CARMEL VALLEY — “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!”
Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido began his homily with this Psalm (118:24) at the Mass he celebrated May 24 to ordain seven men to the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of San Diego. Newly named Bishop Michael Pham and Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano accompanied him, as did dozens of priests and deacons.
The ordination was held at St. Thérèse of Carmel Parish, where family members, friends and fellow parishioners of the men to be ordained jammed the church.
Bishop Pulido referred to the men as the “Magnificent Seven”: Ronald Jay Esteban Aquino, St. Rose of Lima Parish, Chula Vista; Robert Michael Ehnow, Sacred Heart Parish, Coronado; José Ramon García; St. Mary Parish, Escondido; Thomas Gerald Kelly, Mission San Diego de Alcalá Parish; Miguel Madera, St. Stephen Parish, Valley Center; Matthew David Murray Rifat, St. Vincent de Paul Parish; and James Thomas Rizzotto, St. Stephen Parish, Valley Center.
The following is the text of his homily:
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!”
“My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we gather today in a spirit of deep joy and thanksgiving. The Lord continues to pour out blessings upon His Church—and today, those blessings are especially abundant.
“We rejoice because God is generous. We rejoice because habemus papam—we have a new Pope! And not just any Pope, but one from Chicago, and a member of the Augustinian family. What a moment of grace for the Universal Church.
“And here, in our Local Church, we rejoice because God has given us a new shepherd—our own Bishop Michael Pham, who will be installed as an ordinary in July 2025.
“Moreover, next month, three men will be ordained priests into our diocese. And today —today — we celebrate the ordination of seven new permanent deacons. The Magnificent
Seven! Yes, God never ceases to amaze us. He continues to raise up servants for His people.
“In our second reading today, from the Acts of the Apostles, we’re taken back to a foundational moment in the early Church. As the number of disciples grew, so too did the needs—and the tensions. There were widows being neglected. There was division. The Apostles, led by the Holy Spirit, made a bold and humble decision: they delegated.
“They asked the community to choose seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, to serve. These seven became the first deacons of the Church—Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas. And with their ordination, something beautiful happened: “The word of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples increased greatly.”
“Service didn’t distract from the mission. It amplified it.
“And so, my brothers and sisters, we return to that sacred pattern today. These seven men—our Magnificent Seven—follow in the footsteps of those first deacons. They come with their own gifts, their own backgrounds, their own stories. But they share one call: to serve.
“Like Stephen, they bring deep faith and courage.
“Like Philip, they bring missionary zeal.
“Like the others, they bring hearts ready to serve—whether at the altar, the ambo, or the margins of society.
“But perhaps more than anything, they bring a sign: a sign that the Church is alive. A sign that God is still calling. A sign that ministry is not just the work of priests or bishops—but of the whole Church.
“To you, my brothers being ordained today: know this—you are not stepping into a role, but responding to a call. You are not simply assisting priests; you are helping the Church live more fully as the Body of Christ.
“You are ministers at the threshold—standing where the Church meets the world, where the Gospel meets everyday life.
“Your ministry will lead you to the poor, the lonely, the immigrant, the forgotten. These people live in every neighborhood. They speak every language. Seek them out. Welcome them. Love them.
“But always remember: your first ministry is to your families. The grace of Holy Orders will not take you away from your family—it will call you deeper into it.
“You come today with the loving support of wives, children, family, and friends. And to the wives—thank you. You have walked this path alongside your husbands. You are partners in this call. You are their strength, their joy, their steady support. You know well the wisdom of the phrase: ‘Happy wife, happy life.’
“I have a friend, a deacon, who keeps a crucifix in his room, with his wedding vows on either side. Every morning, he reads those vows. He renews them in his heart. I urge you to do the same. Let your love for your spouse be the soil from which your ministry grows.
“To all of you, the faithful: this is not only a celebration of what they receive—but of what we are all called to become. Support these men. Pray for them. Walk with them.
“As the early Church laid hands on the seven, so too do we. Their ministry will flourish only if we are a people who pray for our leaders, love our servants, and work side-by-side for the Kingdom of God.
“My brothers and sisters, we do not grow the Church by building higher walls or holding tighter rules. We grow the Church by putting love into action—through service, through humility, through the quiet acts of daily faithfulness.
“And so today, let us rejoice: For these deacons. For their families. For our diocese. For our Church.
“Let us rejoice in this new beginning, and pray that through the ministry of these seven men, the word of God may continue to spread, and the number of disciples may increase greatly.
“This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad.”
