[I asked Ligia four questions: About the experience of being married to a Deacon (who has to combine family responsibilities and ministry requirements), about how she collaborates in Jaime’s ministry, about whether people open up to them easily and any other point she wanted to add.—Editor]
Married Life with a Deacon
My husband Jaime and I gave up our jobs in the year 2000 and began working full time in the Lord’s vineyard as we felt moved by the Holy Spirit to do so. So, after some years, when my husband told me that he felt moved to become a Permanent Deacon, I was open and supported his decision. At that stage it was something that we had not heard much about but were told more about it. I had to give a written permission for Jaime to become a Deacon. The preparation to be ordained as a Deacon took four long years.
As the preparation at that time was mainly in the weekends, it meant a lot of sacrifice, especially in the first few years when our son was still a teenager. At times I had to handle challenging situations at home, additionally caring for two elderly persons at home. However, I began trusting and relying more on His Spirit to guide and lead me.
It was not easy for our children to accept the fact that their Dad was going to become a Deacon, dressing up like a priest and assisting at Mass, etc. Our son Ashish especially was afraid of being ridiculed by his friends. Our decisions can be tough on our children especially in today’s world when we see so much affluence around. Many times, I could see their pain too. But the Spirit also amazingly ministered to them in ways I never expected.
Ligia Fonseca
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