The Deacon

By Deacon Dominic Cerrato, Ph.D.

The call to Holy Orders unfolds as a single sacramental reality, expressed in distinct degrees yet rooted in one identity in Christ the Servant. As the Church teaches, the Sacrament of Holy Orders is one, though lived as diaconate, priesthood, and episcopacy, each sharing in the one mission of Christ who came “not to be served but to serve.” Within this unity, the diaconate is not left behind but remains the enduring configuration to Christ the Servant at the heart of all ordained ministry.

In this interview, Father Jorge Eduardo Reyes of the Archdiocese of Miami reflects on his journey from permanent deacon to priest, a path marked by suffering, forgiveness, prayer, and Eucharistic service. What began in a moment of personal trial became, through grace, an invitation to forgive, to serve, and ultimately to offer his life more completely in priestly ministry.

The Wound and the Call

Q: When you look back on your call to the diaconate, how did you first recognize the Lord’s invitation, and what was stirring in your heart during that season of discernment?

A: My call to the diaconate began during a very difficult time in my life, as I was wrestling with a possible call to the priesthood after my separation and eventual divorce. In prayer at Mass, I sensed two invitations from the Lord: to forgive, and to become a priest. At that moment, I felt unable, and even unwilling, to do either. But God is patient and works in his time. Through prayer, He began to heal my heart, and forgiveness became the first step toward that healing. Because I had two young children who depended on me, I trusted that God would not call me away from my first vocation as a father. Over time, through prayer and through the witness of a close friend entering the diaconate, I sensed that God was opening a door I had not considered. I entered formation, was ordained a deacon in 2017, and served in my home parish, Nativity Catholic Church in Hollywood – an experience that remains a profound blessing in my life. The seminary I attended was St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, and I received a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) degree.

Interior Prayer Life

Q: Can you describe how your interior prayer life was formed or deepened during your years as a deacon, and how that interior formation continues to influence the way you live your priesthood today?

A: I have always been a man of faith, but my prayer life matured as my faith matured. I came to understand prayer as intentionally placing myself before the Lord, opening my heart to Him so that He might guide, inspire, and transform me. Prayers of thanksgiving helped me recognize the many blessings in my life, while prayers of petition deepened my compassion for those who suffer. Praying the Liturgy of the Hours became central to my life as a deacon. It nourished my homilies and grounded my ministry. Following the rhythm of the Church’s prayer showed me how everything culminates in the Eucharist, in the Sacrifice of the Mass, which continues to sustain me now as a priest.

Q: In what ways did your experience of sacramental service as a deacon, especially at the altar and in the proclamation of the Gospel, shape your understanding of Christ the Servant and your identity in ministry?

A: Serving at the altar taught me that everything begins and returns to the Eucharist. The words of consecration, “This is my body, given up for you,” took on a deeper meaning for me. They became an invitation to offer my own life in service. The diaconate formed me in sacrificial love, entering into the suffering of others and seeing Christ in those I served. Service purifies our intentions and reveals God’s will. The more I served, the more clearly I could see where God was leading me.

Listening and Discernment

Q: How did the diaconate teach you to listen to God, to the Church, and to the concrete needs of the people entrusted to you, and how has that posture of listening carried over into your priestly ministry?

A: The diaconate taught me that every vocation begins with listening. Through prayer we learn to hear God’s voice, and through service we learn where He wants us. Listening to the needs of the people, both spoken and unspoken, became a way of discerning God’s will. This posture of listening continues to guide my priesthood today.

Call to Priesthood

Q: Was there a particular moment or period when the call to priesthood emerged clearly from within your diaconal life, and how did you discern that this was not a departure from the diaconate, but a deeper obedience to the Lord’s will?

A: Although I entered the diaconate while discerning the priesthood, my life circumstances at that time made priesthood impossible. After my ordination as a deacon, I felt at peace and believed I was where God wanted me. About a year later, my spiritual director asked me if I had considered the priesthood, and that reopened the process of discernment. As my children grew older and my responsibilities changed, I sensed that God might be calling me further. The greatest struggle was detachment from what I thought was freedom, a stable career, a comfortable life, and a clear direction. Through prayer and the call to purify my intentions, I came to recognize God’s will. When I finally said yes, I experienced a deep peace and a true freedom. I returned to seminary, this time to Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts – a unique seminary designed for later vocations – and I was ordained a priest in 2025.

Diaconal Spirituality in Priesthood

Q: What elements of diaconal spirituality, such as service, humility, or availability, do you consciously strive to preserve at the heart of your priesthood?

A: Everything I learned as a deacon remains part of my priesthood: service, obedience, prayer, and presence. But above all, I strive to preserve humility. Humility is the foundation of holiness and of all ministry. Celebrating the Mass is profoundly humbling, standing in persona Christi and offering the sacrifice of Christ. I pray never to lose the sense of awe before this great mystery.

Pastoral Leadership

Q: How has your prior experience as a deacon shaped the way you now approach pastoral leadership, especially in your relationships with deacons, lay ministers, and those who may feel unseen or unheard in the Church?

A: My years as a husband, father, engineer, and deacon have shaped me into the priest I am today. They allow me to relate to people in their struggles and joys. My love for the diaconate gives me a deep appreciation for deacons and their ministry, and I strive to lead with empathy, gratitude, and collaboration, especially toward those who feel unseen.

Unity of Holy Orders

Q: Looking back, how did the promises you made as a deacon prepare you, spiritually and humanly, for the promises and responsibilities you later embraced as a priest?

A: Holy Orders begins with the diaconate. The promises of obedience, prayer, and celibacy formed the foundation of my life as a cleric. Ordination as a deacon configured me to Christ the Servant, an identity that continues into the priesthood, deepened but never replaced. My years as a deacon helped prepare me to be, I hope, a better priest.

Freedom in Surrender

Q: What were some of the interior challenges or tensions you encountered in moving from the diaconate to the priesthood, and how did the Lord meet you in those moments?

A: The greatest challenge was the loss of personal freedom no longer choosing where I live or serve. Yet this surrender became liberating. In letting go, I discovered a deeper freedom: the freedom of doing God’s will. The Lord met me in that surrender with peace and trust.

Advice for Discernment

Q: If you were speaking to a celibate deacon who is prayerfully discerning a possible call to the priesthood, what wisdom would you offer from your own journey about trusting the Lord’s timing and remaining rooted in Christ the Servant?

A: The best advice I received was to purify my intentions. Bring everything to prayer. Place your desires before the Lord, both the pros and the cons, and allow Him to speak in the silence of your heart. God has a plan for each of us, and our task is to listen and trust his timing.

Conclusion

Father Reyes’ journey reminds us that the diaconate is never left behind. It remains the enduring foundation of a life configured to Christ the Servant, a life that finds its source and summit in the Eucharist and its expression in humble, faithful service, sustaining the whole of ordained life in charity. That journey, while uniquely his own, opens out onto the wider horizon of the Church’s understanding of vocation. Every call in the Church begins in the same place: the loving initiative of God, who invites each person to communion with himself and then sends them forth in mission, for the building up of His Body in love. TD