 WEST TEXAS ANGELUS Father Kevin Lenius spoke at his ordination Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in San Angelo, May 22, 2021. ‘Falling in love with love itself’ Father Kevin Lenius ordained a priest of the Diocese of San Angelo By Brian Bodiford and making new friends at school. I found that I loved “God bless ‘em!” West Texas Angelus learning,” he said. In middle school, he began playing “There was always something from very early on in the violin, a skill he continued to pursue, playing in a me about the church, about my relationship with God. On May 22, 2021, Bishop Michael Sis ordained the symphony orchestra and Revolution Strings, a fiddle There were even some early moments of prayer that I re- newest priest for the Diocese of San Angelo, Father group, in high school. His love of music kept him play- member,” Lenius said. He related one such moment in Kevin Lenius. ing through the seminary. kindergarten or first grade, swinging on a swing set and Born to James and Denee Lenius in Abilene, Kevin feeling the closeness of God. “I recognize now that was and his sister Andrea were raised as Catholics from HEARING THE CALL God introducing himself to me and calling me to him- birth. Kevin was baptized at Sacred Heart Parish in Abi- As a cradle Catholic, Lenius was exposed to the self,” he said. lene; shortly thereafter the family moved to Holy Family faith and the priesthood from an early age, and this ex- Though he enjoyed Mass and religious education, it Parish. “Holy Family in Abilene has been my home par- posure quickly left an impression. “I always talked wasn’t until the end of junior high, as he was preparing ish since I can remember,” Lenius said. about church when we would come home on Sundays to transition to high school, that he fully learned about Sunday school and religious education classes com- after Mass,” he said. “I just loved going.” He would the Eucharist, a lesson he credits to his 8th grade plemented Lenius’ public education in Abilene. “I really even “play priest” at home as a child. “I would make my enjoyed school. I really loved getting to know my family own little Mass and even preach to my parents,” he said. See LENIUS, Page 5 Page 2 JUNE 2021 The Angelus From the Bishop’s Desk Diocese of San Angelo to begin a new class of permanent deacons Men considering the permanent diaconate from the Diocese of San Angelo can participate in the new in- The Prayer Square quiry class beginning this year. The opportunity to join a new class comes around only once every four or five Bishop Michael J. Sis years. Prayer for God gives every human being a mission in this world. He has created each one of us for a unique pur- Diocese of San Angelo Pandemic Recovery pose. By virtue of our Christian baptism, every member of the church has received a missionary calling to evan- gelize the world around us. Each of us evangelizes in Diocese of San Angelo our own unique way. By Bishop Michael J. Sis and in the background. Like those once chosen by the For example, parents share the faith with their chil- dren. Catechists pass on the gift of faith to others in the Apostles for the ministry of charity, today’s deacons Almighty and ever-living God, parish. At school and work, all of us are called to shine should be men of good reputation, filled with wisdom with the light of Christ by the way we live our lives. In and the Holy Spirit. we turn to you in this critical moment this article, I will explore the vocation of the permanent Permanent deacons have the potential to serve as es- in the history of our Church. diaconate. sential bridge-builders in the community, building Help us to bring our people back Our deacons touch thousands of people’s lives. They bridges between cultures, between different groups in a to the active practice of the faith. help win souls for Christ. They build up the community parish, between Catholics and non-Catholics. Because of Transform our hearts of the church. They make a tremendous positive differ- their unique position as permanent deacons, they can from fear to deeper faith, ence, and I am very grateful for their ministry. also help build bridges between the secular world and from division to unity, The ministry of deacons is found in several places in the religious world, between the marketplace and the from selfishness to generosity, the New Testament. In Acts 6:1-6, the disciples selected kingdom of God, between the ancient truths of the Cath- from apathy to action, seven men of good reputation and ordained them for olic faith and the contemporary challenges of our soci- from isolation to a new missionary spirit. ministry. Those seven men are traditionally known as ety. Through your divine power, the first deacons. One of them was St. Stephen, who be- Most permanent deacons are married. As married bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. came the first person to die a martyr’s death for the clergy, they live out both the sacrament of holy orders For all who have died from the coronavirus, Christian faith. Deacons held a special place in the mini- and the sacrament of matrimony. This puts them in a have mercy on their souls. stry of the early church, along with bishops and priests. special position to help build up marriages and families, Bring new life and renewed energy Some well-known deacon saints include St. Lawrence of and especially to coach future generations of young men to our parishes and missions. Rome and St. Ephrem the Syrian. to be faithful husbands and dedicated fathers. A deacon’s Give us a future full of hope. A deacon is a member of the clergy. He is no longer wife and children are directly impacted by his vocation. We ask you this a layperson. He is set aside for service to God, con- The ministry of a deacon brings joys and pains, with through Jesus Christ our Lord. plenty of crosses to bear, and our God of surprises secrated to the Lord in the sacrament of holy orders. Amen. Deacons help the bishop and his priests in the threefold brings countless unforeseen blessings. Through it all, ministry of the word, of the altar, and of charity: God’s grace is always available to assist. • The ministry of the word includes preaching and The ancient practice of the church, which is shared teaching. by both the Catholics and the Orthodox, is that we can • The ministry of the altar includes liturgy, worship, sometimes ordain a married man, but we don’t marry an and praying for God’s blessings on people and things. ordained man. For example, in the Eastern Rites of the • The ministry of charity includes reaching out to Catholic Church, there are some married priests, such as serve the poor and marginalized. in the Maronite, Melkite, Byzantine, or Coptic The ministry of charity of a deacon includes many Churches. If they want to live their life as a married pri- layers: est or deacon, they must get married before their ordina- • direct service to those in need, tion. If they get ordained as a single man, then they can • recruiting others and empowering them for this never marry. service, and Similarly, we also have some married priests in the • preaching and teaching in a way that helps the en- Roman Catholic Church, such as Father Knick Knicker- tire parish community to reflect on the needs of the poor. bocker (married to Sandie) of our diocese. These are Deacons help equip fellow members of the church to men who were married priests or ministers in the Epis- reach out in service to the poor, the sick, the grieving, copalian or Anglican or Lutheran Church, and later they the imprisoned, the immigrants, the forgotten, and the came into full communion with the Catholic faith. After abandoned. approval from the Holy See, a Catholic bishop can or- As ministers of the altar, deacons proclaim the Gos- dain them as married Catholic priests, and they continue pel, prepare the offertory gifts, and distribute the Lord’s to live as married persons. However, after that priest Body and Blood to the faithful in Holy Communion. gets ordained, if his wife later dies or separates from Deacons share in the responsibility of evangelization him, the priest cannot remarry. The same is true if he and catechesis. They preside over prayers, administer gets ordained as a Catholic priest as a single man. He baptism of infants, witness marriages, bring viaticum to must remain single. Deacon Freddy Medina the dying, and preside at some funeral rites. In a parish, This same logic of the relationship between holy or- the deacon is supervised by the local pastor, and the pas- ders and marriage also applies to permanent deacons. Director of Diaconal Ministry tor determines the extent to which a deacon will preach We can ordain a married man, but we cannot marry an Diocese of San Angelo in the liturgy.