June 11, 2025

By Darcy Fargo
Editor

As he approached his ordination to the diaconate, an ordination that was celebrated by Bishop Terry R. LaValley at Sacred Heart Church in Massena on May 24, Deacon Michelet Boncoeur said he was “very excited” about his new ministry.

“I’ve been preparing for a long time for this wonderful day,” he said.

Deacon Boncoeur noted that his path to ordination “is very different from the other guys.”

“I started my theological studies at CTU – Catholic Theological Union, where our pope studied theology,” he said. “I was then accepted into this diocese. I spent one year with Father Al (Hauser). Then I went to Mount St. Mary’s to continue my studies. (the seminary) has really prepared me and given me some good courses that really help me to serve the Church as a deacon. Being a deacon is about service – serving the people the best way I can with my own limitations.”

Deacon Boncoeur said it’s the service portion of that ministry he’s looking forward to most.

“To serve the Church, to serve on the altar and to proclaim God’s word to the people is something I look forward to,” he said. “And to serve the people, wherever they are or whoever they may be – not only to the people of the Church, but to the people on the margins, the people on the periphery.”

The new deacon said he’s also looking forward to serving God and his people at baptisms, weddings and funerals if and when the opportunity is presented to him.

“I’m very excited for that,” he said. “I do not know if I will have a chance to administer baptism, weddings but I’m really open to it. In some parishes, the pastor prefers to administer those sacraments or there are other deacons. But I’m open to it. My ministry is for the Church.”

Deacon Boncoeur said he found the idea of delivering homilies daunting at first, but he said he feels his seminary experience has and is preparing him well for the task.

“It takes time,” he said. “It requires a lot of time to put yourself into the readings and Gospels and let yourself be guided by the holy Spirit. Sometimes, there’s an idea in your head, but putting it into writing is more difficult. Mount St. Mary’s helps us to overcome fears we might have and helps us better prepare homilies and deliver homilies. It’s still not easy. There are different types of people in the congregation. Some in the assembly might be lawyers, some might be religious sisters, some might be children – all kinds of people. We need to give homilies that are for all of them.”

After ordination, Deacon Boncoeur will serve for the summer in Ticonderoga before returning to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland in the late summer.

“I’ll also have a chance to continue serving as a deacon at the seminary,” he said. “We are assigned to a parish and serve at Mass and preach and lead Holy Hours.”

While he noted there’s some sadness because his parents, who reside in Haiti, were unable to attend the ordination, Deacon Boncoeur said he’s glad they’ll be able to participate remotely via livestream.

“They will see it, and they will pray for me,” he said.

Deacon Boncoeur said he’s grateful to God for giving him the grace needed to reach this point in his journey to the priesthood.

“To be ordained to the diaconate is a blessing and a grace,” he said. “It’s all received from God, and God can use us to serve his people through this ministry. I’m grateful to Bishop (LaValley) and to the people of the Diocese of Ogdensburg for their prayers and support.”