Seminarians David Arellano and Seth M. Seaman ordained to Order of the Diaconate
When you preach and serve, always strive to do so with love, not indifference,” Bishop Barry C. Knestout said encouragingly to the two seminarians seated facing him, in front of the altar.
David Arellano, 25, and Seth Michael Seaman, 37, were ordained deacons on Saturday, May 20, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond. The sacrament of Holy Orders leaves an indelible mark on their souls as they take a step closer to the priesthood.
Being ordained to the Order of the Diaconate means Deacons David and Seth can now proclaim the Gospel; preach at Mass; administer baptisms; assist at, and bless, marriages; and conduct funeral rites, among other things in their ministry.
During the ordination rite, Father Brian Capuano, Vicar for Vocations, presented the two candidates in front of the altar. The bishop, flanked by Deacon John Kren and Deacon David Reaves, deemed the seminarians worthy and elected them for ordination.
The elect promised to remain celibate as a sign of dedication to their service, and to deepen their spirit of prayer by praying the Liturgy of the Hours.
Bishop Knestout told them to rely on the “strength, help and power of the Holy Spirit, who is always ready to give you the gifts and graces to be effective ministers and personal examples of the Gospel.”
During his homily, the bishop talked about Saint Philip the Evangelist in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
“What is notable in the story is the energy, zeal, and quickness of Saint Philip to explain the Gospel,” said the bishop.“David and Seth, always ask for the grace of Saint Philip in your ministry to be quick to respond to the Holy Spirit, and generous in your time and energy to bring the people you encounter to Christ,” the bishop added.
The seminarians knelt before the bishop and placed their hands in his, pledging obedience to him and his successors.
Then, the two men prostrated themselves in front of the altar while the cantor led everyone in singing the Litany of the Saints.
“I felt a deep sense of peace,” Deacon David said when asked what was going through his mind during the rite. “I didn’t have a care in the world, I was just able to be present in the moment.”
Then the bishop laid his hands on their heads and prayed the Prayer of Ordination, asking God to dedicate the deacons to service at the altar and to God’s people.
“The most powerful moment for me was the laying of hands by the bishop,” said Deacon Seth. “He left his hands for a while, and I felt the Holy Spirit was made present to me. It was truly an amazing moment to receive all that grace.”
The newly-ordained deacons were then vested in the deacon’s stole and dalmatic, signs of their new office.
After Mass, the mothers of both men were emotional and could barely speak as tears filled their eyes.
“I’m so, so proud of him,” said Deacon David’s mother, Maria Emma Arellano. She leaned on her other son, Juan, and spoke to him in Spanish for help in translating her thoughts.
She said from the time David was a little boy, as young as 4 years old, he would try to go up to the altar during Mass to “help the priest.”
Deacon Seth’s mother, Veronica Seaman, also stated it simply but firmly, saying she was “very proud.”
She then said she was even more emotional because being at the ordination made her think of her husband, Lon Seaman, who passed away four years ago. “He would have been proud as well,” she said.
Deacon Seth preached his first homily the next day at St. Joseph, Hampton, his home parish. He said afterward he had been “wanting to preach at Mass for years” and while he has “a lot of room to grow,” he felt “at home behind the ambo.”
He will serve this summer at St. Jude, Christiansburg.
Deacon David also returned to his home parish, St. Francis of Assisi, Rocky Mount, to preach his first homily. He said afterward that he was nervous at first, but once he “got going … the nervousness went away.” He said “the words came naturally” and he relied on his notes much less than he thought he would.
He will serve at Saint Gabriel, Chesterfield, and Good Samaritan, Louisa, this summer.