St. Louis archbishop emeritus leads retreat for deacon community
“Let God lead you and do His work through you.”
Some deacons thrive while proclaiming the Gospel, preaching a homily or assisting a priest at the altar.
Others excel in the field, among the people, especially those who are hurting and in need.
“The thing is, we need to be doing both — preaching the Good News in the Liturgy and in our everyday example,” Archbishop Emeritus Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis reminded the deacons of the Jefferson City diocese.
The key is to keep saying “yes” to Jesus’s call “and let Him lead you and do His work through you,” said the retired archbishop, who led the St. Louis archdiocese from 2009 until his retirement in 2020.
Archbishop Carlson directed this year’s retreat for deacons of the Jefferson City diocese, men who are discerning a possible call to the diaconate, and their wives.
“It all comes down to ‘letting Jesus,’” he said. “It’s very simple: Jesus wants us to let it happen.”
Bishop W. Shawn Mc-Knight joined the deacons on the retreat, held Oct. 14-16 in St. George Church in Linn.
Archbishop Carlson, who has dedicated his retirement years to leading retreats, urged the deacons to heed Pope Francis’s call to keep going farther beyond where they’re comfortable, and encounter Christ among society’s most marginalized people.
“You have to be a witness, a radial disciple,” the archbishop stated.
He called to mind Cardinal Gerhard Müller’s observation that God doesn’t bestow power on deacons and priests for their own sake.
“Rather, a priest or a deacon receives power in order to be a servant and spread the Gospel!” Archbishop Carlson noted. “And you have to be open to the fact that He might be calling you to follow the Way of the Cross to the people we serve.”
The archbishop pointed out that it’s not necessary to travel across the world to find people on the peripheries; they’re always nearby.
Among them are the people who are unchurched; those who are angry and afraid; and those whose children no longer practice the faith.
“Are you willing to spend time with the teenage boy who is unsocial or who needs a father?” the archbishop asked. “Or the young adult who learned the teachings of the Church but never saw anyone live it?
“Or the parents who go to Mass on Sunday but don’t live out the faith?” he continued. “Are you willing to walk with them and witness with your faith life in a way that’s intense and committed and attractive?”
Echoing Jesus’s Parable of the Good Samaritan, Archbishop Carlson insisted that even “in the face of anger, we have to go across the road” in order to help people who are wounded and hurting.
He cited the example of Tim Tebow, keynote speaker for this year’s Archdiocesan Pro-Life Dinner in St. Louis, taking water to the protestors outside the venue because it was hot and they were uncomfortable.
“There’s so much anger and division in our society right now,” said Archbishop Carlson. “There are so many opportunities for us to meet people in that place of anger — and we need to do that.”
He talked about encouraging parents to keep praying for their children who have left the Church.
“There are people in every parish going through that with their children,” he said.
He cited St. Monica, whose son, Augustine, was strong-willed and unruly in his youth and defied her Christian direction.
God put it on her heart to keep praying for him.
“St. Augustine didn’t turn out so bad,” the archbishop noted. “He became a bishop and a great preacher and defender of the faith.”
“Open your heart”
Archbishop Carlson based one of his talks on a phrase attributed to God in the book, In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart — The Journal of a Priest at Prayer: “Open to Me the ear of your heart and I will speak to you as I promised.”
“That’s what I would ask the deacons to do,” the archbishop stated. “Whether it’s going out to the peripheries or looking at the Scriptures or listening to Jesus’s desires for us — it depends on us as men of God opening our heart to the Lord and allowing Him to speak as He promised.
“Open your heart to God’s love and let the grace of His love flow over you,” he said, “and then do what your bishop ordained you to do!”
Archbishop Carlson pointed out that deacons’ wives have their own mission in the Church, which includes offering honest feedback and perspective to their husbands from a place of intimacy, familiarity and love.
In another talk, he reflected on showing proper respect for Christ fully present in the Eucharist.
“We have to be really focused on Who we’re serving, Who’s present in the space where we serve,” the archbishop said.
He noted that he has preached countless homilies on the Eucharist during his 38 years as a bishop.
“But I should never forget the times I’ve walked past the tabernacle and didn’t think about how the Lord Almighty was present, and show Him proper reverence,” he said. “We have to get to the point where we never, ever forget that.”
He noted further that when Jesus called St. Peter to keep growing in love for Him, He was giving the same instruction to all who would follow.
“He’s essentially telling Peter, ‘This is where you are now, but I’ve chosen a special place in My Church for you, and you’re gonna’ grow,’” the archbishop stated.
“We have to be aware of that constantly in our ministry. We have to be growing in our love of Jesus,” he said.
Powerful preparation
Archbishop Carlson also preached the homily at the Mass of Remembrance for deceased deacons of the diocese.
“That kind of puts the retreat in perspective, when you think of the ones who prayed for you, who were an example to you, who have now passed on,” he said.
“It reminds us not only of our own frailty but also the support we get from the community — from those still ministering alongside us, and those who do so now in heaven,” he stated.
Looking back on the retreat, Archbishop Carlson remains impressed by the harmony and profound community spirit he observed throughout the deacon community here.
“There’s something there among the deacons and the wives,” he said. “They’re a great group. They should be very proud of each other for how they treat each other.”
That level of camaraderie is essential, because no one can minister effectively alone.
“It’s important for everyone in the Church to have a support group,” he stated. “It’s good to be able to encourage each other and to get insight on the best ways to handle situations.”
He noticed further how many deacons were eager to step up as leaders and serve one another when the need arose.
“I was very touched by the love shown between the deacons and their spouses speaking back and forth throughout the retreat,” he said.
“That’s important,” he stated, “because if you don’t have tremendous love in your vocation of marriage, you aren’t going to be much of a deacon.
“You may be smart, you might be witty, but more than anything, if your call to ministry comes out of a solid marriage, the Lord has prepared you powerfully to be His disciple,” he said.
Called to be joyful
Deacons and their wives left the gathering refreshed and ready to reengage in ministry.
Deacon Robert Schowengerdt rated this retreat among the best he’s ever attended.
“Archbishop Carlson’s ability to spice up the presentation with humor worked very well,” said Deacon Schowengerdt, who assists the pastor of St. George Parish in Linn and Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Frankenstein.
“My greatest takeaway from his presentations is that living as a faithful Catholic doesn’t have to be boring and stressful,” Deacon Schowengerdt stated. “Doing the work of our Lord should be fun and rewarding.”
