Hawaii’s seminarians gather for a group photo in the chapel of St. Patrick’s Seminary Oct. 24 following the installation of one of them to the ministry of lector and another to the ministry of acolyte. From left are Deacon Arrion Rosales (fourth-year theology), Taylor Mitchell (second-year theology), Kurt Meyer (third-year theology), Anthony “AJ” Poore (first-year theology), Anthony Tran (third-year theology), Preston Castro (third-year theology) and Francis Hai Pham (third-year theology). (Photo courtesy of Anthony Tran)
Two Hawaii seminarians studying at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California, took big steps in their formation Oct. 24. Anthony Poore received the minor order of lector, and Taylor Mitchell received the minor order of acolyte.
Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Honolulu seminarian John Akau received the ministry of acolyte Oct. 26 at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, in Hales Corners. Akau was one of four seminarians installed in that ministry. The others are from the dioceses of Saginaw, Springfield-Cape Girardeau and Pensacola-Tallahassee. Below is Mitchell’s reflections on this latest development in his formation.
Whose turn is it to wash the dishes?
By Taylor K. Mitchell
Special to the Herald
It’s funny how so many elements of our daily lives are reflected in our liturgy.
I remember arguing with my brother when we were growing up about whose turn it was to set the table and wash the dishes. Now my seminarian brothers and I have a schedule that tells us, but otherwise, little else has changed.
On Oct. 24, as part of my ongoing formation for the priesthood, I was installed as an acolyte by Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon. The installation took place here at St. Patrick’s Seminary Chapel in Menlo Park, California.
The duties of the acolyte include service at the altar, assisting the priest and deacon. Primarily, the job of an acolyte is to prepare the altar and the sacred vessels, to act as a eucharistic minister as necessary, and to help purify the sacred vessels after communion.
When I explained to my mother that I was going to be an acolyte, I described it as becoming an official altar server, and she asked, “Haven’t you been doing that for years already?” And she’s right — I’ve served at Mass for many years. Same with my installation as a lector last year — I had been reading for years already.
So what’s different about being instituted to these ministries, especially if we’ve been doing them forever?
I find that as I journey through formation I return again and again to things I already know, but with an invitation to get to know them over again on a deeper level. So now I’ve returned to washing dishes after the meal — but it’s no longer a simple suppertime, but rather the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
My job at the heavenly banquet is to do the dishes — and I couldn’t be more grateful for the honor.
Taylor Mitchell is a second-year theology student studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Honolulu at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California.
Honolulu seminarian John Akau and three others were installed in the ministry of acolyte Oct. 26 at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. Pictured from left, are Akau, Dan Christe (Diocese of Saginaw), Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, and presider, Father Raul Gomez-Ruiz, president-rector of Sacred Heart Seminary, Daniel Dunn (Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau) and Randy Recker (Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee). (Photo courtesy of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology)
