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For
those interested in the permanent diaconate
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
If you have a copy of our diocesan directory (available through the
Pastoral Office for Planning and Communications), you know that
currently 12 permanent deacons minister in our Local Church. I have
ordained four of them. The others were ordained elsewhere and relocated
to our diocese later. The topic for my column this week is how one
becomes a permanent deacon.
There will be a
special information session for men who feel God may be calling them to
the permanent diaconate at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Kokomo on Saturday,
Feb. 23, 2008. The session will begin with Mass at 8:15 a.m. and will
end by 4 p.m. Men between the ages of 31 and 60 who have developed an
interest in the diaconate are invited. If married, the wife must attend.
Candidates may wish to extend an invitation to their pastors to attend
as well.
The diaconate is a distinct order within the ministry of the Catholic
Church. Many people know that deacons are able to assist priests at the
altar. They may even know that deacons may also preside at weddings,
baptize, conduct burials, Benediction and provide other liturgical
rites.
However, the role of a deacon extends far beyond liturgical ministry.
Deacons are ordained to serve a three-fold ministry of the Word, the
liturgy and charity.
Deacons share in the apostolic mission of the bishop. They are not
replacements for priests nor do they function as lay ministers. Theirs
is a distinct call.
A deacon serves the needs of the people of his diocese as the bishop
directs. He is not the “parish deacon” nor does he belong exclusively
to, or serve only, the parish in which he resides. By the promise of
obedience made to the diocesan bishop and his successors, he must
faithfully serve in the assignment the bishop gives to him.
There is a hierarchy of values for deacons. Permanent deacons have one
foot in the sanctuary and the other in the secular world. They must
balance many relationships: God, wife and family, employer and the
diaconate. That being the case, the call to the diaconate requires a
life of daily prayer and a thirst for spiritual growth in order to
properly discern the necessary balance among these relationships.
Deacons in this Local Church are expected to give a minimum of 12 hours
a week to their diocesan assignment. At the same time, the permanent
diaconate is not a “part-time” vocation. As ordained members of a Local
Church, they are to be a sign and symbol of Christ’s sacramental
presence in the world. They are deacons 24/7.
Deacons are expected to be financially independent. Some are employed by
the Church, but this is unusual.
Candidates for the diaconate are required to undergo comprehensive
formation in four dimensions: intellectual, human, spiritual and
pastoral skills. The formation program is personally enriching, but
demanding. The following are the minimal requirements for diaconal
formation:
• Men interested in the permanent diaconate must be validly baptized and
confirmed in the Catholic Church. If married, the marriage must be
recognized as valid by the Church.
• Applicants for the diaconate must be no older than 60 years of age at
the time of application and at least 35 years of age at the time of
ordination. If the applicant is single, he must be prepared to make a
promise of celibacy at the time of ordination. Applicants must be
healthy and financially stable, including the ability to pay for most of
the costs of their formation (courses, textbooks, meals, retreats,
etc.).
• If married, applicants must demonstrate evidence of a stable marriage
of at least 10 years. The wife is required to participate during the
five years of formation required of deacon candidates. Such
participation is necessary to ensure that spouses have ample opportunity
to ask questions, gain a clear understanding of the diaconal commitment,
and mature in faith with their husbands. A wife must give her informed
consent before the husband is ordained, and the couple must be able to
support a diaconal marriage following ordination.
• The candidate must be a registered member of a parish in the Diocese
of Lafayette-in-Indiana, and a man who has been actively involved in
parish life for at least three years. Three years of pastoral
involvement in a parish community is seen as an indicator of leadership
qualities and the ability to dialogue with others. Candidates must have
the written recommendation of their pastor regarding their involvement
and leadership ability, as well as letters of endorsement from select
parishioners. Appropriate legal and other background checks are
conducted on all applicants.
• If a convert to the Catholic faith or one who has returned to the
practice of the Catholic faith after a period of lapse, the candidate
must have exhibited maturity in Catholicism through a continuous
practice of the faith for a minimum of five years.
• Candidates are required to complete the diocesan Ecclesial Lay
Ministry (ELM) certification program. ELM certification and formation
for the permanent diaconate may be interfaced up to the aspirancy
period, but not thereafter. “Aspirancy” will be explained at the callout
on Feb. 23.
• During the Feb. 23, 2008, information session, more details will be
provided regarding the various stages of formation. In addition to ELM
certification, diaconal formation spans five years, includes 20 academic
courses, weekend formation each month, and field internships.
The February information session hopefully will lead to a third class of
permanent deacons. More than six years has passed since a permanent
diaconate program was initiated. Five men were ordained permanent
deacons in 2005. One, Al McConahay, has since been called home to God.
The second class of deacons is scheduled to be ordained on Saturday,
Sept. 20, 2008, at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate
Conception in Lafayette. Deacons are already serving in important
ministries such as prisons, hospitals and within the Hispanic community.
Father Ted Dudzinski, who serves as moderator of St. Joan of Arc Parish
and St. Patrick Parish in Kokomo, is vicar for the permanent diaconate
and Deacon Steve Miller serves as director of diaconate formation. St.
Joan of Arc Church is located at 3155 South County Road 200 West, which
is on the southwest side of Kokomo in the former Conseco Building.
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