Diocese of Gallup Remembers Deacon Marcellino Morris, Jr.

Bishop James Wall, the clergy, religious, and the communities in the Diocese of Gallup mourn the sudden death of Deacon Marcellino Morris, Jr., who was the victim of a head-on auto accident on Friday morning, December 30.

Deacon Morris was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate at Sacred Heart Cathedral on June 2, 2001. Since that time, he served faithfully in the communities of Saint Mary's, Tohatchi; Saint Anthony's, Naschitti; and in Coyote Canyon.

A Rosary was held on Sunday, January 8, at Saint Mary Church in Tohatchi, NM. The Visitation was held at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Monday, January 9 with Words of Rememberance in English and Navajo following. The Funeral Mass--celebrated by Bishop Wall--was also held on Monday at Sacred Heart Cathedral with interment following at Naschitti Community Cemetery.

Deacon Morris was recently featured in an article by Catholic News Service, where he talked about his vocation and joy he found serving in the Diaconate within the Diocese of Gallup:

Deacon Morris, who lives in Naschitti, chose the diaconate because he felt called to serve the tribal elders by being able to read the Gospel and preach in the Navajo language at Mass.

But ordination wasn't on his mind when, years ago, he decided to get more involved in the church in which he was raised and enrolled in a Jesuit-run program for Native Americans called "Builders of the New Earth" to refresh his knowledge about the Catholic faith.
/> "It really enlightened me more about the church, the faith that we have and also made me appreciate our cultural values more (as a Navajo)," he said.

During the course, a nun told him he'd make a good deacon. "I kind of shrugged it off," he said, but later thought maybe someday he would take that path but he'd choose "the timing."

Then, on a visit to Albuquerque, he attended a Mass he didn't expect to be celebrated only in Spanish, a language he doesn't speak.

"It was revealed to me that this -- I get emotional -- is how our people hear Mass today," the deacon, 60, told CNS, with tears in his eyes. "I had my own plans (to) be a deacon in 10 years. ... The Spirit was telling me, 'I don't need you 10 years from now, I need you now.'"

He entered Gallup's diaconate program and was ordained June 2, 2001.

"I feel like I was called to minister to the elders of my people who do not speak English. ... The sadness of this ministry is that a lot of them have passed on (but) I feel like they were able to be ministered to more effectively by the use of their language, and I am really grateful for that."