Bishop Higi's article about the Permanent Diaconate

The Catholic Moment, December 16, 2007:

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