12 Deacons Ordained in Cathedral Service
The Rev. Deborah Hays Ordained in Cathedral Service
On the morning of Oct. 10, more than 500 people from across the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, along with guests from other dioceses and states, celebrated the ordination of 12 deacons in a service presided over by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando.
Members of St. Barnabas traveled aboard the BarnaBUS to Orlando to celebrate this special occasion with our own Rev. Deborah Hays as she was ordained a transitional deacon, taking an important step toward her anticipated ordination as a priest.
In his ordination sermon, drawn primarily from Luke 12, Bishop Holcomb told those present that rather than operating in their own strength, deacons share in Christ’s service to others. They must remain ready at all times to serve the poor, weak, sick and lonely. “Need doesn’t keep business hours,” he said.
The Rev. Deborah Hays serves as children’s minister at St. Barnabas, DeLand, her home parish. She works in pastoral care, teaching about the sacraments, guiding in spiritual formation and extending God’s kingdom through outreach events.
Hays also had words of gratitude for her rector, her church family and others. “With a humble heart, I thank my rector, Mother Audrey, for her encouragement and confidence in God’s call on my life,” she said. “Her consistent affirmation has touched me in ways I had never experienced and means more than I can express. To Father Comforted, thank you for sharing your prophetic vision of me serving God’s people at the table of grace. Your words affirmed the call I have sensed since I was 13. To my St. Barnabas family, thank you for your love, trust and companionship.”
Prior to the Eucharist, the bishop gave special thanks to the Vens. Julie Altenbach and John Motis for their work in reshaping the deacon formation process. “They weren’t looking just for basic competencies,” he said. “They wanted [the new deacons] to be proficient and to excel.” He also thanked the ICS instructors and the Commission on Ministry, all of whom play key roles in the diaconal formation process, and welcomed the Rev. Canon Curt Benham, dean-elect of the Cathedral, who joined the diocese for this special service ahead of Dec. 1, when he begins his service at the Cathedral.
During the Sunday, October 25, Holy Eucharist at St. Barnabas, Rev. Hays carried out her first clerical duties, proclaiming the Gospel, administering Communion, and dismissing the congregation with the timeless words, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!”
Afterward, a lovely reception was held in Canterbury, where the children from her children’s chapel class presented her with gorgeous red roses. The vestry also surprised Rev. Hays with two beautiful stoles to wear as she fulfills all canonical requirements before (God willing) ordination in the spring.