Beyond the Books

Deacon aspirant Steven Bartolotta serves meals every Friday at True Worth Place. (NTC/Richard Rodriguez)

To prepare to be ordained a permanent deacon, the men volunteer with the unhoused; visit the infirm in the hospital or in hospice care; and when possible, serve the imprisoned, said Deacon Rodney Asebedo, diocesan director of the diaconate formation program.

“So often the sick, the unhoused, or the imprisoned feel like they're invisible or no one notices them,” the deacon said. “Our goal is to not only notice them but learn how to minister to them.”

From an administrative point of view, the men in formation serve a minimum of 10 hours a month, which they record on a timesheet. But from a ministry point of view, Dcn. Asebedo said, “We're hoping that in the inner workings of the man as they serve these people, that this is drawing them closer to the face of God … that it continues to draw them closer to their call and continues to draw them closer to God in how they see people. Our goal is that they will be able to see God in every day, in every person they serve, not just the mountaintop experience.”

EXPECTATIONS SURPASSED

Before he began his time at True Worth Place in Fort Worth, aspirant Steven Bartolotta of Holy Redeemer Parish in Aledo thought his service would mirror past experiences volunteering in homeless shelters.

“There was probably a little apprehension on my part, like, ‘Okay, I don't know what I'm getting into here. What is it going to be?’” Bartolotta admitted. 

Now three months into his service, the Holy Redeemer parishioner said he actively looks forward to returning each Friday, where he serves in the mail room and in the dining hall for about four hours.

“You know, I can't wait to go down there. I'm excited to be going down there every Friday and the roles that I'm there," the deacon aspirant said.

It’s been an eye-opening experience to witness the gratitude in the community, Bartolotta said. “You’d think, ‘Oh gosh, we’re going to run into people at their lowest, who are in their most difficult circumstances, and that is the case for some and many, yes. But you wouldn’t know that when you see them and interact with them. They actually uplift me and I think a lot of others when we’re serving.”

The deacon aspirant said he’s been blown away by the vibrance of the community there and has gained a new understanding of human dignity and humility.

“We’re not down there being street preachers, having ecumenical debates or dialogues. It’s being there for them, showing them that someone does care about you, someone does love you, and you might have had some difficult moments and times in the past, and you might have some more ahead, but we’re still all one community together,” he said. “The most important thing is to let them know that there are people here who do care for you, who do love you, and who are here and want to serve you.”

Bartolotta recalled how a resident had asked him point-blank if he would have volunteered at the shelter if not for the diaconate formation requirements. “I was honest, and I said, ‘Well, honestly, no. I wouldn’t have, but because of the time that I’ve been here and as involved as I’ve become, I’m glad that I keep coming down here.’”

Again, he recalled his initial hesitation with the assignment, when he worried about the time investment, balancing the service with family and work responsibilities. However, he’s reflected that the work “isn’t taxing at all. This is actually very much necessary, and for me, it’s like I should have been doing this before the diaconate.

“It’s an environment where, let’s just be honest, 95 percent of the population has no interest in helping. ‘Someone else will do it,’ that’s the mentality. Well, someone else has to be me now. And it has to be us as a community,” Bartolotta said. “God’s calling us to do this, and if we constantly say no, then we risk that work of God not being done and the Gospel message not being spread.”  

FREE IN GOD

Prison ministry has long been part of Deacon Gustavo Garcia’s vocation. The deacon at St. Jude Parish in Mansfield began visiting inmates even before entering formation for the diaconate. Today, Dcn. Garcia continues his commitment by visiting Sanders Estes Prison in Venus to minister to the incarcerated every Monday, except the first Monday of the month, when Father Richard Collins, the diocesan chaplain for prison ministry, celebrates Mass and hears confessions.

“As a deacon in service, I share the Gospel and the Eucharist, and I try to advise them to surrender and leave everything in God’s hands, as He will ultimately deliver us true peace,” Dcn. Garcia shared. “I mean, we aren’t imprisoned just with walls, or our bodies, but in our spiritual lives.”

Presently, two men in formation have joined him in this ministry, helping lead Bible studies. 

“You see the fruits of what we serve,” the deacon said. He shared how one stern-faced inmate had joined the study only to leave his cell. He is now one of the most active participants in praying the Rosary.

“There are various cases like this where we can see the Holy Spirit working in the inmates,” he shared.

Many of the imprisoned feel they are purposefully forgotten by their Catholic brethren, Dcn. Garcia said. “They feel as if they are disposable and unwanted by society.” 

Dcn. Asebedo said he hopes to have more men in the diaconate formation serve in prison ministry, whether during a retreat or as their work schedules allow. 

JUST LISTEN

Nearly a year since his ordination to the diaconate, Deacon Scott Elder of Our Lady of Lourdes in Mineral Wells uses the lessons he learned during his volunteer ministry every single day.

“My hospital training was very beneficial,” Dcn. Elder said. “It taught me that I don’t have to have all the answers for everybody, and to just really focus on being present for people. Christ is present for us always, in the Eucharist, and always at our side.”

He recalled beginning his service expecting to always be on his toes, with a homily at the ready with every room he entered, but “honestly, it was a lot more listening and less talking than I was expecting. Most people want you to be there and just listen to them and hear where they’re at.” 

Serving faithful of all different ages and walks of life and offering them the love and support they were looking for was one of his biggest takeaways from his time in the hospital setting.

“Just being present for people, letting them know I was here for them, and trying to let them know God was present for them too,” Dcn. Elder shared.