The cathedral of the Prelature of Lábrea has been the setting in which Frater Sergio Pérez, after a long year of missionary insertion and community integration has received the sacrament of the order of deacons from the hands of Monsignor Santiago Sánchez.
On January 27, an unusual event took place at the mission of Lábrea, Amazonas, Brazil: the diaconal ordination of Frater Sergio Pérez García, Augustinian Recollect, who since November 2022 he resided in the community of Lábrea, carrying out the year of pastoral and community experience. Monsignor Santiago Sánchez Sebastián, titular bishop of the Prelature of Lábrea, AM, Brazil, was the ordaining bishop.
The deacon ordination ceremony took place at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Nazareth of Labrea. The celebration was presided over by the bishop of the Prelature, accompanied by the bishop emeritus Jesús Moraza, thirteen religious priests, who were in Lábrea celebrating their annual assembly together with the prior provincial, and a diocesan priest representing the parishes of Manaus, Tapauá, Bello Monte-Foz de Tapauá, Lábrea, Pauiní and Guaracaciaba do Norte. In addition to the priests Frater Sergio was accompanied by two other more Augustinian Recollect religious, three Augustinian Recollect missionary sisters and two Marist brothers who work in the mission.
From the Parish of Lábrea, where Sergio has been working for just over a year, representatives of all the pastoral organizations were present, which are many in this part of the Brazilian region. The celebration was enlivened by one of the choirs of the parish; on this occasion, a family choir that delighted the attendees.
Monsignor Santiago, in the homily addressed directly to Frater Sergio, reminded him and everyone present that, like Jeremiah, we are afraid to respond to the call of the Lord, and the response is like a timid and small alms. Nevertheless, He calls us to be generous, to serve without fear- Jesus also told us in the Gospel-. In the humble services of serving tables and caring for widows is the call of the Apostles for deacons. He ended up asking the Lord for him, Sergius, be able to respond faithfully to that vocation to the order of deacons as Felipe, Procoro or Nicanor, prototypes of the diaconate.
The dalmatic, liturgical vestment with which frater Sergio will dress in the liturgical celebrations until he is ordained a priest, was given to him and placed one of the religious who was also present at the celebration. The rest of the celebration, as always happens in these Amazonian lands, was very lively and participatory.
Once the liturgical celebration was over, after a loving and heartfelt thanksgiving gesture from the new deacon to all those who in one way or another participated in the preparation and staging of the celebration and the usual group photos, all participants were invited to a generous fellowship, which we could well call dinner, at the facilities of the Esperanza Center in Lábrea, a social center close to the cathedral, at the same dining room tables where they usually feed the young people who participate in this social work of the Augustinian Recollects. Both the food and the coexistence were very pleasant and to everyone’s taste.
