On Saturday, June 14, at the Church of San Salvatore, Fr. Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, conferred the ministries of lector and acolyte on several friars—six lectors and ten acolytes—from the International Franciscan Seminary, located at the Convent of San Salvatore. The celebration took place in the context of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, offering a liturgical and theological setting particularly significant for reflecting on the meaning of these ministries.
In his homily, Fr. Patton recalled the Trinitarian foundation of Christian life: from baptism onwards, every believer lives “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This formula is not merely ritual but expresses insertion into a relationship of love and communion that defines God's very life. From this communion arises the vocation to service: the lector and the acolyte do not simply perform a function, but are called to participate in the saving work of the Trinity.
The Custos emphasized that, in the Trinity, no person acts alone. Father, Son, and Spirit work together in a single will of love. Similarly, in the Church, every ministry must be lived as cooperation, not individualism. The lector becomes the herald of the Word that saves and inspires faith; the acolyte, by serving at the altar, facilitates access to the sacrament of the Eucharist. In both cases, ministry expresses the Trinitarian communion that the Church is called to embody.
Finally, the Custos recalled the words of St. Francis, who invites us to be purified, enlightened, and set on fire by the Spirit in order to follow Christ and reach the Father. The ministry received, Fr. Patton said, thus becomes a concrete form of witnessing to Easter: through the proclamation of the Word and the care of the altar, the friars are called to make visible and accessible the divine life communicated through the sacraments. To live, serve, and love in the name of the Trinity is the direction every baptized person should aim for. For instituted ministers, it is also a responsibility to embrace in the daily life of the Church.
Francesco Guaraldi
