Ordained – Two languages, one Church

Spanish and English words dancing together resounded throughout Christ’s Church Cathedral Hamilton, fashioning a unique worship service.

Bishop Griselda Delgado de Carpio of Cuba and Bishop Michael Bird of Niagara Diocese ordained Deacon Dean Cormack a priest in the Church of God.

Dean spent a portion of his preparation for ordination as a student in Cuba.

Bringing the two dioceses together in the ordination service could be viewed as a sign of the universality of the church community.

The questions posed to Dean, the gospel, the Holy Communion and other parts of the worship were spoken in both languages.

In his sermon on Wednesday, November 30, 2016, Dean Peter Wall remembered “a night many years ago, on another St. Andrew’s Day, when I stood where you now stand, a respected elder reminded me, in my doubts and fears, that I would be blessed by my priesthood beyond my imagining. While I would not have thought it so then, I can say now that that prophecy was true. Because you have heard a call and are prepared to follow, I know—we know—that it will be true for you as well.”

Peter compared a calling to ordination with the call to Andrew by Jesus to be his disciple. “To follow Jesus and to be swallowed up in his life is the simplicity of ministry,” the Dean reminded Dean and those in attendance at the Cathedral.

Priests are called to follow and model Jesus, Peter concluded, as well as to show faithfulness and leadership in all circumstances.

Dean is Priest-in-Charge of St. John the Evangelist Winona.

The parish mission is to “share the joy of Christ’s love with all we meet.”