Above: Bishop Emeritus Robert J. Cunningham with this year’s newly commissioned lay ministers.
By Eileen Jevis, staff writer
“Faith and leadership have always been two central parts of my life,” said Mike Basla, one of the eleven candidates that were commissioned as faith-formation ministers Sept. 24 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse.
Guests supported the newly commissioned with their attendance and applause.
Basla served 36 years in the Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant general. He said his military service came with many family sacrifices and many rewards. It also taught him the principles and ethics he lives by. “The core values that guided me in the Air Force aligned with my internal beliefs — integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do,” said Basla. “It was a perfect pairing with what I learned from my parents and our faith.” Basla implements these principles as a Eucharist Minister and Lector at St. James Parish in Cazenovia. He said the two-year faith-formation program expanded his education and gave him a deeper understanding of his Catholic faith, its history and heroic church leaders; and also a desire to read and learn more.
“Formation for Ministry is a beautiful process whereby you have the opportunity to engage yourself and reflect on and be fed by enhanced knowledge and a more profound understanding of the Holy Mother Church,” added Danita Fiacco, a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas in Binghamton. Fiacco is the parish administrator at St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Patrick’s and recognizes the important role of lay ministers. “They support the sacramental life of the church, enrich the parish family and by serving others, act as a conduit by providing a connection to God and the parish community,” she said.
Fiacco supervised candidate Tina Corbin through her process of certification. Corbin, a parishioner at St. Patrick/St. Thomas in Binghamton, is a member of the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) team. She also serves as a greeter, Eucharistic Minister and pastoral-care provider at St. Thomas Aquinas. The Faith Formation Program taught Corbin about the riches of her Catholic faith. She said learning with people from diverse backgrounds gave her and other candidates the opportunity to encounter God through a myriad of perspectives and see him through a variety of lenses.
Bishop Emeritus Cunningham greeted each of the candidates and their sponsors.
Like others in the program, Corbin has a strong foundation for her ministry. She worked for the Boys and Girls Club of Binghamton, owned a medical-massage business, and worked as a secondary educator, nursing assistant and EMT volunteer. “All of these positions prepared me for service to others in their time of need,” she said.
“Lay people are an important resource and have become more involved at every level of service as a result of the priest shortage,” explained Corbin. “Lay ministers have taken an active role assisting priests in many capacities.”
“Gone are the days of ‘let Father do it.’ He can’t do it all, nor should he,” added Father Tom Servatius, pastor of four parishes in Utica and Vicar Forane of the greater Utica area. Father Servatius attended the commissioning as witness and sponsor for two candidates from Historic Old St. John Church in Utica.
Father Servatius said the lay ministers who serve the parishes in Utica are an asset to him, other pastors, parish-life directors and the people of God. “They have embraced their call to discipleship in a very committed and focused way. Their active presence brings so much life to the parish. They make so much good happen,” he said.
Bishop Emeritus Robert J. Cunningham presided over the celebration. During his homily, he said Pope Francis has often emphasized the importance of lay ministers who work in service to each other. When addressing the candidates, Bishop Cunningham said that by the virtue of baptism and confirmation, we have a responsibility to know our faith, live it and share it with others. “The Holy Father tells us that by reason, we are agents of evangelization. He calls all Christians to become missionary disciples and share the love of God with others. And so, in a special way, you are the living stones of the church, and you are commissioned to bring Christ and his message to others and to accompany them on their journey of life and faith,” said Bishop Cunningham.
Eileen Ziobrowski, director of the Office of Adult and Ministerial Formation, welcomes candidates and guests to the commissioning liturgy.
Eileen Ziobrowski, director of the Office of Adult and Ministerial Formation, presented the candidates to Bishop Cunningham. “These men and women have been preparing to publicly commit to service to the Church,” she said. “They have completed courses in theology, developed their skills during workshops, and undergone supervision and evaluation in their area of ministry,” she said. “It is with deep pride and joy that I present them to you.”
Ziobrowski said that as we move toward new models of parish life in our diocese and priests are asked to shepherd multiple communities, participation of the laity in the pastoral work of the Church is more important than ever. “I encourage anyone who is interested in growing in faith and service to contact me,” she said. She can be reached at [email protected]. Detailed information is available at https://syracusediocese.org/offices/formation-for-ministry.
