Romana

The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, conferred the diaconate on 25 faithful of Opus Dei on November 19 in the Basilica of St. Eugene in Rome. The 25 new deacons, who will receive the priesthood in May 2023, come from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Costa Rica, Spain, the United States, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, Peru and Portugal.

In his homily, taking his cue from the words of Pope Francis, the Cardinal exhorted the new deacons to conform themselves to the charity of Christ in order to serve their neighbor generously. He also spoke of the need for prayer in the life of the ordained minister: "We need our relationship with Jesus Christ to go beyond a 'virtual reality.” Our life must start off from an interior relationship, from the knowledge of Jesus, from adoration of the Holy Trinity, from a bond deeper than that of a mother with her child. For this to be possible, moments of solitude are indispensable, as Jesus did when he withdrew to pray at night or early in the morning.”

At the end of the ceremony, the Prelate of Opus Dei addressed words of congratulation to the deacons, their families and all the participants in the ceremony. "I thank God," he said, "because he continues to send 'laborers into his harvest,' in particular to this small family within the people of God that is the Work."