News

Carrasco ordination unifies Anglo, Hispanic members

Published: June 18, 2011   

By Malea Hargett
Editor

Paul Dufford

In silence, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor lays his hands on Mauricio Carrasco, the final act in the diaconate ordination June 11 at St. Raphael Church in Springdale.

Paul Dufford

In silence, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor lays his hands on Mauricio Carrasco, the final act in the diaconate ordination June 11 at St. Raphael Church in Springdale.

SPRINGDALE -- Mauricio Carrasco can be a symbol of unity in his bilingual parish, parish business manager and friend Rebecca Hodges said.

"The fact that he is so completely bilingual, there is a connection from both communities," she said. "There is no sense that you can't communicate. He grew up here and he also had the experience in Mexico. It's truly the best mix."

On June 11 he became the third transitional deacon ordained by Bishop Anthony B. Taylor in the past month.

Carrasco, 26, was ordained before 500 people at St. Raphael Church in Springdale. It was at the parish where he was first approached about becoming a priest several years ago. Ausencio and Leticia Carrasco, one son and four daughters moved to Springdale from Chihuahua, Mexico, when their son was 11 years old.

Hodges said she became acquainted with the Carrasco family when she started working for the parish in 1998.

"Mauricio is so well respected. He was respected as a high school student. People have always looked up to him and his family. They are very good, solid people. You can't help but have a deep respect for them and their faith. The parish as a whole is very proud," she said.

After graduating from Springdale High School in 2002, he attended the University of Arkansas and earned a degree in industrial engineering in 2006. While in college, then-pastor Father John Antony encouraged Carrasco to consider entering the seminary. He was also encouraged by then-Bishop J. Peter Sartain in 2004 while Carrasco was studying in Italy for five weeks. Bishop Sartain invited

Carrasco and two seminarians to join him for a private audience with Pope John Paul II on May 18 while Bishop Sartain was there for an ad limina visit.

Carrasco entered the seminary in 2006 and is expected to be ordained a priest in May.

Following the ordination, Father Antony, who now serves at St. Joseph Church in Fayetteville, said it was Carrasco's love for Christ and his joy that he first noticed when he met the young college student.

"This guy is ridiculously happy," he said. "No one should be that happy."

Father Antony said having the ordination in a deacon's hometown will hopefully encourage other men to see the priesthood as a possible vocation.

"It's like the old saying 'out of sight, out of mind.' But that works in reverse. You imitate what you see. It's so inspiring. You can't help think, "Oh my gosh, what a wonderful vocation.' … We need to highlight what is glorious about the priesthood. … It gives a lot of people a really beautiful example. I really think this is just the tip of the iceberg. You just need someone to start blazing the trail."

Carrasco, a regular columnist for Arkansas Catholic, will spend the summer serving as a deacon at St. Joseph Church in Conway where he can preach during Mass, administer baptism, preside at funerals and act as an official witness at weddings. He will return for his final year at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana in the fall.

Carrasco said laying prostrate on the floor of the church while the Litany of Saints was sung helped lift some of his anxiety over the ordination and being able to greet everyone after the Mass and thank them for attending.

"I was feeling really overwhelmed," he said. "It was like all the weight was taken off … I heard the whole church praying for me."

After assisting at his first Masses in English and Spanish June 12, he baptized his five-week old niece, Sophie Claire Stewart.

"As a deacon you are able to do the sacrament to bring them into the Church," he said.