The diocese gathered at Grace Cathedral on Saturday, June 21, 2025, to participate in the ordination of the Rev. Dr. Suzan Olson, the Rev. Dr. Lynne Powell, and the Rev. Clare Stern-Burbano to the transitional diaconate. The ordination was recorded and can be viewed on the diocesan YouTube Page.
The Very Rev. Gar Demo preached for the service. He began his sermon by sharing what an honor it was to preach when all three ordinands were sponsored by St. Thomas the Apostle in Overland Park, the parish he serves. Father Gar’s sermon drew on the theme of water and its recurrence throughout the Bible, the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, and the multitude of stories involving water. As he wove together a variety of stories, he explained how water is central to our life and faith. Father Gar focused on the waters of baptism and how they connect with the ordination liturgy, “Our baptismal liturgy helps us understand why we gather today to ordain deacons… All christian ministry flows from the same source, from the mercy of God received at the water of baptism. When we are baptized, we are commissioned for service… every baptized person shares in this servant ministry. The word deacon comes from the Greek, meaning servant or minister. All the baptized were called to be ‘diakonos,’ servants of Christ.”
Considering that all three candidates were ordained to the Transitional Diaconate, a temporary period for new clergy to gain practical experience in diaconal ministry before being ordained to the priesthood, Father Gar went on to say that both callings to the diaconate or the priesthood are “holy, complete, and necessary.” And that, “The question is not whether you will be a deacon always in title but whether you will be a deacon in spirit. It is one who serves rather than one who seeks to serve.”
The Rev. Dr. Suzan Olson and the Rev. Dr. Lynne Powell attended the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry. The Rev. Clare Stern-Burbano attended the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and completed an Anglican Studies certificate at the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry.
All three candidates were sponsored by St. Thomas the Apostle in Overland Park. The Rev. Dr. Suzan Olson was appointed Associate Rector of Pastoral Care at St. Thomas, Overland Park. The Rev. Dr. Lynne Powell was appointed Curate of St. Mary’s, Galena. And the Rev. Clare Stern-Burbano was hired as Curate for Campus Ministry at Canterbury K-State.
by Chad Senuta
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