Lynn deacon finds his calling in Peabody

LYNN – Carlos Simon Valentin would rather laugh than talk. Ask the father of two to describe himself and he talks about growing up with a South African father and a Puerto Rican mother in Pennsylvania Amish country.?And he shovels snow in his shorts,” adds Valentin?s son Nicholas before running out of their Northern Avenue house to go play with friends.Valentin would rather organize family play time with wife Angelica, Nicholas and younger son Angel instead of planning a trip, and his idea of going out to eat involves calling his Mexican mother-in-law and asking, “What?s for dinner?”?I come from a very humble family,” he said.He also comes from a family that has seen its “ups and downs.” His siblings died at an early age, and diabetes is eroding his eyesight and kidneys – but not enough to keep Valentin, 37, from achieving his goal of becoming an ordained Roman Catholic deacon assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle parishes in Peabody.The Archdiocese of Boston ordains deacons annually and Valentin and 12 other men from countries around the world were ordained on Sept. 20.?While all Christians are called to serve others, the deacon is an official sign of this service and he solemnly promises to be a living example of such service for others,” according to the Archdiocese of Boston website.Before receiving his training through the Diaconate Formation Program, Valentin talked about becoming a deacon and prayed on the decision. The conversation began in 2009 with his wife, who did not initially embrace the idea of Valentin?s attending to a steady procession of baptisms, marriages and other parish duties.?I said, ?Are you crazy??” recalled Angelica Valentin.She spent time asking herself, “Is this for us?” before telling her husband she supported him. With his wife beside him, Valentin embarked on the journey into the diaconate that began with more soul searching about his decision, followed by the admissions process and, finally, training.?It sounds like a lot, but it is a wonderful journey; it is very joyful,” he said.It was also a journey that Valentin said changed his family and the way he views his job driving for Greater Lynn Senior Services. He started listening with more care to the stories of seniors, including veterans, he drove to appointments.?Sometimes being present means more than any words, so I smile and listen. My vocation has helped me be more humble,” he said.Valentin “does a great job representing GLSS,” said Paul Crowley, the senior care agency?s executive director. “He?s a hard-working guy. He has been a model driver. He is great with our customers, always positive and happy-go-lucky.”Valentin said he could not have reached ordination without his wife?s support. Indeed, Permanent Diaconate Director Daniel Burns, in a statement, said one of the challenges of becoming a deacon involves “…integrating ordained ministry with the primary vocation of marriage.”?You learn you have more strength than you think you have. We couldn?t be in this point of our life without,” Valentin said.Last year the Valentins decided to make some changes in their Thanksgiving Day ritual. They cooked trays of American chop suey, and Nicholas, 10, and his father crisscrossed Lynn in the family minivan handing out hot meals to anyone who looked hungry.The people they fed included homeless individuals with nowhere to go on the holiday – or any day – and immigrant workers looking for contracting jobs.?Any time we saw someone who didn?t look like they had had a meal, we stopped. We?re going to do this again this year,” he said.