In the afternoon of May 30, Deacon Elmer Lopez Maximo preached for the first time at a Thanksgiving Mass at his home parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rockaway, N.J. in gratitude for his ordination as a permanent deacon of the Paterson Diocese, N.J.“ He preached that Saturday Mass and three Sunday Masses the following day for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.
On the morning of May 30, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney ordained Deacon Maximo and seven other men as permanent deacons of the diocese during a Mass steeped in traditions of the Church at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J.
Deacon Maximo, 58, was born and raised in the Philippines. A Sacred Heart parishioner for 28 years, he has served as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, a lector, a liturgical coordinator, and a parish leader, and he has also served on the Rosary Society, the Pro-Life ministry, the Finance Board, and the Pastoral Council.
At the diocesan level, Maximo serves as president of the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries, which supports the faith formation and community life of Filipinos in the diocese.
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Father Cerilo Javinez, administrator of Sacred Heart and a native of the Philippines, celebrated the Mass. Deacon Maximo and Deacon Richard Van Glahn, also of Sacred Heart, assisted.
In his homily, Deacon Maximo said, “On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, and on this sacred day of my ordination, I give thanks to God for calling me, sustaining me, and forming me through this beautiful village of faith.”
“My prayer is that my ministry may reflect the life of the Trinity and the meaning of the cross: a heart lifted to God in prayer and holiness, and arms stretched out to others in charity and service,” Deacon Maximo said, adding a few words in Tagalog. “This is the love I desire to live. This is the love I pray to serve, a love that comes from God and reaches out to all,” he said.
During the Mass, Deacon Maximo offered flowers in thanksgiving to the Blessed Virgin Mary as part of the “Flores de Maria” tradition in the Philippines, celebrated in May.
Deacon Maximo also credited Sacred Heart’s former pastor, Father Pawel Bala, as “a tremendous source of support and encouragement throughout my diaconate journey.”
In his homily, Deacon Maximo also told the Sacred Heart community that, as their servant-deacon, he offers “his life in service to this mystery of love: to proclaim the Gospel, to serve at the altar, and to reach out especially to those who feel forgotten, lonely, or unseen.”
