BRIDGEPORT — Bishop Frank J. Caggiano ordained seminarian Colin Lomnitzer to the transitional diaconate Saturday, urging him to preach the Gospel fearlessly to a “world that is so prideful it dares to believe that we are not made in God’s image, but that God is made in our image.”
At times, he said, the world will be hostile, “But as I’ve come to know you, I know that you will preach in season and out of season because you are a young man committed to know and live the truth, so I ask you to preach it fearlessly so that the world might find its way back to the one who is the Truth, Jesus Christ.”
Ordination as a transitional deacon is the last step before ordination to the priesthood, which typically occurs a year later after additional pastoral, liturgical and educational preparation. Deacon Lomnitzer, a lifelong parishioner of the Parish of St. Catherine of Siena in Trumbull, celebrated his first Mass as deacon there on the Solemnity of Pentecost with Fr. Joseph Marcello as the principal celebrant.
His first assignment will be at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Danbury.
“It’s rather hard to explain, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit I have realized that the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus was not some distant event that is nice to remember. Rather, it is personal,” Deacon Lomnitzer said. “Christ knows me, he loves me, and he gave his life for me! And so at my ordination to the diaconate, and (God-willing) in a year to the priesthood, I lay down my life in gratitude to the God who laid down his life for me.”
During his homily, Bishop Caggiano said that Lomnitzer had been prepared “for this moment every moment of your life, from the moment you were conceived in the womb of your mother. And when you look at the scope of your life and all that has happened — days of joy, days of sadness, days of triumph, days of challenge — they have all been your personal catechism to prepare for what God has foreseen from the beginning of all creation.”
At the ordination, the bishop said, the Holy Spirit would come upon him with a special grace to assume leadership in the Church, which he described as “a very particular ministry of self-sacrifice and service so that others may have greater life.”
At the canonization of St. Junipero Serra, the father of the California missions, Lomnitzer’s heart was stirred by Pope Francis’ preaching when he invoked the motto of the Franciscan saint, “Siempre adelante,” which means “Always forward.”
“How blessed all of us in the church are that you took those words unto yourself, and you moved forward in formation, in generosity and in dedication to come to this point where you will become a living sacrament of service to us all,” Bishop Caggiano said.
The word “service” to faithful Catholics has a different meaning from that of the secular world, the bishop said.
“Out there in the world, service is a quid pro quo, an offering some act, some thing to seek something in return,” he said. “It cannot be like that for us, and it will not be like that for you, Colin, for you have come here because you heard the whispering of the One who said, ‘I have not come to be served, but to serve.’”
In addition to his ministry at the altar, assisting the celebrant priest, he will also become a “living bridge,” the bishop said.
“In your gift of service to the sick and the elderly and those you will meet in your ministry, you will bring their hopes and dreams and prayers to that altar,” he said. “You will help them realize that Christ comes to them in his sacred body, blood, soul and divinity and through us and through you, his living bridge.”
The heart of the diaconate is charity and service, the bishop said. He described it as “a life of compassion to suffering, standing side by side with those who are in need, those who may be despairing, those who perhaps think there is nowhere to turn.”
However, he said, “They will turn to Christ through you, and they will receive the great gift of hope and encouragement and perseverance through you.”
He said the Holy Spirit would come and use Lomnitzer as a vessel where he might dwell so that the deacon could live his ministry worthily, reverently and generously.
“I know you to be a man who will always be humble before Christ,” Bishop Caggiano said. “So have no fear. The Holy Spirit will do all that is needed in you. Just follow his promptings and his lead.”
The bishop said he was personally proud of Lomnitzer. “You have blossomed into a young man of profound faith and generous heart, so I personally feel very privileged to be the one through whom you will receive this great ministry.”
In concluding, Bishop Caggiano urged the seminarian to take Our Lady as his “advocate, protector, defender and guide.”
“If there is ever a time in your life — as happened in my life — when you seem to feel that you’re wandering or need to find your anchor in Christ, she is the one to turn to. She has been there all along, and I commend you to her so that you will continue to grow in faith, knowledge and hope … and always in charity.”
When Bishop Caggiano finished his homily, he examined the candidate, who knelt before him and declared publicly his intention to undertake the office to assist the bishop and priests and serve the people of God.
Then, as he lay prostrate, the Litany of the Saints was prayed on his behalf, supplicating God for the grace to serve him and the Church. Later, extending his hands over the candidate, the bishop recited the prayer of ordination and he was vested with a stole and dalmatic. Bishop Caggiano presented him the Gospels and said, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.”
The son of Charles Lomnitzer and Sharon Watson, Deacon Lomnitzer attended elementary and middle school in Trumbull and high school at Fairfield College Preparatory School. He later enrolled in Catholic University of America and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Sacred Heart University in 2018.
Deacon Lomnitzer is a member of the Knights of Columbus and enjoys playing soccer and golf. While at Catholic University, he served as pro-life committee chair and resident assistant. He also organized and helped lead the Convivio youth conference for many years. He has been on mission trips to Lima, Peru, and spent the summer of 2019 in Lima studying Spanish.
“Ever since my family became Catholic at the Easter Vigil in 2005, St. Catherine of Siena became my home away from home,” he said. “It was there that I realized that priests were people too.”
He said he grew in devotion to the sacraments, especially confession and the Eucharist. “In addition to learning how to pray, immersing myself in a Catholic environment became very important to me.”
On the eve of his ordination, he said, “Recently I have been thinking about how far off ordination seemed when I first entered St. John Fisher Seminary. It was a day that I wasn’t sure would come. Now, on the eve of my ordination, I can’t help but think of how providential my time in the seminary has been. The distance of ordination helped me to focus on my formation: how do I grow to be like David who was a man after the heart of God, how do I conform my heart to his Sacred Heart, how do I listen and follow him (to drop everything as Matthew describes the call of the apostles in his Gospel) to rest at the foot of the cross of the one who knows me better than myself? All these questions were answered by the Holy Spirit in seminary because I dedicated time to God, and I let him in who had been calling me since my conception.”
Deacon Lomnitzer’s brother Tyler read the first and second readings, and Father Eric W. Silva vested him as a deacon. Dignitary priests in attendance were the Most Reverend James Massa, rector of St. Joseph Seminary; Fr. William Cleary, vice rector of St. Joseph Seminary; Fr. Michael Bruno, dean of seminarians, St. Joseph Seminary; and Fr. Matthew Ernest, academic dean/director of liturgy, St. Joseph Seminary. Also in attendance was Fr. Matthew Breslin (ADNY), deacon of the word.
By Joe Pisani
