by

Elsie Walker

He recalls that although he didn’t see it, someone had said they saw becoming a Deacon as a natural progression for Fred Smith, of Livingston.  Smith was active in his church, St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church (Livingston), especially in teaching CCD, a religious education program of the Catholic Church.  Still, Smith couldn’t see himself as a Deacon.   He’d compared himself to Deacon Joe at the church and felt he wasn’t worthy.  However, he recalled the priest at the time saying, “We already have a Deacon Joe.  Now, we want a Deacon Fred.”    Encouraged to do it, Smith went through the process and the four to five years of study needed (theology, history of the church, preaching and more).  This year, he marks his 20th anniversary as Deacon Fred Smith.

A Deacon in the Catholic Church is an ordained minister.  Smith shared that a Deacon can visit and give communion, can read the gospel at mass, can preach at mass, can do baptisms, do pre-martial education and witness marriages and preach at funerals.  When Deacons are ordained, Smith explained that they “vow obedience to the Bishop.”   This means that after ordination the Bishop can assign a Deacon to anywhere there is a need, not necessarily at his home church.  However, St. Philomena’s, the church Smith had attended all his life, did need a Deacon and so Smith was assigned there. 

Reflecting on mass, Smith said, “it’s really an honor” to read the gospel and preach.  Only the priest or a Deacon can do that.  Smith finds that he’s “at awe” when asking for the priest’s blessing before reading the gospel.  Also, Smith noted that “the excitement is always there,” when he preaches at mass and looks out at the congregation.   Many have commented that they can see his feeling through his broad smile. 

A Deacon can be married.  (If the man is not married upon becoming a Deacon, he takes a vow of celibacy.)  Smith is a married Deacon.  He and his wife, Susan, have been married 56 years.   They have three children (two girls and a boy) and five grandchildren (three girls and two boys).   Smith is an electrician and he’s also a big Yankees fan.   Smith feels that having a family and a job outside of the church helps him in his ministry as he can relate to the families in the congregation and they can relate to him.   Also, having a family has led to some emotional, special moments for Smith as he’s baptized all of his grandchildren and witnessed the marriages of nieces and nephews who he watched grow-up.  

While he’s been there for those happy times of marriages and baptisms, he’s also been there for people when times are ebbing.    Smith has done 12 marriages and 25-30 baptisms during his time as a Deacon.  He’s also been for people, as they say Deacons are, “a bridge over their troubled waters”.   He sees members of the congregation outside the church, in the grocery store or elsewhere in their day to day lives and can be there for them at the low times.  

When asked about his most rewarding experiences during his time as a Deacon, Smith recalled two visitations. Smith remembered coming into a hospital room to give communion.   An exhausted man, the patient’s husband, sat in a chair.  The wife was lying in the bed.  The husband indicated she was unconscious, not to give communion.  Smith noted he could just give a piece of the eucharist wafer.  The husband was still saying “no” when Smith saw the woman’s eyes.  They beckoned him to give the communion.  She stuck out her tongue just a little and he put a piece of the eucharist on her tongue.  The husband cried and a tear went down the woman’s face.  Smith prayed with them and left.   The woman died a short time later.   Another person Smith recalled was an older woman named Molly.  She was on his hospital list to get communion.  When he first saw her, she was sitting up.  As she was on his list for a number of weeks, he got to know her.  He learned Molly had cancer, but that she also didn’t fear death but talked about her expectation after death.   Smith felt hers was one of those situations in which he wasn’t just the giver but received so much from talking with her.   Over the time he saw her, her condition deteriorated.  After the last time he gave her communion, he asked a nurse about her.  Molly didn’t have long to live.  When Smith called to check on her the next day, he found she had died.

In talking about being a Deacon, Smith repeatedly shared how much he gets back from it, that people give back more than they realize. While a Deacon is there to help others, through talking with them, he receives so much through the spiritual exchange.