It’s graduation season, and 72 new lay ministers from 27 parishes in the diocese completed the three-year ministry preparation program.

The bilingual commissioning liturgy and ceremony was held May 19 at the Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston, for those persons in the Lay Ministry Program, sponsored by the diocesan School of Evangelization/Pastoral Institute.

Since 2001, more than 750 lay ministers have been commissioned through the diocesan program, which is offered in both English and Spanish at four sites: Holy Name of Jesus, Park Slope; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Astoria; SS. Joachim and Anne, Queens Village; and St. Teresa of Avila, South Ozone Park.

Gerald J. Tortorella, director of the Pastoral Institute, said it’s been a trickle-down effect, with previous graduates of the program sharing their positive experiences to encourage their fellow parishioners to enroll.

“In addition to the high quality of training and formation that the lay persons receive through this program, it says also that our leadership in the parish … the pastoral leaders and pastoral teams … recognize the need for well-trained leaders, and they keep sending their parishioners to us,” Tortorella said.

Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros celebrated the Mass, and in his bilingual homily, he spoke of the sacrifice these lay ministers have endured to serve others.

“Today is not the end of the program or the beginning of any new ministry,” the bishop said. “Today is just a pause in responding to our anointed call for all of us to give thanks to God … a moment to give thanks to God for the graces that we have received through the program. And it’s a moment for the Diocese of Brooklyn to give thanks to you for responding so generously to your lay vocation.”

Robert Salerni, a graduate from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, said joining the program was a response to his baptismal call and seemed like a natural thing to do at this point in his life.

“It gave us a step beyond what we would have as an average parishioner, or even as one active in the parish,” said Salerni, whose ministry will be in his parish’s RCIA program. “We had excellent instructors, and we reinforced each other.”

The path to being inspired to join the program takes on different forms for different people. Claire Paik, a parishioner at St. Michael’s Church, Flushing, said she had followed the coverage in The Tablet of the last two lay ministry graduations, but she said she was at first scared to join.

“I had read about it a couple of times, but one day, it really got to me,” she said. “So I handed in my application form, and here I am!”

After going through the program, Paik, whose ministry is adult faith formation at her parish, now fully endorses the three-year course of study, which involves spiritual reflection, mentoring and pastoral preparation.

“If you have passionate love for Christ, you must get in,” she said. “It’s a life-changing experience. It’s a great conversional experience. You get changed; it can happen.”