hello. on behalf of the archdiocese of san francisco welcome to mosaic. the day we introduce which is ant sent and new. this is an office, a function, an order, a service that is referred to. it endured for several centuries but for 1,000 years after that it lay dormant.

i onthlye n e awareness of the ch need for it be come resurrected. it was refounding in the second vatican council in lieu imagine see yum. in 1968 a half century ago, the catholic bishop of the united states had them approve the rae founding of this ministry. in the half century since then, more than 18,000 men in the united states have been ordained to this office. so we're talking about the office of deacon. today our guest is one of the deacons who is ordained for the archdiocese of san francisco. now after this brief break, come back and stay with us as we learn about this ancient catholic vocation in its new application.

hello. thank you for joining us. our guest, deacon michael your so. you go by mike? >> i go by deacon mike. >> your last name has an italian. you're an ordained minister. i start everything i know about it i learned from you recently. this idea it christian vocation, i'm going to read which you turned me on to and paul who is in jail now,

jailed by the row maps for this catholic christian faith writes to them in greece and says i with to you to the holy ones in and deacon,s the ministers. peace from god our father. i give thanks to my god for remembrance of you because of the partnership from the boss spell of the first day until now. that is ancient roots. i think of this vocation. i want you to tell me about the roots and the giof this vocation of deacon. >> the very first deacons were formed in acts chapter 6. when the greek widows complained they were not being served, that they were being ignored and they asked the apostles to a point someone to serve them, so the apostles appointed seven good men, the first deacons,

among them steve on. this is recorded in acts chapter 6. >> so this was the community in jerusalem finding its way as deacons. >> right. to begin with on that. and it was necessary because like i said they were forming into different classes and as it began to spread, people were not just jewish that were being brought into the faith but also greek. it was the greek widows that necessitated someone of their background so it was a need that needed to be filled his rally in the early church. >> i get it. i'm very vague on this. the jewish disciples had gentile converts and with a different culture, different needs and so on. and as i remember, the apostles were busy with the preaching and so on. what did the deacons do?

what services? >> they provided them with food, shelter, clothing and things of that nature. mainly to wait on them at table when they gathered for the meal, the lord's meal, then they also would have a little meal afterwards to make sure that the widows, too, were served, the greek widows were served. >> and how do i put it? in a new organization or thing that is not very well organized, a new movement, you have jobs somehow you have to get parceled out, right? >> that part of it. >> they chose, you mentioned the phrase from the act of the apostles. what were the men described as? >> servant. >> they were able men? >> good men. >> men of good virtue basically. so that description it is later used intim thy to describe deacons. hopefully, we measure up to

today. >> every catholic knows about saint steven. >> steven obviously became our first martyr on that. we don't know a lot, but he was also doing some preaching and he was very adamant and it was because of his preaching that he was eventually mar tered. in jerusalem these deacons were at work and they are named, the seven men. do we know the his vis of any of the other men? >> we know a little about phillip. that goes onto a story about phillip and an ethiopian but the others we don't know as much about as to what they did or where they went. >> we understand that the offices in the church became organized and distinguished over the early centuries, right? ep pes pal. e three main

we now say greeks. it is what we use as bishop. press pid der rose which are priests and de act knows which are deacons orser vants on that. >> are there any other notable deacons in the early history? >> very early history we have lawrence in rome who was asked to bring about and present to the emperor the riches of the church. >> let me pause because i learned about him in 3rd grade maybe, famous martyr. >> right. >> not to give it away. i had no association with his being a deacon. tell us that story. >> so because deacons at that time were con trolling the finances so he was asked to supply the riches of the church. he gathered up all the poor and brought them and presented them to him. he was thoughts warmly received. >> [ laughter ] >> he ended up being martyred

for that. >> so he had access to the finances of the church and was told hand over the treasures. that is good. >> yes. >> that is a good man. he was martyred. >> yes. >> by the romans in rome. >> nen i heard about doctor of the church in syria. >> saint e fren. 4th century and he became a doctor of the church. he did many writing and letters that would still come down to us today. >> so the office of deacon as i understand it, it became part of the order of advancements toward priesthood, is that right? >> it became one of the orders. >> we had a variety of orders, porter, sub deacon, deacon and then priest on that, but there were other ones also in there. >> we supressed most of those

with the exception of leck fer or reader and acolyte that we use as steps to the de act knit and steps to the priesthood. >> that is good to know. we're going to take a brief break. we'll come back and talk more about it from an ancient practice to a new and modern one. force [ cell phone rings ] >> yeah, i'm watching it too. i see them every day.

>> the curtains, they're always drawn in this place. >> i know. >> that guy, it seems like he's in charge of them. i don't know, i don't feel very good about this. >> we have to report this. >> yes, absolutely.

welcome back. we're talking with dee quon mike your so. now, let's turn to your personal -- let's talk about this. you're not a deacon from the third century a d. you're a deacon from the 20th century and you are ordained as minister for the archdiocese of san francisco. but as i said in the opening, your vocation, your office is a new one founded about 50 years

ago. what happened there? >> in 1968 after vatican 2 the church was looking for ways to involve the layy ty more inth participation in the church. part of that was expanding the office order of the de act that. so the act this a bridge between clergy and laity. that is what we're supposed to, the idea that we bring those people tothe church and so that we're almost like an outreach. one of ioct the people in the r back pewou because that is the ones we're bringing into church, the ones that don't quite feel they belong, bring them into the church and to more full participation in litter gy, in service, in charity, whatever you want to call it. >> i knew that the last step for a young man on the way to

the priesthood, the last order before being ordained, he is ac is permanent deacon. >> exactly. >> you're ordained by the bishop for his diocese, archdiocese. people think your a mini priest so when the priest isn't there, you'll take over. that is not the call. the call is more one of service. i always say, the priests have christ as the icon of the high priest. that is their kind of goal. for the deacons it is more christ the servant is our icon, the one that we try to imitate. >> that is interesting. he does the sacrifice in the uke crist that christ gives.

>> that's why a deacon cannot say a mass. we can participate, assist the priest but we cannot coatorhear we cannot anoint the sick. >> you do have la terje cal and pastoral duties and specialties. what are those? >> those we can preach. we can read the gospel and proclaim the gospel. we can preach, we can baptize, we oversee vigils or commit tales at the cemeteries. >> sola terje cal and pastor ral. as we mentioned the pastoral side involves outreach to the laity to the marginallized people, right? >> right. it is specifically meant. if you think of the old testament call to take care of the widows and orphans or strangers in the land, the immigrants that is the call to the de act that. >> i personally don't have experience of deacon now that t

lder gent a deacon but in my own experience i haven't had much experience, but from the way agreed that we read 18,000 men in the united states are in this ministry throughout the states. >> yes. >> people have answered the call. who are these people? ? at about the call brings them ac>>s married so you're not only having a deacon in the sense of a married man as a member of the clergy but the wife also participates with him. very often as ministry. my wife works with me in marriage preparation and in preparing couples to get married within the church and things of that nature. deacons, we have deacons who ho soup commuters, deacons lo work

in jails, juvenile administration anywhere that there is a need of service to the people of god. >> and fascinating you mention the wife because i think the majority of ordained deacons or married men. >> about 90%. >> so the church looks for that and the wive has toe be how do i put it, discern her own vocation in that as well. >> she has to be willing that her husband become ordained. woe ask that before they join the de act that formation and we ask it every year until ord nation and then they ask during the ord nation itself. >> it is a very, i mean a complex vocation. thers must be severe training, discernment. >> i don't know if it is severe but it is five years of theology and we start with the cat kix of the church. we art with general systematic theology. then we plouffe on to new fest

stament, old testament, then all different types mora eology all differentypes of this we need to oflearn because peo will be asking us questions. >> well, of course. >> yes. >> so you have the training, five-year program. that is done locally fothe choc? a we take twrda month. it is done at saint 9:00 to 3:0 about six hours, like i said two saturday and saturdays. >> so you're doing five years of night school, weekend school with your wife and permission and cooperation. then when you are ordained deacon, can your work range from a few hours a week to a full-time job? >> we ask that deacons put in

about ten hours a week and that -- you can work it out with your pastor as to what that is. if you're doing homilies and presenting at all the masses then that will be fen hours easilyif you have six masses. it will easilydog things like i said with food baskets or food harvest or anything that they bring, that st. vincent de paul, all thingshat acons rk s pewith in the parish. then woe also work with the jail ministries and things of that nature or the homeless centers and all for the archdiocese. >> 40% or 50% of these men are holding down full-time jobs, as well. >> almost everybody is the wive are working too and still putting in these hours above and beyond, and they are thoughts compensated for this. >> we thank you for your

service. >> let's take a brief break. we'll come back and have one more session of talk and find out what the deacons are do [piano playing slow tune]

announcer: don't wait. communicate. make your emergency plan today.

hello. welcome back. we're having an enjoyable combination with mike. i didn't ask you for your full title at the archdiocese where you work. >> i'm the director of the de act that ministry and life. >> and i take theit that means deacons have a ministry and they also hoof a life. >> right. >> how mean deacons in the archdiocese? >> this is always an excellent question. we have 110 in card nateed in the archdiocese of san francisco. 20 are working outside of the archdiocese. >> in ministry. >> in ministry as far away as quat moll la and honduras. >> maybe 15 are retired of the 90. 75 active deacons for san francisco. >> they are mostly in parish

work? >> almost all are. some are in like geoministry or things of that nature that are specific or some are both in parish work and an archdiocese and ministry. >> we have about 100 parishes in the archdiocese. how many would we like to have? >> i deedily i would like to have two deacons per parish. faen it doesn't all . we coul d lluse two deacons per parish. we have plenty of room to grow n of time and we need people joining up who are a little bit younger. we ask that they don't apply after the age of 60. >> that makes sense. i know that retirement age is a time when a man who is freed of his prior responsibility fis looks around and says this might be for me. you have some of these people applying. >> we definitely do. >> be u yoyounger than

say 35. you need to be ordained at 35. >> i note fis that in january there were three evening meetings in different places, different counties of the archdiocese. the advertisement was interested in being a deacon? come for an informal nais meeting. >> no salesman will call. no commitment but just information. >> but people are able to find out red dilly what the de act that is and how they can find out about it from you and you're on the website? >> website. you know sf.org. we also have an office at the chance ry office of the de akin that or de akin that formation. they can call fred or deacon mike. deacon mike, i have to say the job seems to have agreed with you, because when we first met i thought you were 20 years younger than i am. i found out that is not the case so something is working

well for you. >> i have been fortunate. >> tell us how you discerned this vocation. >> it is a oclongfor me. out of grammar school i felt called from the seminary. >> you're a local boy, from san francisco. >> yes. my senior year in college and i discerned that god wasn't calling me to the priesthood. he was calling me to service within the church but not the priest hood so i put that aside and eventually got married, raised a family, fourchildren. it wasn't until oh, i guess i was about 50, ca55, i to do mor i kept saying i don't know what that is. well my best friend padre told me that mike, you're being called to the de act that. i'm like no, god doesn't want

that. i argued with him for a long time. he turned out to be correct. i was being called and it took god but as o realize that and i i decided to aspire to join and discern whether or not this was for me, and it obviously i found it very much for me and my wife was only too suppor tive. in fact she said what took you so long? >> is that right? >> yes. >> okay. so you and your wife and four kids and a prior career. >> i had a teaching store in san francisco. >> and a resource store. you're an expert with a masters. all walks of life are found in the de act that. i hope you have a good clningea >> we definitely do. that was the surprise for us,

at least for me and my wife as we joined the community. it was such a warm and welcoming community. there are so many people there. i'm constantly humbled by how much or how many of the deacons and their wives are doing wonderful minzy. i'm like why am i the spokesperson. they are much better. >> that is humility. give us a brief prayer to close. >> thanks. >> name of the father, the son, the holy spirit. lord, we thank you for the day that you have given us. we ask you to guide us to where you want us to be today as you do always. this we ask through christ our lord. amen. >> thank you very much for joining me. i want to tell the audience, you can find out about it by going to the website sf arch.org. there is a web page.

mike's telephone number is there and informational evenings. these will continue. >> they continue, yes. >> take a look and ask ought bought. it is a fascinating occupation and great service to the church. thanks, again for being with us and we'll see you next time on mosaic. force

live from the cbs bay area studios, this is kpix5 news. the cubic zirconia corona virus las reached california. >> residents in a bay area community say there is frustration over a homeless cleanup that they should not have to foot the bill. >> berkeley police identify a suspect that left a woman dead in a hit and run. authorities warn he maybe armed and dangerous. it is just about 6:00 a.m. on this sunday, january 26th, 2020. atr. t's start with a check on aaron it was a little wet out there on those streets as i was

driving into work. >> yes. we're seeing some of