Deacon Pablo Migone's Ordination Story

My classmates and I arrived to the sacristy of Saint Peter's Basilica about two hours before ordination on October 9th and were taken into a room where we could pray, prepare and vest for the ordination. In the quiet and stillness of the sacristy, the magnitude of the event hit me, especially since I had a very busy week leading up to the ordination. There was a lot of excitement and joy, but at the same time a deep sense of awe and seriousness towards what was about to happen. As we processed out of the sacristy towards the Altar of the Chair of Saint Peter, there were over 1200 people present, flashes of cameras, the choir sung and the organ and trumpets blasted music. God manifested himself very concretely and powerfully throughout the ceremony. His power to transform me and my classmates as we received the sacrament of Holy Orders is an immense gift from Him. The Lord has configured me to Himself for the service of the Church, in particular to serve those in our diocese. There were several high points during the ceremony, but it all climaxed after we were vested and were able to see each other for the first time wearing the vestments of a deacon. The next day Father Aaron Killips celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving where I assisted as deacon and preached at the Church of the Three Fountains outside Rome, the site of Saint Paul's martyrdom. Father Justin Ferguson, seminarian Jason Adams, family and friends were also present.