Question about Permanent Catholic Deacons

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This is the norm…
edit nope its not. see below
 
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@JimR-OCDS @(name removed by moderator)

My bad, edited as such
 
twf said:
Deacon,
I wonder, then, why that logic wouldn’t apply to young men discerning the priesthood. If a 25 year old candidate for the presbyterate can decide celibacy is for him, why wouldn’t the same be true of a candidate for the permanent diaconate?
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Some people argue that the priesthood should operate in the same way…
 
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Most men entering the priesthood will end up being older than 25 before they become transitional deacons.

Permanent Deacons, are not involved in formation before entering the diaconate program, which depending on the dioceses, starts at age 33.

Also. many married men who apply for the diaconate, even at age 35, have teen children or younger and it makes it tough to handle the five years of training while raising kids.

In my diaconate class, we had 25 men who applied. Four went on to train, but only three were ordained five years later. Of the three who were ordained, two had retired in their 50’s and one was a school teacher who worked where the training was held, but also close to retirement.

Jim
 
Yes. Some of ours winter down south. If they want to function as a deacon they have to be given a letter of good standing from their bishop and be granted faculties by the bishop there.If they want to be deacons of that diocese,they must be excardinated by the bishop of the old diocese and incardinated by the bishop of the new one.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
In my diaconate class, we had 25 men who applied. Four went on to train, but only three were ordained five years later. Of the three who were ordained, two had retired in their 50’s and one was a school teacher who worked where the training was held, but also close to retirement.
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That’s surprising that so many that were asked to apply didn’t make it to the end. I would think getting people to volunteer and commit to the ministry would be the toughest part- and most that made it that far would make it to the end.
 
Well keep in mind that it’s a vocation, not a volunteer ministry which you can leave in time. Deacon’s receive Holy Orders.

Actually, over 50 applied, only 25 were accepted into the 12 week discernment period.

This involved going to class two nights a week, Monday and Wednesday, with our wives. Also, once a month, one Sunday afternoon for workshops and reflection.

After 12 weeks, if the man desired and they accepted you, you went into formation, which lasted five years.

Again two classes per week on Theology, Scripture and Church Doctrine. Also, one Sunday afternoon per month, and also one week-end retreat per year. Attendance by the wives was optional. Classes were taught by professors from Holy Cross College.

It was a grind, and five of the twenty five went on. However, one man, a Jewish convert, dropped out two weeks before ordination. I don’t know why.

I was glad that the Lord led me not to go on with it, as he called me to a contemplative life with the Discalced Carmelites, Secular, OCDS.

JIm
 
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I don’t have much more to add to this conversation, but I am in year 3 of a 5 year program now. I was accepted into the Diaconate at 39 and am the “baby” in my class. Our program (Diocese of Savannah, GA) uses St. Leo University for our formation. I, personally, do not have a BA degree so will not receive a Masters in Theology like many of my classmates-but it did not hinder my application process in the least. I’m married, 2 kids ( now 16 and 11) and while it has been time consuming and stressful at times, it has been a wonderful journey so far. We had a year’s worth of discernment in our diocese and lost one person (we started with 12). If all goes well, 11 of us will be ordained in May 2020. Please keep our class in your prayers. God bless.
 
Augustinian said:
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JimR-OCDS:
In my diaconate class, we had 25 men who applied. Four went on to train, but only three were ordained five years later. Of the three who were ordained, two had retired in their 50’s and one was a school teacher who worked where the training was held, but also close to retirement.
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That’s surprising that so many that were asked to apply didn’t make it to the end. I would think getting people to volunteer and commit to the ministry would be the toughest part- and most that made it that far would make it to the end.
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My experience in the monastery (I was in formation for over two years before I discerned it was not my vocation and left), is similar to what @JimR-OCDS said. Far more people enter discernment and even formation than actually make it to the end.

Of the eleven youngest sisters in final vows, temporary vows, or the novitiate when I was in the monastery, only 3 remain.
 
Wow! That is a big class! There were four in my class. All of us were ordained to the diaconate and three of us were honored to serve at our 4th classmate’s ordination to the priesthood not long ago. When we began we were 35, 45, 48, and 59 years old.

Fr. Dcn. John
 
Mind sharing what year that was ?

The directors of the Permanent Diaconate, revamped ours and changed it from 3 years to 5 years of education and training. They required courses in theology and church history and doctrine at the college level where professors from Holy Cross taught them.

Two nights a week from 6:30 PM for Mass, followed by class til 10 PM. One Sunday afternoon per month for seminars, workshops and conferences. This took five years and the guys who went through it, said it was tough, especially being over age 50 and not having gone to school in a long time.

The deacon in my parish was the last three year program that the dioceses ran.

Now, they won’t accept any candidates who do not have a four year college degree.

Jim
 
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OK, ours was revamped back in 1998.

I did the 12 week discernment, which was not part of the training, but the same schedule.

I was so burnt out from the schedule, I knew I would never handle the five years of training, so withdrew.

It was the right choice as I got sick from being so run down.

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Again two classes per week on Theology, Scripture and Church Doctrine. Also, one Sunday afternoon per month, and also one week-end retreat per year. Attendance by the wives was optional. Classes were taught by professors from Holy Cross College.
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You got off easy. 😉 Here in the Sacramento Diocese the requirements have gotten much more extensive, including monthly weekend retreats with wives, more classes and required ministries, learning Spanish, etc. I have much respect for our deacons who go through this process…I’m not sure everyone appreciates how much effort, education, and training our deacons go through. (Not referring to you personally, of course, just the general public).
 
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Yes. The Church in this area has such a huge Spanish-speaking population that the Bishop has decreed all deacons need to learn Spanish to be able to minster to all Catholics, beginning with the upcoming class.
 
ShowersofRoses said:
this area has such a huge Spanish-speaking population that the Bishop has decreed all deacons need to learn Spanish to be able to minster to all Catholics, beginning with the upcoming class.
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Do those diaconate candidates who are Spanish speaking already, but aren’t fluent in English, have to learn English? Or are English speakers such a small minority, it would n’t be worth the effort?
 
I don’t know about that…I’m only aware of the requirements for the English class.
 
twf said:
Deacon,
I wonder, then, why that logic wouldn’t apply to young men discerning the priesthood. If a 25 year old candidate for the presbyterate can decide celibacy is for him, why wouldn’t the same be true of a candidate for the permanent diaconate?
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The difference is because a 25 year olds today typically do not have teenage kids. The Church emphasizes and is very strong regarding the fact that for Permanent Deacons, his wife and family come first. The Church does not want the diaconate to ever come between a Perm Deacon and his family.

So by limiting age to 35, it typically means that the men have reached a point in their careers and family life where they have a much better idea regarding what kind of time they can dedicate to ministry.

25 year olds often think they have more time to take things on than a 35 year old.

God Bless
 
ShowersofRoses said:
Yes. The Church in this area has such a huge Spanish-speaking population that the Bishop has decreed all deacons need to learn Spanish to be able to minster to all Catholics, beginning with the upcoming class.
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do the seminarians have to do the same thing?
 
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