Deacon Robert Cano

‘We’re instruments of faith’

Facing ‘the endurance of life,’ deacon draws strength from
the Holy Spirit

By R. DANIEL CAVAZOZ
The Valley Catholic

BROWNSVILLE — Nearing 70 years of age and after logging more than 30 years of service as a deacon, Robert Cano figured he could finally relax and ease up a bit from the rigorous church life of assisting priests in their parish duties.

“We bring much comfort to those who are suffering; we bring the presence of God into the hospital. It’s not human’s work you are doing, it’s God’s work.”

He announced his retirement as a deacon with the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville.
It didn’t last long.

Less than two months into retirement, Cano asked Oblate Father Michael Amesse, rector of the Cathedral, if he could return and resume his spiritual work as a deacon. The answer was a quick yes.

It was a return home for Cano. He was baptized at the Cathedral, then would go to grade school across the street at the Cathedral school before heading to St. Joseph’s Academy. Now at 71 years old, Cano, a retired firefighter, is the only deacon at the cathedral, the spiritual home for the Diocese of Brownsville.

“I’ve been gifted,” Cano said. “I’ve always strived to be guided by the Holy Spirit.”

Cano is a graceful man who has seen his share of tragedies and loss as firefighter for 35 years and then as a deacon for nearly as long. He refers to the trials one inevitably faces as “the endurance of life’’ where faith and resolve can carry a person through tribulations.

“I don’t break down,” he said when asked how he handles difficult and emotional situations in his ministry work as a deacon. “We’re instruments of faith. I get my strength through the Holy Spirit.”

Cano’s spiritual road to the Cathedral first went through time spent as a deacon at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Christ the King Church, which are both located in Brownsville. He has been a deacon at the Cathedral for 13 years and in that time has been at parishes throughout the diocese, serving the church and the Lord in his official religious capacity.

In his hometown, Cano has baptized children in his family circle, including his five grandchildren, and those of firefighters he served with.

“The whole cycle of life” is how he puts it in performing hundreds of baptisms, weddings and funerals in his many years as a deacon. Cano has given spiritual advice and guidance to members of his immediate family as they lived through the last hours of their lives, as well as doing the same with those he shared a uniform with as a firefighter.

“Ask God for forgiveness,” he recalled telling a fellow firefighter as he neared death. “Leave it up to the Holy Spirit to guide you.”

Cano’s life has been one of being called to serve. He was of service to his community as a firefighter for more than three decades in responding to emergencies and despair. He was then called to serve as a deacon, a rigorous process in which those chosen for consideration go through extensive screenings and several rounds of interviews to determine, as Cano puts it, the answer to the key question.

“Do you have the substance to be a deacon?” he stated.

If so, years of theological study and training follows before a deacon can take his position in assisting a priest. In that role, Cano said it’s an honor to serve in the Cathedral, which serves as the seat of Bishop Daniel E. Flores. He is also honored to serve Father Amesse.

“Father Mike is my spiritual guide,” Cano said. “I see his example of how he lives his life and how he comes back regardless of how he feels or what he has been through.”

It’s “the endurance of life,” as Cano puts it, and facing replacement knee surgery soon he knows he will face weeks of recuperation. When he’s healed up, there’s little doubt where he will be.

“I want to be back by January (2020),” he said. “I plan to continue serving in this beautiful vocation.”

Story by The Valley Catholic