June 11, 2025 Editor’s note: The following is Bishop Terry R. LaValley’s homily from the ordination celebrated May 24. What a blessed day it is for the Church of Ogdensburg! Here we are, sisters and brothers all, gathered in this beautiful sacred space of Sacred Heart Church to celebrate God’s call to these three men to serve the Church in Sacred Orders. We want to thank Bishop Lucia for being with us. As you know, he was our diocesan vocation director and Tyler’s pastor a few years ago. Welcome Bishop! On a personal note, I spent my entire diaconal ministry worshipping and ministering to folks who call this sacred space of Sacred Heart home. So, it’s a real privilege for me to be back for this special occasion. In a few minutes, Dennis Ombongi, Michelet Boncoeur and Tyler Fitzgerald will be advanced to the Order of Deacon as ministers of the Word and of Charity. It is the duty of all the faithful of the diocese to assist the candidates with our prayers. You see, your presence here marks our public commitment to hold each of these men in prayer, today and every day. Thank you for being here to share in this sacred moment. We, also want to acknowledge and greet the family members and friends of these men who are present this morning as well as loved ones who are unable to be with us physically but join us via livestreaming. Pope Benedict XVI announced my appointment as Bishop of Ogdensburg on the Feast of St. Polycarp. Ever since, I’ve paid particular attention to the writings of this early Church Bishop and Martyr. In preaching to the deacons of his day, St. Polycarp said, “Be merciful and zealous, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who became the servant of all.” His words continue to challenge the deacon and priest to this very day. Be merciful! The prophet Jeremiah tried coming up with an excuse why he couldn’t answer the Lord’s call. But there is no excuse for not being merciful. Gentlemen, mercy should become an identifying feature of your ordained ministry. When you remain faithful to your daily prayer, including the Liturgy of the Hours, and through your service at the Altar, you will come to know, more and more, Jesus as merciful friend. Your ministry will reflect His humility, His gentleness, His mercy. A trusted friend has that kind of an effect on us. Michelet, Dennis and Tyler, a merciful heart in loving service to others will go a long way in helping to heal this fractured world. Be zealous! No easy task, for sure, given our own human limitations and the crosses encountered in witnessing to Jesus in a world so often uninterested and even hostile to the Church. The Lord told Jeremiah to have no fear because the Lord would be with him. In the Gospel, Jesus offers His disciples the gift of peace and sends them off to be peacemakers. Again, this can only happen to a person of disciplined prayer. The joy of the Gospel will be the motivation for your zealous proclamation and witness to the faith. Never allow yourself to be turned away from the hope and peace offered by the Gospel. Your people, your Church expects this holy energy from you. Again, this will be fueled by your prayer. Rejoice in your faith and share that joy! Polycarp told the early deacons that they are to walk according to the truth of the Lord. There is no room for a cafeteria style ministry of preferences. The splendor of all God’s truth must be taught. Our people deserve it, our Church expects it, and our God demands it. Tyler, Dennis and Michelet, you are to be lifelong students of the faith, confident teacher, and gentle servant of the Truth. Jesus’ word must become a very part of the fabric of your being. As that happens, the number of disciples will increase, as we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in our second reading. “Christ became the servant, the ‘diaconus’ of all.” The Model is before you, before all of us. Soon, like the deacons set apart by the early Church, you will be set apart for ordained ministry. You will freely promise to live the celibate life with total dedication so as to cling to Christ with an undivided heart. Through perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the Kingdom, you will be an inspiring sign of love and hope for all who know you. Firmly rooted and grounded in faith, you are to show yourself chaste and beyond reproach before God and the faithful. Hold the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. Express by your actions the word of God which your lips proclaim and your heart embraces. The ministry of charity is most characteristic of the deacon. In fact, with sacred ordination, the deacon is constituted a living icon of Christ the Servant within the Church. So, as you conform your life to Christ the Servant, making yourself a generous and faithful servant of God, you will help to shape the vitality and genuineness of the exercise of the corporal and spiritual works of charity in the life of our faith family. Be attentive to the needs of all those with whom you come in contact. Gentlemen, your Church is so very proud of your persevering study and formation. We are grateful for your generous heart in responding to the Lord’s call to serve His Church. With much love and deep appreciation, we thank Tyler, Michelet and Dennis’ parents and family members for the gift of your son, brother, and grandson. Gentlemen, rely on God’s grace, your life of sacrifice, and the prayers of all gathered here to make your ministry among us a heavenly reality with earthly application. “Be merciful and zealous, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who became the servant of all.” Through your ordained ministry, May God be praised…forever may God be praised!
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