Introduction and Diaconate question

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blackbeltbenji

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Greetings to you all,

Good morning, I hope this message finds you well. My name is Benjamin. I am 24 years old. I have a fiance. We are getting married in June 2010 at St. Mark of Fallston. I have attended mass with her weekly since we started dating 5 years ago. She is the Asst. Youth Ministy Coordinator there, and will be graduating with her Bachelor’s in Elem Education in May of this year. I have helped her out during the weekly events there, which has led to the Confirmation retreat at the Msgr. O’Dwyer retreat house back in November 2009. At this retreat, there was an Eucharistic Adoration service led by a Deacon. During this service I was inspired, and I believe called, to become a Catholic through RCIA and seek the Diaconate when I am of age. This is both an exciting and humbling experience, and a journey I am so excited to begin.

My fiance, is a cradle Catholic and I was raised Protestant and was baptized a Baptist at age 8. I felt led to convert because of the deep communion and experience of the Mass and the closeness when the Monstrance displayed the Blessed Sacrament on that night. I have been changed, and I thank God for His grace.

That being said, I am seriously discerning and studying, to find out more about the Faith and the Diaconate program here in Maryland, and what I can do in the interim to prepare after I complete RCIA at Easter Vigil 2011.
  1. I know the age to be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate is 35, so would that mean I would begin the program at age 30? I know sometimes a Bishop is allowed to be lenient within 1 year?
  2. How long must a candidate be married before being considered for this Vocation?
  3. How many years must the candidate be a practicing Catholic?
  4. I have been studying the Word, along with books like: The Catholic Way, The Catholic Youth Handbook, Rediscovering Catholicism, along with daily Pod-casts, etc. Are there any other resources I should consider?
  5. Our home Parish when we are married will be St. Joseph of Fullerton, is there anyone there I can speak to about this?
  6. Our children will probably be young. My wife to be has already said that she will gladly agree with my calling to the Diaconate, and any young child(ren) we have can be taken care by herself, and our parents very easily while I am at retreats, etc. I truly hope this doesn’t impend my approval from the Bishop, since we will be more than sure of our ability to handle it. Opinions?
I thank you for your valuable time, and I appreciate the work all Clergy and Lay do each day to further the Kingdom of God here on Earth. May He bless all of you and your family.

Pax,

Benjamin
 
Benjamin,

Peace and all good,

Each Diocese will be slightly different and I can speak for Los Angeles since I am discerning myself here.
  1. I know the age to be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate is 35, so would that mean I would begin the program at age 30? I know sometimes a Bishop is allowed to be lenient within 1 year?
Many very good men get turned away in Los Angeles because the amount of Deacon Couples that apply. I am not sure how much a Bishop would be willing allow younger people into the program.
  1. How long must a candidate be married before being considered for this Vocation?
In Los Angeles 5 years Min. They want the marriage to be stable before entering the vocation.
  1. How many years must the candidate be a practicing Catholic?
Again this is 5 years.
  1. I have been studying the Word, along with books like: The Catholic Way, The Catholic Youth Handbook, Rediscovering Catholicism, along with daily Pod-casts, etc. Are there any other resources I should consider?
Just continue to grow in your faith and continue giving to the church. You might consider doing some work with the homeless or others in need since this is a big part of a Deacon’s life.
  1. Our home Parish when we are married will be St. Joseph of Fullerton, is there anyone there I can speak to about this?
Your Pastor has all the answers for your Diocese and also is the one that kicks off the application process with a letter of recommendation.
  1. Our children will probably be young. My wife to be has already said that she will gladly agree with my calling to the Diaconate, and any young child(ren) we have can be taken care by herself, and our parents very easily while I am at retreats, etc. I truly hope this doesn’t impend my approval from the Bishop, since we will be more than sure of our ability to handle it. Opinions?
The Deaconate is not a you thing. You and your wife become a deacon couple. Retreats are something both of you will need to attend. Also the two of you will most like be attend classes together for five years. Kids do not keep you out of the program by any sense but you need to take this into consideration. Personally we waited until my son is 18 and are in the discernment process now even though I have felt called for years.

Pray, Pray, and Pray more that Gods will be done to you. I will include you in my prays and hope the best for you.

Pax et Bonum,

Mike, SFO
 
Benjamin,

I should of also mentioned “Welcome Home”. I teach RCIA and seeing how people grow in faith during the course is inspiring to a Catechist.

Right now you are on a sacramental “high” that will reach it’s fullest at Easter Vigil. I really suggest after entering the church formally trying out some ministries, especially liturgical ones. Try out being a lector, since during Mass it would be your “job” to read the Gospel and at time prepare Homilies.

As for Books, currently I am reading “Fulfillment of All Desire” by Ralph Martin. It is a wonderful book that outlines the Spiritual Journey of 5 of the Doctors of the Church. This might interest you but then again, it is the Holy Spirit that leads you and does your real formation.

Mike, SFO
 
Thank you for your comments, I truly appreciate it. I also thank you for your prayers, and you will be included in mine as well.
 
Hi Benjamin,

I am in formation.

Becoming a deacon is a calling. It is not a “job” that you apply for. That is why we discern. The call comes from God. You could be redirected by the leaders of the program, the bishop or even by you. Be open to the call, but be humble enough to be open to the idea that God may have other plans.

Having said that, I welcome you home to the Catholic Church. I applaud your willingness to serve God and neighbor. Take this time to be a good and loving husband and father. That should be your priority. The Diaconate must never interfere with the dynamics of marriage and family. Find ministries you are passionate about and become involved. Your pastor will need to recommend you for the program before you may enter, so, he should be familiar with your work. Become a lector and a Eucharistic Minister. The deacon has a ministry of both the Word and the Altar. Work to strenghthen your spiritual and prayer life. Be on the lookout for opportunities to love and serve God’s people through actions and charity.

Formation really takes longer than five years. God prepares men for this journey their whole lives. You will soon be brought into the Church. This may very well be part of God’s loving plan to provide for His people. I am sure there are other events in your life where you feel God calling you closer to Him. Be on the lookout for those times when He is leading you to your vocation and be thankful.

I will pray for you and I wish you well on your journey. No matter what God has in store for you, I am sure that you will be a good steward of your gifts.
 
I thank you all for your prayers, I will you all in my prayers as well.

Also, to clarify, I do not believe the Diaconate is a job, I do wholeheartedly believe it to be a calling from God. I know strongly that he wishes this for me at this time. If that changes, it will be revealed to me.

Pax
 
Good luck and God bless from me as well. A call also comes from your faith community-your parish lead by the pastor. The mention of ministry was good advice. In the Fresno diocese, where i am, we had to have a minium of 5 years ministry experience and the program was a 7 year program. Experience includes: prison ministry, hospital ministry, ccd and rcia, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, communion to the shut-ins, being a reader at mass, music ministry, Etc.They now have a whole year of discernment before you begin formation and 3 years of pre-diaconate study. Many of the wives of the candidates were also involved in ministry, but this was not required.👍
 
One thing you might also try is to see if your diocese has a Lay Ministry Program. I went through a 2-year program in my last diocese in Charlotte, NC, and had a wonderful, enriching experience. We attended a total of 24 classes over the two year period.

This program was also a requirement for men considering the diaconate in that diocese. Unfortunately, they never formed a new class while I was there and then I moved so nothing came of it, but it was a great experience…
 
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