By Deacon Tony Schmidt
As part of the ongoing effort to highlight the permanent diaconate as a viable vocation pathway for men in the Diocese of Jackson, it is my hope that this article can pull back the curtain to reveal a glimpse of the life as a permanent deacon. Because of varied settings in which a deacon can serve, a typical day is as unique as the men who serve.

It is imperative to remember that the heart of the diaconate is service. Perhaps it is easy to place limitations on the diaconate by focusing on what faculties that Bishop Joseph Kopacz grants to each deacon upon his ordination as a deacon. However, the time spent by deacons performing faculty related tasks such as weddings, baptisms, funerals, proclaiming the Gospel at Mass, etc. pale in comparison to living among those we serve.

From a personal perspective, being a deacon requires me to remain fully engaged as a husband, father and grandfather while simultaneously being available for those whom I serve. The time spent serving on the altar with my mentor and parish priest, Father Gerry Hurley, comprises a small portion of my time, but remains the task that is the most visible. However, behind the scenes, my service can range from bringing the Eucharist to the souls confined to their home, nursing home, or hospital, spending time with the youth of our parish, accompanying the youth on mission trips to Catholic Heart Work Camp each summer, assisting with Confirmation retreats, leading OCIA, providing a confidential listening ear for those who are in need and sitting on various parish committees.

However, the single most important service as a deacon is placing myself on the sideline to effectively allow the whisper of the Holy Spirit to be heard and then to take action! Over the course of my life, but especially during diaconate formation and the time since ordination, the realization that I am called to serve is very real and constant theme. My ego wants to do grand things affecting a large segment of the world, but I’m called to serve who is in need in my own community. The diaconate is humbling in many ways; my service is really not about me … it truly is being the hands and feet of Jesus. The diaconate has assisted me to be a better husband, father, friend and child of God.

One aspect of the life of a deacon that is present in any service arena is the absolute need to connect on a human level with whom we are serving. From the very beginning of creation, humans were created to be in communion with one another. To be able to empathize, to listen so that we understand and to nonjudgmentally meet an individual where they are on their spiritual journey establishes trust and open lines of communication. It is through trust and communication, that the deacon can be of greatest value which is to allow the light of Christ to shine and thus illuminate the world. I love Jesus; therefore, I must love his children. Although he was not speaking about the diaconate, Thomas Aquinas encapsulates the mindset needed to have a fulfilling diaconal ministry by stating “To love is to will the good of the other.”

I encourage all men who are interested in the diaconate to check out the Permanent Diaconate section of the diocesan website at https://bit.ly/JacksonDiaconate for more information. Also, join one of the diaconate informational sessions that will be held throughout the diocese to learn about the heart of the diaconate.

(Deacon Tony Schmidt is a member of the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Jackson. He serves St. Paul parish in Flowood.)

Diaconate Inquiry Sessions

February 6
Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz
(ordained bishop)

February 7
Father Hendrik Ardianto, SCJ
Catholic Parishes of Northwest Mississippi

February 14
Father Jofin George
Holy Cross, Philadelphia

February 19
Father Vijaya Madanu, SVD
Holy Ghost, Jackson

March 2
Father Henry Shelton
Retired

March 6
Father Albeenreddy Vatti
St. Francis of Assisi, Madison

Thank you for answering the call!

(Editor’s note: This reflection by a local parishioner was read at an event organized by the Office of Intercultural Ministry in honor of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Jackson on Saturday, Jan. 18. The theme was “On the Path to Fulfilling the Dream” with speaker Constance Slaughter-Harvey.)

By Dr. Ivory Phillips
I consider it a signal honor and a rare privilege to be able to share with you my reflections on how Dr. Martin King’s work has influenced my life. In order to do that, let me mention just a few events or situations between December 1955 and November 1967.

Two months into my eighth-grade year, Emmett Till was murdered. The news travelled rapidly, throwing many of us into feelings of anger, fear and helplessness all at the same time. We understood the history of such racial atrocities, but were isolated and unorganized. Then came an answer from Alabama. That December Martin Luther King headed-up the eventually successful Montgomery Bus Boycott.

From there he refined and imported the strategy of mass non-violent protests to others places and issues. As that idea spread and I became a student at Jackson State University, I was impressed and became an activist for civil rights. Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers influenced me in making that move. They stressed not just being non-violent, but protesting against the racial injustices. I, thus became an active protester.

Beyond that, King had an impact on many of us as citizens, acting on our behalf through the March on Washington, the Selma to Montgomery March and other nationally televised events. These events generated enough pressure until segregation in public places was brought to an end and voter registration became easier for Black citizens. King thereby helped us to become full-fledged citizens.

He became a protest leader because Black church-goers in Alabama lifted him up to such positions. He was able to remain an influential public figure because of his speaking and writing abilities and his charismatic personality.

Among his most lastingly impactful speeches was in April 1967 on why he opposed the war in in Vietnam. More than just the idea that the war was immoral was his demonstration that it was linked to a history of colonialism and imperialism, that it detracted from the civil rights movement and that it squandered resources that should be directed toward relieving hunger, housing, health care and other forms of poverty. That kind of understanding influenced the teaching of myself and many others for the rest of our careers.

Then just seven months later, in November 1967, he made a speech launching the Poor People’s Campaign, the march on Washington that culminated in a tent city of poor people in D.C. That speech and the efforts which followed caused many, teachers, news commentators and political leaders, among them, to more critically examine American capitalism. This too, was impactful in helping many of us to permanently become more liberal, compassionate or humanitarian when it comes to economic issues.

Finally, King impressed upon us the importance of unity and coordinated effort in the struggle for Black freedom and liberation. He deliberately sought out ways to undertake projects with Medgar Evers and the NAACP. He called on other civil rights leaders to join in completing James Meredith’s March Against Fear after the assassination attempt on Meredith. It also became big news when King met with Malcolm X to work on Black liberation. Throughout his career, he worked with and refused to criticize Stokley Carmichael and other Black leaders who may have promoted other tactics in their struggles.

In short, King impressed me as a brilliant and dedicated leader who is rightly honored and is a more than worthy role model for any and all who are concerned about democracy and racial justice.

(Dr. Ivory Phillips is a parishioner of Holy Ghost Church in Jackson.)