The fact that his mother prayed the Rosary every day and went Mass frequently was crucial for Dcn. Martín Gallo to listen to the call from God to become a deacon.

That day came Nov. 3 when Dcn. Gallo, who is originally from Jalisco, Mexico, was or-dained to the Order of the Diaconate by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted in Ss. Simon and Jude Cathe-dral. The new deacon, who was accompanied by his wife Angélica and his children Jesús, María, Martín, Jr., and Lazmhy, serves at his home parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Glendale.

Dcn. Gallo, 51, grew up in a profoundly religious Family, where his mother instilled a love for God and devotion to the Virgin Mary. She showed him the importance of attending Mass as much as possible, and to pray the Rosary every day, a devotion that he and his 92-year-old mother still maintain.

EN ESPAÑOL: El apoyo de la familia, fundamental para el Diácono Martín Gallo

Dcn. Gallo said that his formation was particularly difficult, with his process taking 10 years as opposed to the normal five. But he found strength from God and his family.

“Preparation for the diaconate is five years, but for me it was 10,” recalled Dcn. Gallo an in interview, saying he felt profoundly grateful to God for choosing him to serve as a deacon. Some people closed doors to him and denied him support, but his Family was always there, he added.

“In all of this, prayer is key,” he said, adding that “going to Mass, visiting the Blessed Sacrament, praying the Liturgy of the Hours — these should never be missing.”

His daughter, Lazmhy, who is now 20, was 10 when he began formation and helped him with some of his classes, in particular helping him prepare homilies in English. “To this day, she is still helping me.”

At one time, Dcn. Gallo believed he would one day be a priest. He even attended a seminary in Guadalajara, but after three years he realized he didn’t have a vocation and left.

He said that since then he has had a seed in his heart that germinated in his adulthood, especially when a priest guided him that God was calling him to the diaconate.

“The support of a wife for a deacon when he is in formation is fundamental,” said Dcn. Gallo’s wife Angélica. “I’m always praying for Martín and asking that God to give him wisdom, patience and, above all, a love of neighbor.”