Deacons and Deacons to be

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Four of us have been invited to enter the diaconate formation program after the New Year. Please keep us in your prayers.
Blessings in Christ Jesus, Our Lord.
 
AKG said:
Four of us have been invited to enter the diaconate formation program after the New Year. Please keep us in your prayers.
Blessings in Christ Jesus, Our Lord.
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Will be keeping all of you in prayer. How long is your formation period?
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B
 
I am glad to find this thread.
I sent in my letter of intent.
Our first information meeting will be on Jan 13, 09

I am 42 years old and married for 7 years. My wife is not baptized. I have not discuss in depth with her yet but I think she will give her consent. Will her non-Christian be an impediment?

Pray for me.

Tak
 
tptram said:
I am glad to find this thread.
I sent in my letter of intent.
Our first information meeting will be on Jan 13, 09

I am 42 years old and married for 7 years. My wife is not baptized. I have not discuss in depth with her yet but I think she will give her consent. Will her non-Christian be an impediment?

Pray for me.

Tak
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This is interesting. I have not addressed this situation before. To my knowledge, your wife being non-baptized is not an impediment. However, it may present difficulties in the inquiry, discernment and formation process. On the flip side, there is a requirement for spouses to attend the first year with their husbands. This could have a very positive influence on her. I would ask up front if this would be OK. Let us know what the outcome is. This would be good information. You will remain in my prayers.
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B
 
I’m curious if there are fellow service members who currently serve as deacons. If so, I’m interested how they did this, particularly given our frequent moves/deployments?

If there are any of you subscribed to this thread, or know of any active-duty service members who serve as deacons, I’d be grateful if you could share this information with us.

Thanks in advance.

//Bret
 
Bret,

I’ve been retired since 2003, but let me give you some insights from my experience.

I started to feel a calling to the diaconate while on active duty and looked into it then. The results of my research were that it is almost impossible to get into and finish a formation program while on active duty.

Most dioceses have a policy that you be registered member of a parish in the diocese for about five years before applying. While this could probably be waived by a military friendly diocese the other challenge is that most programs run for five years. The five years is typically broken down into a year of Aspirancy and four years of formation as a candidtate for ordination.

At the time I started looking into the diaconate the Army was moving me about every two years (the frequency of PCS moves increase the higher you get in rank). So, there was no way that the Army was going to let me homestead at one post for five years.

The Archdiocese of the Military Service does not have a formation program and has no plans of starting one. Frankly, given their world wide reach I’m not sure how they could actually pull it off.

My advice is to start preparing for your calling now by being as active as you can be in the military parish. Get a spiritual director to help you with your discernment. Start praying the Liturgy of the Hours (morning and evening prayer). Read as much as you can on the diaconate.

When you get out of the service you can then make your application to diaconate formation in the diocese you settle down in for civilian life.

There are some Deacon’s who are serving on Active Duty. I have no idea how they pulled of going through formation. Maybe some of them will answer your post.

As for myself, I’m in my fourth year of formation. It has been an extremely uplifting, educational, and spiritual experience. If you are being called, God will present the opportunity for you to answer that call.

God Bless and good luck!
 
I have just completed the first year of our five-year formation program (academics are done; we have three weekend meetings coming up, to which I greatly look forward). It has been absolutely wonderful! Challenging, oh yes, but wonderful!

The one thing picked up in this first year is just how much your view and image of the diaconate is greatly changed. Yes, some things are the same and certain impressions are correct. But at the same time, other things you thought about the diaconate are found not to be so, and things you never thought about are brought to your attention and surprise you in that you think, 'Wow, I never would have thought of that," or “That really is something else! Talk about insightful!”

Our diocese’s program is online, with periodic meetings and a (recently done) retreat. It is so delightful to see all of the others in the program in person and get caught up on how we are doing! Plus, we local aspirants meet over breakfast once a week and discuss how things are going. You could not ask for a better program!

Pending all goes well and the review board approves me, classes will resume in August. Please keep me in prayer, everyone, and be assured that I do so for you! God bless you all.
 
I have not had a chance to read through this entire thread, so I apologize if my question has already been discussed.

I have felt a strong call to the diaconate for many years. This has been growing stronger with each passing year. The biggest question for me is when to enter the formal formation program. I have 5 children ages 5-15. I don’t have any concerns about being able to handle the academic load. My job is secure. My wife is supportive but understandably thinks that I should wait until the children are older. I agree, but the wait is becoming harder for me to endure. We did go together to an informational session at our seminary recently. Seeing the application form sitting on my desk and not being able to send it in is difficult. I do understand that my vocation as a husband and a father comes first. I don’t fully understand why God is prompting me so strongly at this time. I wish to be obedient to his will.

Any advice from men who have been in a similar situation?
 
I understand your concerns, but there are so many variables that it is hard to give you sound advice with so little information. I would discuss this with my pastor and/or the director of the diaconate program for your diocese and get his feedback. You will remain in my prayers.
 
I am 58 years old and have been happily married for 30 years. Shortly after we married I applied to become a deacon and was wisely advised to remain active in my parish and allow my young marriage to grow and be fruitful. My wife at the time was Baptist, but we supported one another in our faith. Even though my application was denied I took the advice of a priest friend who told me then “You don’t have to be ordained to serve.”

I have been very active in various church ministries over the years. I participate in a mission to NIcaragua, have been involved with prison ministry, coordinated the parish RCIA process, been a lector, extraordinary minister, choir member, been involved in evangelization at the diocesan level, etc. My favorite service is in the RCIA process and journeying with people who are searching for a deeper spiritual relationship in the Catholic Church. My wife came into the fullness of the faith about seven years ago through RCIA.

A new formation process opened up for the diaconate this year so I applied. I feel that I have always had a call to become a deacon. My pastor was allowed to pick one man out of six applicants from our parish and he recommended me. I am very humbled to be included in this special preparation.

Since my wife and I are positioned to retire in a few years, I can give much of my time to serving my pastor and bishop if ordained.

My question is do most men who are in formation remain active in service to their parishes in ministries that they have served in the past? Do you have to give these ministries up to dedicate yourself to studies, writing, meeting, etc.? Do you know many men that begin the process when they are my age?

Please pray for my wife and I that we will do God’s will in serving his Church.

Glen

“Where there is no love, put love, and you will find love.” St. John of the Cross
 
Yes, you should remain active in the various miniseries you are involved in. This will help you in your later ministry as a deacon. I will keep you and your family in prayer during your formation period and for a fruitful ministry as a deacon.
 
dr paul said:
i have not had a chance to read through this entire thread, so i apologize if my question has already been discussed.

I have felt a strong call to the diaconate for many years. This has been growing stronger with each passing year. The biggest question for me is when to enter the formal formation program. I have 5 children ages 5-15. I don’t have any concerns about being able to handle the academic load. My job is secure. My wife is supportive but understandably thinks that i should wait until the children are older. I agree, but the wait is becoming harder for me to endure. We did go together to an informational session at our seminary recently. Seeing the application form sitting on my desk and not being able to send it in is difficult. I do understand that my vocation as a husband and a father comes first. I don’t fully understand why god is prompting me so strongly at this time. I wish to be obedient to his will.

Any advice from men who have been in a similar situation?
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my family was grown and out of the nest before i entered formation, but we had couples with children who were able to handle the program. If possible, you and your wife should speak with deacon couples that went through the program having children still at home. You may find that the program actually enriched their marriage and educated the kids in the area of service to the least of our brothers and sisters. Good luck and god bless.
 
Deacon_Ed_B said:
I am starting this thread for deacons, those in formation for the diaconate and for those thinking about the diaconate.
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I hope I’m in the right place, I did a search on deacons and the deaconate.
I have been considering my relationship with God, and my role in life a lot recently. While I
have heard of married deacons when I lived in England, it is not something you hear much
about in Ireland. I was wondering what exactly is the role of the deacon. What duties you would be called to undertake, that an ordinary lay person wouldn’t be. How does one consider a calling to the role of a deacon, how would you pursue it? How do you know if you should pursue it, if it is truly a calling to serve?
I have been married for only two years, and am about to turn 30, I think I read of some restrictions in regard to this.
God Bless.
 
I remember hearing somewhere on these fora that Ireland does not have permanent deacons. I don’t know for certain if that is true, but could go a long way to explain why you don’t hear of them much in Ireland.

Chris
 
rkrispies said:
I remember hearing somewhere on these fora that Ireland does not have permanent deacons. I don’t know for certain if that is true, but could go a long way to explain why you don’t hear of them much in Ireland.
Chris
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Indeed this was the case until very recently.In October 2000 the Irish Episcopal Conference decided “in the light of the pastoral needs of the Church in Ireland” that the time was now right for the restoration of the permanent diaconate. The bishops applied to the Holy See for permission to establish the permanent diaconate in Ireland. Since July of 2008, the Archdiocese of Dublin and the Diocese of Elphin are accepting applications for those wishing to be considered for the permanent diaconate. The first year will be a year of discernment, during whcih applicants suitability for proceeding to the formation course will be assessed.
 
Gentlemen, I have been interested in becoming a Deacon since I came back to the Church. The thing is, I don’t know any Deacons. I’ve read that it is a demanding ministry, but what does a Deacon do, specificly? Thanks in advance, SY.
 
Swamp Yankee,

Deacons today serve the Church in many ways. Their primary role is to be of service within the community in accord with their talents and callings. Deacons assist priests in formation of ministries, counseling and support of couples in marriage preparation, individuals seeking annulments, formation of prayer and study groups, teaching and in many other service roles. Deacons also assist the priest at Mass. Ironically, that is the contact that most Catholics have with deacons, but that is not their primary role. Their primary calling within the Church consist of what they do for the people outside of Mass. The primary calling of priests is what they do within the context of Mass.

Deacons may preside at some liturgies, and they can confer some of the sacraments. Deacons may give homilies in certain circumstances, and it is their role, when assisting at Mass, to proclaim the Gospel. Deacons may preside at weddings (without Mass) and at funerals (without Mass). Deacons baptize children. Deacons can preside at prayer services , such as benediction, communion services and others. Deacons can bless objects, such as rosaries, religious medals, homes and cars, as well as any priest can. Indeed, the only things that a deacon cannot do are: say Mass, hear confessions, and confer the sacrament of the sick. Those are reserved to priests and bishops. Also, deacons cannot confer the sacrament of confirmation, which is reserved to the bishop, although he does, upon occasion, delegate that to priests.

In short, deacons allow the priest to devote himself to those responsibilites that are unique to his ministry.

If you think you are hearing a call to the diaconate I encourage you to contact the vocations director for your diocese to find out more.

God Bless,
 
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