On Saturday, April 6, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki ordained two third-year diocesan seminarians to the transitional diaconate during a 10:30 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.

Family, fellow parishioners and friends of Steven Arisman and Seth Brown — about 500 in all — gathered to support them as they received the sacrament of holy orders, by which they were ordained to the order of deacon as a transitional step toward being ordained diocesan priests. Also present and taking part in the liturgy were about 30 priests, other transitional and permanent deacons, and a good number of seminarians from the Springfield diocese and beyond.

During his homily, Bishop Paprocki said the joy of Easter was "intensified" with the ordination of two deacons for the Church of Springfield in Illinois. He described the two candidates — "one of whom is quiet and reserved and the other not so much" — as showing that "the Lord does not have a cookie-cutter mold of person or personality whom he calls to either holy orders or to the consecrated life."

"Rather, he calls those whom he wills," he said, "those who will willingly and gladly (as Mark said in 16:15) 'go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.'"

Those who hear the call of the Lord to a life dedicated in service to the church should not be too surprised, Bishop Paprocki said. "While it is true that we are all unworthy of such a call, the Lord has ways of making use of unworthy instruments, provided they are also humble instruments, as we see repeatedly in the Scriptures."

The new deacons are to be "servants of Christ" who "must show to others by the charity of your words and the quality of your life the joy that comes from knowing and following Jesus. There should be no doubt in anyone's mind who it is that you serve; his love must be manifest in everything you do and say."

Bishop Paprocki continued, "Know as you go into the world, as you walk its streets, that the risen Lord walks with you and sees what you see. You must not only seek to listen daily to his voice and to answer his call to live for him, but you must also allow him to use your voices to announce this call.

"Allow yourselves to be his trumpets," he said, "echoing far and wide the harmonious sound of his love so that all people may raise one unified hymn to God for the marvelous deeds he has done."

During the ordination Mass, the two men were given the assent of the assembly, made a commitment to celibacy, promised to follow their vows, were vested with the stole and dalmatic, and received the Book of the Gospels from Bishop Paprocki. Following the Mass a reception honoring the two new deacons was held in the Cathedral atrium.

Late Saturday afternoon both Deacon Arisman and Deacon Brown returned to their respective home parishes of St. Agnes in Springfield and St. Peter in Petersburg, where they assisted at the Mass, proclaimed the Gospel, gave the homily and were honored at a parish reception. The next day Deacon Arisman also proclaimed the Gospel and gave the homily at all three Sunday Masses at St. Agnes.

Now, as deacons, both men are also able to baptize, witness marriages and preside at wake services and graveside services.

Deacon Brown and Deacon Arisman have now returned to Mundelein Seminary to complete the school year before heading out to 10-week hospital chaplaincy experiences this summer. They are expected to be ordained priests for the Springfield diocese following their final year at the seminary (2013-2014) in May 2014.