Deacon Rick Burgess
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a man finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matt 13:44)
This familiar verse from the Gospel of Matthew took on fresh and personal meaning for me through the diaconate formation program here in the Diocese of Rochester. I have a newfound understanding of the feelings of surprise and joy the man must have experienced when he came across the buried treasure as he went about his work. With the St. Bernard’s Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies program at the center, the deacon formation program opened up for me the treasure of our Catholic faith, bringing me closer to God through prayer, study, and service.
Prayer
If you had asked me about my prayer life before I began the diaconate program, I would have answered that I thought it was pretty good. I attended Mass regularly, prayed before meals and even included a bit of “quiet time” each morning before work.
When I engaged in the “Exodus 90” spiritual exercise for men, however, that complacent assessment of my prayer life was given a reality check – and found wanting. The Exodus 90 program challenged participants to spend an hour – an HOUR! – in prayer each day. Encouraged by the other men in my group, I made the time in my schedule, rising earlier in the morning to make it happen. The additional time in prayer, combined with the other spiritual disciplines recommended in the exercise, were a game changer. It was during this time that I discerned the call to the diaconate. And just as Exodus 90 spurred me to spend more time in prayer, the diaconate program helped me to structure and to integrate that prayer throughout my day via the Liturgy of the Hours. I particularly enjoy knowing that in praying the hours, I unite with believers around the world, clergy and lay people, in the prayer of the church.
Another notable discovery in the area of prayer came when Deacon George Welch introduced the formation group to lectio divina, the practice of prayerfully reading a Scripture passage. Under Dcn George’s patient instruction, we practiced lectio during each formation day. I loved that we were practicing a centuries-old approach to prayer that found its roots in the time of St Benedict and the early monastics.
The result of this apprenticeship in prayer is that my relationship with the Lord has grown much deeper. While I still consider myself very much a novice, I now have the basic tools and solid instruction in how to employ them. With God’s grace, I will progress on this path.
Study
On the academic front, I encountered another steep learning curve. I was a good student back in the day at Notre Dame (Class of 1987). After my graduation, I entered the U.S. Navy. My work there tended towards technical problem solving and operational issues, not reading deep theological works. I found that after years of email and power point briefs, my mode of thinking became rather reductive and outcome-based. It was a significant adjustment to adopt the more holistic and deliberative approach needed for theology, pastoral studies, and homiletics. The courses at St Bernard’s gave me ample opportunity to shift gears and “go deep.”
I particularly appreciate the academic foundation I gained in theology. Before starting the MAPS program, my background in theology was very spotty. I had taken a couple of undergraduate theology courses at Notre Dame, but I lacked a systematic framework. My knowledge of the Bible centered largely on the readings from the Lectionary that any regular Mass-goer would hear, complemented by a few lay-led Bible study groups over the years. The courses at St Bernard’s helped enormously in rounding out my knowledge of Scripture and the teaching of the Church. Rather than muddling through with a bunch of fellow amateurs, I received a thorough introduction by actual theologians and Biblical scholars. At last, I have a solid foundation on which to build!
Service
Finally, the service component of the formation program influenced me deeply. I was no stranger to service work, having been a Boy Scout in my youth, where I reached the rank of Eagle Scout. In my adult life, however, the demands of work and family constrained my service opportunities to coaching my kids’ sports teams. My first pastoral field experience – ministry at a local nursing home facility – served as a wake-up call. It couldn’t have been more different from coaching youth soccer! Rather than dealing with the young and energetic, I was engaging with elderly adults, many of them struggling to adapt to their decline and loss of autonomy. This was an important experience for me as a future deacon. It requires patience, creativity, and unflagging good humor to bring the Lord to people in such circumstances. I’ve since gotten to know the long-term residents, pray for them between visits, and look forward to seeing them. In addition to ministering to the faithful Catholics, I also find evangelization opportunities with fallen-away Catholics, Protestants, and “Nones.” As Pope Francis taught, the Church must reach out to those on the periphery, on the margins of society. The nursing home ministry has helped me to discover what this means.
All this formation, spiritual and academic, culminated in my ordination last May at the cathedral in Rochester. I am presently assigned to St Catherine of Siena parish in Ithaca. Well equipped through the St Bernard’s program, I hope to bring the joy of the Gospel to the parishioners of St Catherine’s and the needy in the local Ithaca area.
I owe a debt of gratitude to many people who supported my journey to ordination. In particular, I thank my wife Trish, who supported me through many evenings of class and homework assignments; Father Augustine Chumo, my pastor at Immaculate Conception in Ithaca, Bishop Matano, Dcn Ed Giblin, and Dcn George Welch, whose wise and patient guidance steered me and the other men in the diaconate program. And of course, thanks to the SBSTM faculty, who put such scholarship and care into our course of studies, and all the family and friends who prayed for me along the way (please keep it up!).
As I complete my “rookie year” as a deacon, I’m mindful that I’m just getting started. The way ahead of me is not entirely clear, but I know that I can trust in God’s good and perfect plan. I take comfort in this verse from St Paul’s Letter to the Philippians,
“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6)
