Seven-year-old Mariana Cantu came to Jesus for her first Communion — and brought her father Juan along with her.

“Daddy, if you don’t go to confession, I won’t take my first Communion,” Juan Cantu remembers his daughter telling him.

So, Juan went to reconciliation. He said that at that point, he had not ventured into a confessional in about 20 years.

“That moment triggered everything,” he added.

In a written testimonial of his journey to a fuller faith, Juan wrote, “That was when my journey started. God met me where I was, took my hand and has walked with me ever since, one step at a time; and although I have stumbled many, many times, he has never let me fall and get lost again.”

On Aug. 16, Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, ordained Juan Cantu as a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Charleston at the family’s home parish, St. Joseph Church in Anderson. Mariana served as the lector, and Juan’s son Daniel was an altar server.

But, this ordination was much more than a family affair. It was a community affair.

Walk in faith

Dianne, Juan’s wife, said the family’s walk in faith truly started with the birth of Mariana in 2007.

“Mariana was a miracle,” Dianne said. “I got chickenpox, and the doctor said Mariana would be born blind, deaf or mute.”

Dianne said that she and Juan were cradle Catholics, but they had not been practicing. Nevertheless, Dianne asked the Blessed Virgin Mary: “If you are there, do you want to be Mariana’s godmother?”

Stranger things have happened.

“Mariana was born healthy, and five years later, she asked us to pray,” Dianne said. “She has always been a special girl.”

Soon, the Cantus began attending Sunday Masses. It was important to Mariana, who was preparing for her first Communion.

Then, Juan said he wanted to attend daily Mass. So he went to a Tuesday service.

“When I attended my first weekday Mass, I noticed that one parishioner sitting in a pew had been asked to help Father (Philip) Gillespie with the vessels, as there were no altar servers,” Juan’s testimonial reads. “What I remember next, after that day, is just an image that I saw reflected in a window of our Church sanctuary right before Mass: it was me vested with the altar server’s clothing, a long black cassock and a white surplice, holding our processional cross. Yep, I had just volunteered to be an altar server.”

Sometime after that, Haymée Giuliani, principal of St. Joseph School, and Father Gillespie, the parish’s pastor, encouraged Juan to become a deacon.

So he signed up for the five-and-a-half-year program, and it has been an adventure filled with grace. 

Reluctant formation

That first year in the diaconate, Juan had doubts. The incredible amount of homework, the long trips to attend classes in Columbia and the time away from family were taking a toll, he admitted.

“I used to call myself a ‘reluctant deacon-in-formation,’” Juan’s testimonial continued.

During a moment of doubt, the deacon recalled, God spoke to his heart, saying, “If you gladly accepted my invitation, the least you can do is follow through, without complaining, and with a smile, please.”

Juan said he has worked hard to do that, tackling the diaconate workload “with great joy” and trying to do God’s will.

“It is not that God takes away my will … but with his grace, he allows me to conform my will to his,” Juan wrote.

God’s grace has worked wonders in the deacon’s life for the past five years of study. His class of 21 men is scheduled to be ordained in February 2025.

God, however, had another plan for Juan.

Christ-like suffering

Deacon Cantu, age 47, was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer about six months ago. His doctors have told him that he does not have much time left.

“It has been only with God’s grace that my wife and I, from the very beginning, have accepted this reality as God allowing it for a greater purpose for me, for our family and for those around us,” he explained, “and to this day, far from complaining or crying out to God, ‘Why me?’ we have been on our knees every day praying and giving thanks.”

The suffering has been hard on Juan and even harder on his family. But the Cantus see it as a time to suffer with Christ and grow in virtue.

“It is our hope that Jesus Christ will raise us up at our last day [which] allows us to go through the darkness of every suffering,” he continued in his written testimony.

Juan said he felt God asked him to write the testimonial and that it would be crucial in what happened next.

Ordination comes together

Juan sent his testimonial to Deacon Brian Justice, formation director for the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate. Justice read it and showed it to Deacon Regi Armstrong, director of the Permanent Diaconate.

“He definitely showed the spiritual maturity to be ordained,” Deacon Armstrong said. “Him being ordained early would be a gift to his parish; a gift to his church. … It seemed the right thing to do, so I petitioned the bishop.”

Bishop Fabre agreed that it was the right thing to do.

“One week before the ordination, the bishop let us know he would be available on August 16,” Armstrong said. And, despite the short notice, “It just all came together.”

“It was very smooth,” Deacon Justice agreed. “It was at his home parish. Family and friends were there. At least half of his diaconate class was there — either serving or in the pews,” Justice stated.

The entire class probably would have been there with more notice, Deacon Armstrong added, but many permanent deacons still hold 9-to-5 jobs.

“Those guys are a special group. They are a band of brothers,” Justice said of Diaconate Class of 2025, which started its studies when the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. 

But they endured. And they received a special grace of watching their brother be ordained.

“Deacons are called to serve. And serving means sacrifice,” Deacon Justice explained.

“Juan is no different than the other 20 guys. He has asked for no special treatment. He has never uttered one word of complaint. It speaks to humility in a profound way,” Justice said.

Deacon Cantu has never missed a class weekend in Columbia despite undergoing chemotherapy treatments. And he still has to complete his studies.

“I have one more class to go: canon law,” he said.

Ordination day, however, was a time to celebrate.

“It was a blessing. It was very humbling,” the deacon said.

A good shepherd

Deacon Cantu sees Bishop Fabre as a good shepherd.

“He is with the people. He is one who likes to be with the parishioners,” Juan stated. “He even played soccer with the kids the last time he visited our church and school.”

Juan said that during the ordination Mass, the bishop talked like a father talks to his children.

He said the bishop told him, “If anything happens, I am here for you.”

Dianne was similarly moved.

“He touched my shoulder and said, ‘Remember that God has the final word.’ Those were very touching words,” Dianne said.

This good shepherd followed up his words with a beautiful embrace that moved those who were there to witness it.

“Right after the ordination, [Bishop Fabre] gave me a hug, and that was like Jesus giving me a hug,” Juan admitted.

Now, Deacon Juan Cantu plans to serve God and serve St. Joseph for as long as the Lord calls him to do so.

Perhaps he will get to see another little girl bring her father to Mass and start a wonderful journey filled with grace that leads to Christ Jesus.