Newly Ordained Deacons in Mozambique Cautioned against Laziness, “seated in the Parish”

The Argentine member of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCI) told the Deacons-elect, “Care for the Catechists, help them. Make the Word of God reach people’s hearts.”

For him, “Proclaiming the Gospel requires not only knowledge but also empathy and the ability to listen. Explain it calmly, adapting to the people before you. The true servant of the Word is the one who enters into the concrete reality of people.”

As ministers at the altar, he urged the Deacons-elect to prepare the liturgy reverently and help Priests and Bishops administer the Sacraments.

He continued, “Service at the altar goes beyond ritual and liturgical gestures: it is a concrete mediation of God’s grace to the community. The altar is Jesus Himself, who offers Himself, who gives Himself. The altar is the center of welcome for the entire Assembly. It is the point of convergence. It is there that God dispenses His graces.”

“Help the Priests and the Bishop in the distribution of grace. Take the Eucharist to the sick. Prepare the celebration of the sacraments well,” the 66-year-old Catholic Archbishop said.

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He identified charity as a central pillar of the Diaconate, and urged the Deacons-elect to serve the suffering with compassion.

“Deacons are called to be servants of charity, and this mission must be lived concretely and incarnated in the difficult situations of people. Be servants of charity. Serve and welcome your brothers and sisters in their difficulties,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader further noted that “charity is not merely about distributing things, but requires presence, listening, empathy, and compassion.”

“To serve in charity is to make oneself available to another’s pain and hope. The Deacon must be a sign of the merciful presence of Christ among those who suffer the most,” he said.

Referring to the theme of the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, Archbishop Zuanna invited the Deacons-elect to embrace their mission as “Pilgrims of Hope.”

“True hope is sustained by the action of the Holy Spirit. The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit we have received. You received the Holy Spirit in Baptism, in Confirmation, but the Spirit continues to act. The Diaconate is a gift of the Spirit,” he explained.

Archbishop Zuanna encouraged the Deacons-elect to face difficulties with faith, saying, “Tribulations help us grow in hope. There will be no easy life; there will be difficulties. Sometimes our failures, our infidelities, but these are to make hope grow.”

“Do not feel alone, especially in difficulties. Do not think that you are a separate category. We are part of this people of God that journeys in hope,” the Catholic Archbishop said during the June 15 Ordination celebration.

Meanwhile, in Mozambique’s Catholic Diocese of Pemba, Bishop António Juliasse Ferreira Sandramo called on Deacon Elton Gabriel, whom he ordained a Priest, to live his Priestly ministry, faithfully reflecting the communion of the Most Holy Trinity—cultivating community life, constant prayer, and hope.

“There is no authentic Priesthood outside the Trinity. Your Priestly life must be united to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, because it is in Him that your vocation is born,” Bishop Juliasse said in his homily during the June 15 event that was held at Our Lady Queen of Apostles Parish of Pemba Diocese.

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He added, “The Trinity is the foundation not only of the Christian faith but also of the Priesthood. Therefore, the Priesthood, to be consistent with its source, must be lived in communion. The Priest is not a solitary functionary. He is a man of communion, a sign of the presence of God who is relationship.”

The Local Ordinary of Pemba Diocese since May 2022, following his 8 March 2022 transfer from Mozambique’s Catholic Archdiocese of Maputo, where he was serving as Auxiliary Bishop, warned against the dangers of activism and the neglect of prayer in Priestly ministry.

“The Priest needs to pray. He needs to care for his soul. Prayer is not a formal duty but a vital necessity. A Priest’s life without prayer dries up, loses its meaning,” the Mozambican Catholic Bishop said.

João Vissesse is an Angolan Journalist with a passion and rich experience in Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate.