by Michael Rizzo
DOUGLASTON — Informational and inspirational. Those two words are apt descriptions of the keynote presentations by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers at the Diocese of Brooklyn Convocation for Permanent Deacons on Oct. 11 in the main chapel at the Immaculate Conception Center.
More than 80 deacons, including some from the Diocese of Rockville Centre and the Archdiocese of New York, braved the rainy remnants of Hurricane Isaias to attend. Bishop Robert Brennan, who attended the convocation, invited Deacon Burke-Sivers, an author, motivational speaker, former police officer, and EWTN host. Bishop Brennan previously heard the deacon speak when he was bishop of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio.
Deacon Burke-Sivers’ two presentations were titled “The Vocation and Mission of Deacons” and “Reclaiming the Heart of the Spiritual Man.”
“Deacons are there to help with evangelization,” Burke-Sivers said. “Helping people to encounter the life-changing love of Jesus Christ.”
Described on his website as the “Dynamic Deacon,” Deacon Burke-Sivers lived up to that moniker. He relived stories of his encounters with young people, like the pregnant young woman at his home parish in Portland, Oregon, whom he helped forego an abortion, have her son, and return to her Catholic faith.
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He also spoke about the biblical and theological underpinnings of the diaconate, proper liturgical and sacramental actions for deacons, and the importance of deacons being strong in their marriages and family life.
Deacon Burke-Sivers exhorted attendees to live up to St. John Paul II’s description of deacons: “to be a servant of the mysteries of Christ and, at one and the same time, to be a servant of your brothers and sisters.”
“There is plenty of work for us reaching places in the Church that priests can’t reach,” he told his fellow deacons. “We
need to exude Catholic joy. … Our mission is to serve, protect and defend everyone and everything entrusted to us, including our families and the Church.”
One directive from Deacon Burke-Sivers struck home with Deacon John Cantirino of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Brooklyn, who also coordinates the diocese’s Diaconate Formation Program.
“I loved his one thing about a Barney homily,” Deacon Cantirino said, referring to the purple dinosaur children’s TV show character and Deacon Burke-Sivers advice not to use the character’s “I love you, you love me” mantra in homilies but instead to
tell the boldness of the truth of the Catholic faith. “I think people have a yearning for real truth, and that’s going to change lives.”
This year’s convocation was organized by Deacon George Velez of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Williamsburg, and the coordinator of the diocese’s Office for Clergy Personnel.
“This is a moment for deacons to have fraternity and prayer, and refreshment of mind and soul with their bishop present,” he said about the gathering, which included deacons ordained in the 1970s to the newest cohort ordained last year.
Deacon Dowill Garcia of Blessed Sacrament-St. Sylvester Cypress Hills, ordained in 2025, attended his first convocation.
“It means a lot,” the 42-year-old said before the convocation began. “Now I feel like I belong to a community, a community of
brotherhood, you know, brother deacons.”
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For 92-year-old retired deacon Jean Baptiste Boursiquot, ordained in the diocese’s first diaconate class in 1977 and still ministering to the Haitian community at Mary Queen of Heaven Parish in Mill Basin, attending the convocation is something he looks forward to every year.
“I’m still looking, you know, for more knowledge so that I can be helpful to be able to serve better the people in my parish.”
In his second presentation, Deacon Burke-Sivers connected deacons to the story of David and how he conquered Goliath through his faith in God.
“What is your Goliath?” he asked. “What are you so scared of that you can’t take your diaconate and your faith to the next level? Be like David against your Goliath by remembering you come in the name of the Lord.”
“Very powerful,” said Deacon Robert Cruz of St. Sebastian-Corpus Christi Parish in Woodside after the convocation.
“He gave such heartfelt, sincere examples of how to live a deacon life, how to live a Christian life, and to rely not on our own power but on the Lord’s grace, and then acting on it, and not just being passive or going back to the shadows saying it should be someone else.”
The three-hour assembly finished with Evening Prayer led by Bishop Brennan, who spoke of the deacons’ dedication before giving a final blessing.
“It’s inspiring to see what God has accomplished through your work,” he said. “Let’s build bonds of communion in the
church and in our parishes.”