The Diaconal Ordination of two Montfortians

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - On Sunday, December 13, 2024, at the Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort Parish in Delmas, the diaconal ordination of two Montfort brothers and one Spiritan took place: Brothers Max Alfred Stanley MONTFORT, Cyril Saint Jean, and Vilner MORTUMAT. This ordination was celebrated by Monsignor Wismick JEAN-CHARLES, SMM, auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Port-au-Prince.

Bishop Wismick began his homily on a festive note. He said: “Today is a day of celebration and a day of joy. It is a day of celebration for the Congregation of Montfort Missionaries and for the Congregation of Spiritans on the occasion of this diaconal ordination. It is also a day of joy for our Church for the total and generous gift of their lives to the Lord by Max Alfred Stanley Montfort, Cyril SAINT JEAN, and Vilner MORTUMAT that I will ordain deacon with a view to the priesthood.

He explained to them the three specific marks of the deacon. The first is celibacy. The deacon is called to live the life of Jesus and to imitate him as closely as possible. The second mark is the liturgy of the hours; it is about giving time to God. The third mark is obedience to the Church and to the bishop as a sign of self-denial; it is the concrete translation of their donation to Christ and to the Church. Personal freedom is the quality of their commitment. As deacons, they are consecrated as servants in the image of Christ.

In a Haiti in crisis, he urged them to be witnesses to the Word and to become signs of hope.

At the end of the celebration, Father Steevens SAINTÉLUS addressed words of thanks to his Monsignor Wismick JEAN-CHARLES, to the provincials of the two congregations, to the priests, to the religious, to the parents of the three deacons and to all the people of God.