Extended diaconate internship has brought blessings

Ever since his graduation from Notre Dame Seminary and his ordination to the transitional diaconate last December, Deacon Joseph Martello has been the first seminarian of the Archdiocese of New Orleans to fully experience the updated formation program in which a deacon spends the months before ordination to the priesthood exclusively focused on parish ministry.

So, when Deacon Martello, 29, is ordained to the priesthood on May 31 by Archbishop Gregory Aymond during a 10 a.m. Mass at St. Louis Cathedral, his vocational journey will bear a permanent footnote in history.

“It’s been really, really nice,” Deacon Martello said, referring to his post-ordination training at St. Francis Xavier and St. Philip Neri parishes in Metairie. “I graduated on Dec. 12 and was ordained to the diaconate on Dec. 14, and then I was able to go fully into parish ministry and be with the people of God and serve them, which was really incredible. It’s been very fruitful.”

Family affair

The first baptism conferred by Deacon Martello was personally special. It was his cousin Leah Bourgeois’ son Benjamin.

He also presided at the committal service for his grandmother, Janet Martello, who died in March of cancer at age 83 just three months after having attended his transitional diaconate ordination.

“It was nice for her to be able to see my diaconate ordination, and I know she was very excited,” Deacon Martello said. “God-willing, she’s looking down and will see my priesthood ordination. I know she would be really excited about that. She used to tell me how proud of me she was and that she was so thankful to God that I responded to this call and that I was in her prayers.”

One of the final gifts she gave to her grandson was the chalice he will use to celebrate Mass. Also, the Knights of Columbus from Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Mandeville presented him with a travel chalice in memory of one of their deceased fellow knights “that I might remember him when I’m celebrating Mass.”

“That was very beautiful, and I’m very thankful for that,” Deacon Martello said.

Comfortable as homilist 

 During the last five months, Deacon Martello has overcome his nervousness as a homilist and learned to relax when he is proclaiming God’s word.

“Definitely in the beginning, it was a challenge,” he said. “It was the first time ever being in front of people and having this responsibility to teach them the faith, and then to do it well. I quickly found it was very beautiful, and I enjoyed it a lot. It was so consoling and affirming to teach the faith and teach all these things I had learned from the seminary over the past six years. I got to see some of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and that brought great joy to my heart.”

As part of the newly updated formation program, Deacon Martello returned to the seminary for two, weeklong conferences during which he discussed how his parish ministry was going and engaged in additional spiritual direction and liturgical training.

He participated in a five-day canonical retreat in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, last week.

“It’s a retreat right before you get ordained to help you come close to the Lord and allow him to prepare you for holy orders as a priest,” he said.

Deacon Martello’s first assignment as a parochial vicar will be St. Matthew the Apostle Parish in River Ridge. He appreciates the extra time he has been given to experience parish life away from academic studies.

“I think the increased time in the parish and that time in prayer and ministry was unique and instrumental in helping learn how to live out being a deacon – and that’s being a servant of God, foremost, and then of his people,” Deacon Martello said. “That time in the parish allowed me to serve them and love them in a way that gave my diaconate life. It made me excited to look forward to priesthood because in learning the fundamentals of service, I will be able to better offer sacrifice as a priest.”

Deacon Martello was in his teens when Pope Benedict XVI was in office, so Pope Francis is the pope with whom he is most familiar.

“Pope Francis is wonderful, and now is just a very hopeful time,” Deacon Martello said. “I’m excited to see how the Holy Spirit will work in this, and it’s exciting to see what God has planned for his church in the coming years after seeing all the good work Pope Francis did.”

Deacon Martello will celebrate his first Mass June 1 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Patrick Church, 724 Camp St., New Orleans.

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