By Julie Godfrey Miller
Catholic Herald

Newest permanent deacon ordained in New Richmond

NEW RICHMOND -- A large extended family and many friends and fellow parishioners were on hand to make Michael Germain's ordination day a very special occasion. Bishop Raphael M. Fliss ordained Germain to the permanent diaconate at Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Church on June 23. Fliss concelebrated the ordination Mass with Fr. Allan Bradley, Immaculate Conception pastor, and other priests of the diocese. Some deacons of the diocese also participated.

Following the Liturgy of the Word, Fliss called Germain forward for the Liturgy of Ordination. Deacon Timothy Kuehn, director of the diaconate program, testified to Germain's worthiness to become a deacon and Fliss accepted the candidate for ordination.

Fliss then introduced Germain's wife, JoAnn and his four children and acknowledged the importance of the love and support Germain received from them in his journey to the diaconate.

The Gospel reading for the Mass was John 21:15-17, in which Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, followed. In the homily Fliss said, "Perhaps ... we ought to consider how many times Jesus needs to ask us about our relationship with Jesus, about our love for Jesus. I wonder if the Lord has to ask maybe even more than three times to receive from us what he is looking for from us."

Fliss said Peter got the message to feed Jesus' lambs and added that the church looked forward to Germain's work as a deacon, to tend, care for and feed the people under his care.

Fliss also had some words of encouragement for Germain and sent him forth to serve his fellow man. Fliss said, "Serve God and God's people in love and joy. Let it be joyful for you. Remain a good person above every suspicion and remain firmly rooted in the faith that's such a special gift to all of us."

Following the homily, Fliss questioned Germain to determine his willingness to assume the responsibilities of deacon. Fliss asked Germain to kneel before him and promise obedience to the bishop and his successors.

The congregation then prayed the Litany of the Saints to ask God for blessings on Germain,

The ordination continued with the laying on of hands and prayer of consecration by which Fliss conferred the sacrament of Holy Orders on Germain.

Deacon Norbert Brossmer then vested Germain with a stole as a symbol of his ordination. The stole was made by JoAnn Germain.

Germain's mother, Rosceil, gave the Book of Gospels to Fliss symbolizing that her son first heard the Gospels at her knee. Fliss presented the book to the newly ordained deacon.

The ordination ceremony concluded with the kiss of peace by which Fliss and the priests and deacons welcomed Germain into the community of ministers.

Many of Germain's family members took active roles in the liturgy. Daughters Kathleen and Julie and nephew Lee Lamers participated in the music ministry. Son Jacob was cross bearer and altar server. Father-in-law Lawrence Weisenbeck and friend Michelle Gorka were lectors. Gift bearers were son Matthew, godmother Sharon Rochel, godfather Vincent Germain and sister Denise Plourde.

Among the eucharistic ministers were mother-in-law Mary Weisenbeck, brother-in-law Scott Weisenbeck, uncle and aunt James and Connie Demulling and friend Trudy Heinz.

Germain has had the idea of serving the church in the back of his mind for many years. When he was a very small child his mother began praying that he would become a priest, Germain said, adding that when he married that ended his mother's thoughts of the priesthood.

Later Germain began to consider the diaconate. Germain said, "God had blessed me with so many gifts and so many blessings. He has given me so many talents that I have to share. You are given a gift and you are supposed to do something with it. I've got to do something more. With the amount of gifts God has given me (I felt) more was expected."

Early in 1997 he made the final decision to apply for the program. Germain said a lot of little things came together -- the oldest child going to college, his wife's expanding role in parish religious education under a new pastor -- to cause him and his wife to decide the time was right.

Studying for the diaconate was at times an unsettling experience for Germain. He said the process required a lot of faith in the instructors and in God. "It tends to disassemble a lot of the things that you thought you knew. Hopefully you continue to study and work through them and assemble them into a greater truth."

For example, things Germain learned as a child had been put in a simple way so he could understand them. Delving deeper in the diaconate program brought a lot more complications to various issues. "There is so much more than you thought," Germain said. It was a bit unnerving to learn that the church did not finalize the doctrine of the Trinity at the time of Christ, but much later, Germain said.

In the end that faith strengthened his faith and enhanced his ability to serve.

Germain said that many of a deacon's ministries, except the sacramental ones, such as baptizing people, can be done without being ordained. "The sacrament is the culmination but the commitment and the decisions have already been made." The ordination ceremony makes the commitment to service stronger because it is very public, he said.

Germain is also looking forward to the grace of Holy Orders. He said, "I do believe that there is grace bestowed in every sacrament. It is kind of like Christmas -- you don't always know what you'll get. I've been given so much. I trust God will give me what I need."

After ordination Germain just wants to be of service and to use his gifts to help others. He has no particular ministry in mind. He said he has been an engineer, a musician and had many occupations -- often several at the same time and he expects his ministry to be the same.. "My ministry is taking care of people," he said.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2002