Bishop ordains seminarian to transitional diaconate in his home parish

PATERSON  Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney ordained Rev. Mr. Starli J. Castaños Rodríguez, a diocesan seminarian of Dominican heritage, as a transitional deacon on May 21 in his home parish, St. Anthony of Padua Church here. The Bishop urged Rev. Mr. Castaños to imitate Christ by “serving the people of God with love and joy,” while he presided over the traditional rite, which brought the seminarian a step closer to being called to ordination as a priest of the Diocese next year.

Bishop Sweeney ordained Rev. Mr. Castaños to the Order of Deacon during a Mass steeped in the traditions of the early Church. It was concelebrated by priests of the Diocese and beyond and attended by many diocesan seminarians. Also filling the church were family and friends of Rev. Mr. Castaños as a sign of encouragement in his vocation. Prayers, readings, hymns, and the Bishop’s homily were in English and Spanish, reflecting Rev. Mr. Castaños’ heritage and a significant portion of the ethnic diversity of the Diocese.

In his homily, Bishop Sweeney listed a deacon’s responsibilities: to proclaim the Gospel, to dispense the Eucharist, to give instruction in holy doctrine, to prepare for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to bring Viaticum to the dying, and to preside over Baptisms, marriages, funerals, and public prayer. A deacon also carries out acts of charity in the name of the Bishop or the pastor, he said.

“Now, you are not only to be a hearer of the Gospel, but also its minister. You are now a steward of God’s mysteries. Do not allow yourself to be turned away from the hope of the Gospel,” Bishop Sweeney told Rev. Mr. Castaños in his homily, urging him to preach in both word and deed. The bishop also encouraged the new transitional deacon to stay close to the Lord in the Eucharist and in prayer, and through spiritual direction, while also dedicating his diaconate and future priesthood to the Blessed Virgin Mother. “As a deacon, a minister of Jesus Christ, who came among his disciples as the one who serves, do the will of God from your heart,” he said.

Born in 1993 in the Dominican Republic to Hector F. Castaños and Josefa Rodríguez, Rev. Mr. Castaños has two brothers, Ricardo and Fernando, two nieces, and two nephews. He grew up in a happy, normal, and typical middle class environment there. Years later, his father returned to the United States, settling in Perth Amboy, where he was born. Later he brought Rev. Mr. Castaños’s mother to the U.S. When both parents were absent, the new transitional deacon and his brothers lived in the Dominican Republic with their grandparents, whom he credits for forming them in the faith, he told the Diocese, which posted a short biography and photos of him on its Facebook and Instagram accounts.

In 2002, the Castaños brothers came to the U.S. and settled in Paterson, Rev. Mr. Castaños said.

“The turning point in my life that made me say ‘yes’ to God was a couple of years after the death of my paternal grandfather, when I came across the last letters that he wrote to my brothers and me. This led me to go to a Catholic Charismatic retreat given by a priest, who knows a good friend of mine,” Rev. Mr. Castaños said.

The new deacon earned a bachelor’s degree in Catholic theology from Seton Hall University in South Orange in 2019. His broad range of apostolic experiences include the following in the Diocese: St. Brendan Parish in Clifton, assisting the chaplain at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Paterson, St. Anthony in Paterson, and St. Jude Parish in Budd Lake.

The ordination began with Father Edward Rama, diocesan vocations director, asking the Bishop to ordain Castaños as a transitional deacon. Then, the Bishop asked about his worthiness. Father Rama replied, “After inquiry among the Christian people and upon the recommendation of those concerned with his formation, I testify that he has been found worthy.” After accepting him, the Bishop asked for the approval of the assembly, which it enthusiastically granted with its applause.

During the diaconate ordination, Castaños stood before Bishop Sweeney who questioned him on the Office of Deacon. The candidate declared his intention to be ordained to the diaconate and to fulfill its duties. He knelt before the Bishop and placed his hands between the Bishop’s, promising obedience and respect to him and to his successors. The candidate then prostrated himself before the altar, symbolizing his humility and dependence on God’s grace. The Bishop invited the assembly to join in praying the Litany of the Saints to ask God to bless the candidate.

Bishop Sweeney laid his hands on the head of Castaños to signify the conferral of the Holy Spirit and the commission to service.

“Send forth upon them, Lord, we pray, the Holy Spirit, that he may be strengthened by the gift of your grace for the faithful carrying out of the work of the ministry,” the Bishop said.

Then Bishop Sweeney invited Father Eider Reyes, St. Anthony’s pastor, to help Rev. Mr. Castaños, now an ordained transitional deacon, put on his stole and dalmatic before the Bishop handed the Book of the Gospels to him. The Bishop told him, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.” After, the Bishop and other deacons gave Rev. Mr. Castaños the fraternal sign of peace, welcoming him into the Order of Deacon.

In his closing remarks, Bishop Sweeney thanked the people and institutions that helped Rev. Mr. Castaños discern his vocation and prepare for the priesthood. They included members of his family, his seminary community, and St. Anthony’s, as well as clergy and lay people — many of whom attended the ordination. He also thanked Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli for his dedication to fostering vocations during his almost 16 years as ordinary of Paterson.

Addressing the congregation in Spanish, Father Reyes said Rev. Mr. Castaños, who has been at St. Anthony’s for many years, heard God’s voice and heeded his call in the silence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev. Mr. Castaños will serve his diaconal year at St. James Parish in Totowa.

After the ordination, Rev. Mr. Castaños told The Beacon, “I’m still digesting what happened on Saturday. The reality is just hitting me — living a new way of life without changing who I am.”