I am beyond excited to share with you that my family and I will be joining St. James (again), and I will be instituted as your new permanent deacon, effective June 1, 2024. How time flies…Fourteen years ago, my wife Angie and I moved from St. James to St. Mary’s because we wanted our three boys to have a Catholic education. Our kids did receive a wonderful education there, we made many life-long friendships, and I was ordained to the diaconate in September of 2022. We will really miss St. Mary’s but are comforted by the wonderful memories that were made.
But life is full of changes, right? When we first joined St. James in 1998, we were living in Sussex. We moved to the Falls in 2000 and lived there until 2015 at which time we moved back to Sussex where we have been living for the last 9 years. When I found out that St. James did not have a deacon, that got me thinking. At St. Mary/St. Anthony, there are 3 deacons, and a 4th will be ordained in September. Our youngest son is graduating 8th grade in May. And, we have history with St. James and it’s closer to us than St. Mary’s. Hmmm…I think you can see what led us to explore this change.
For those who may not know us, my wife Angie and I have been married for 26 years. We have three boys – Logan (18, Freshman at U of Dayton), Carson (16, Junior at MUHS) and Ben (14, 8th grade at St. Mary’s). Angie works at Kriete Truck Center as the CEO’s assistant and Office Manager. My paying job 😊is with FIS Global where I am a Director of Strategic Partnerships (business development). We are at a busy stage of life and definitely in the money outflow period of life! We enjoy traveling, reading, golfing (Lance) and the great outdoors.
I would like to thank Fr. John for being so supportive leading up to this decision. It has been about 6 months in the making, and I can’t believe it’s only a month away now! At my ordination, I kneeled before the bishop with my hands on the Book of Gospels and heard him proclaim these words to me: “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” I plan to live that out throughout the course of what I hope are many, many years at St. James. I can’t wait to meet everyone, and I will send another note next week detailing some of the ministries and things I plan to get involved with after I start.
Since I’ll be with you in three short weeks, I’d like to share, based on my conversations with Fr. John, how I plan to serve at St. James. I’ll categorize using the three pillars that make up a deacon’s ministry to the Church – Ministry of the Word, Ministry of Liturgy, and the Ministry of Charity.
Ministry of the Word: As mentioned in my previous note, a deacon participates as an evangelizer and teacher in the Church’s mission of heralding the word. So, what that means is that you’ll see me proclaiming the gospel at mass, preaching at all masses one weekend per month (starting right away on June 1st and 2nd!) and working with Sue in Christian Formation related activities. And, with all the housing going up around the Parish, I look forward to finding ways to draw in new members!
Ministry of Liturgy: When assisting Fr. John on altar, you’ll notice there are certain parts of mass that I’ll be doing (e.g., Universal Prayers, setting the altar, extending the invitation of peace, dismissal). There is special meaning as to “why” a deacon for each of these, but I’ll save that for a future note. Beyond Sunday mass, I will be helping Fr. John with baptisms (outside of mass), funeral vigils, burials, and witnessing marriages. I hope to also draw attention to and promote Eucharistic Adoration.
Ministry of Charity: This is what is near and dear to my heart – serving others. Here, I plan to get involved with the activity of the Cooperating Churches of Sussex, bring communion and perform communion services to the elderly and homebound, and look for any other areas inside and outside of the parish to serve the people of God – especially to those who are most in need.
I’m sure that my ministry will ebb and flow into the future, but this is a starting point. And I can’t wait to get started!
In the peace of Christ,
Dcn Lance Tappa
o you enjoy welcoming others and possess the ability to help build community? If so, you can put your talent to work by assisting the Stewardship Comm
Do you know a St. James parishioner who is homebound? If so, please invite them to contact Kristin Winter, the Pastoral Health Care Coordinator, at 262-250-2663 or kwinter@stjames-parish.com. Kristen reaches out to homebound parish members and connecting them with the St. James community through mailed bulletins, phone calls and home visits. We want to make sure that all homebound parishioners know that they are a valued part of our community.
The Community Banquet is a free meal offered twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. Volunteers from community churches take turns providing the meals, set-up and provide desserts and clean up. The purpose of Community Banquet is to serve a nutriious, hot meal and a time of fellowship for anyone who chooses to attend. All are welcome to attend. We are also looking for help with Cooking, baking and clean up on the following dates. This is a great way for families and youth to serve. Contact Sue at sdevine-simon@stjames-parish.com or 262-253-2904 if you are interested in getting more information or would like to volunteer.