Pastoral letter calls for new deacons in the Archdiocese of Vancouver

New document highlights the role of permanent deacons in the Church

Painting: St. Peter consecrates Lawrence of Rome as a deacon in a fresco from 1447-49 by Fra Angelico and Benozzo Gozzoli. St. Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who was martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258 AD.

By Brent Mattson
The B.C. Catholic

VANCOUVER--Recently Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, announced a program to form permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Now the archbishop has released a pastoral letter (available on the Archiocese of Vancouver's website ) providing more detail.

"The permanent diaconate is meant to be a driving force for the Church's service toward the local Christian communities," he wrote in the letter, released Feb. 25.

"Because the deacon is a public and living icon of Christ the Servant within the Church, his ministry encourages all the baptized to commit themselves to service of the ecclesial community and the world," the archbishop said.

Quoting Pope John Paul II, Archbishop Miller wrote that the permanent deacon is a great gift of God to the Church.

The archbishop noted that the encouragement of recent Popes, as well as recommendations from the Archdiocesan Synod, Presbyteral Council, and Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, led him to the decision that it was time to call permanent deacons to serve the archdiocese.

"Increasingly we recognize that every baptized person has a calling to share the faith," he wrote.

Because men must be between the ages of 35 and 65 to enter the diaconate, the archbishop said they will bring experience from their secular careers and family lives that will help expand the presence of Church ministries in the various spheres of public life.

"Permanent deacons will add yet another dimension to our witness and service, while supporting the ministries that are already exercised in such fruitful ways," the archbishop wrote. "Deacons are ordained to proclaim the Gospel and preach the Word of God at the liturgy, as well as to be a herald of this Word to the faithful and the world."

Though they cannot celebrate Mass, deacons will have a liturgical role at Mass, as well as the ability to baptize, witness marriages, preside at funerals and burials, and conduct prayer services for the sick and dying.

The archbishop said that deacons are a sign of the Church's service to the world, and therefore must be dedicated to works of charity and justice.

"I will expect them to bring the poor to the Church and the Church to the poor, whether that poverty is material, spiritual, or cultural," he said.

Pope Benedict XVI to Priests, Deacons, Religious and Seminarians

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF POPE BENEDICT XVI
TO PORTUGAL ON THE OCCASION OF THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE BEATIFICATION OF JACINTA AND FRANCISCO,
YOUNG SHEPHERDS OF FÁTIMA

CELEBRATION OF VESPERS WITH PRIESTS,
RELIGIOUS, SEMINARIANS AND DEACONS

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Fátima
Wednesday, 12 May 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son born of woman, […] so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4,5). The fullness of time came when the Eternal broke into time; by the grace of the Holy Spirit the Son of the Most High was conceived and became man in the womb of a woman, the Virgin Mary, type and lofty model of the believing Church. The Church does not cease to beget new sons in the Son, whom the Father willed to be the first-born of many brothers. Each one of us is called to be with Mary and like Mary, a humble and simple sign of the Church who offers herself constantly as a spouse into the hands of her Lord.

To all of you who have given your life to Christ I wish to express this evening the Church’s appreciation and recognition. Thank you for your witness, often silent and certainly not easy; thank you for your fidelity to the Gospel and to the Church. In Jesus, present in the Eucharist, I embrace my brothers in the priesthood and the deacons, the consecrated women and men, the seminarians and the members of the movements and new ecclesial communities present. May the Lord reward, as he alone can and does, all those who have made it possible for us to gather together before the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. I mention especially the Episcopal Commission for Vocations and Ministries, with its President, Bishop António Santos, whom I thank for his greeting, full of collegial and fraternal affection, at the beginning of Vespers. In this “upper room” of faith which is Fatima, the Virgin Mother shows us the way to place our pure and holy offering into the hands of the Father.

Let me open my heart and tell you that the greatest concern of every Christian, especially of every consecrated person or minister of the altar, must be fidelity, loyalty to one’s own vocation, as a disciple who wishes to follow the Lord. Faithfulness over time is the name of love, of a consistent, true and profound love for Christ the Priest. “Since Baptism is a true entry into the holiness of God through incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit, it would be a contradiction to settle for a life of mediocrity, marked by a minimalistic ethic and a shallow religiosity” (John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31). In this Year for Priests which is drawing to its close, may grace in abundance come down upon you that you may live joyfully your consecration and bear witness to your priestly fidelity grounded in the fidelity of Christ. This evidently supposes true intimacy with Christ in prayer, since it is the powerful and intense experience of the Lord’s love that brings priests and consecrated persons to respond to his love in way that is exclusive and spousal.

This life of special consecration was born to keep the Gospel always before the People of God, as a reminder which manifests, certifies and proclaims to the whole Church the radical nature of the Gospel and the coming of the Kingdom. Dear consecrated men and women, by your dedication to prayer, asceticism and growth in the spiritual life, to apostolic action and mission, you are progressing towards the heavenly Jerusalem, you are a foretaste of the eschatological Church, solid in her possession and loving contemplation of God who is love. How much we need this witness today! Many of our brothers and sisters live as if there were nothing beyond this life, and without concern for their eternal salvation. Men and women are called to know and love God, and the Church has the mission to assist them in this calling. We know well that God is the master of his gifts and that conversion is a grace. But we are responsible for proclaiming the faith, the whole faith, with all its demands. Dear friends, let us imitate the Curé of Ars who prayed to the Lord in the following words: “Grant me the conversion of my parish, and I accept to suffer all that you wish for the rest of my life”. And he did everything to pull people away from their own lukewarm attitude in order to lead them back to love.

There exists a deep solidarity among all the members of the Body of Christ. It is not possible to love Christ without loving his brothers and sisters. For their salvation John Mary Vianney decided to become a priest: “to win souls for the good God”, as he said when, at eighteen years of age, he announced his vocation, just as Paul had said: “to win as many as I could” (1 Cor 9:19). The Vicar General had told him: “there is not much love of God in the parish; you will bring it there”. In his priestly passion, this holy parish priest was merciful like Jesus in meeting each sinner. He preferred to insist on the attractive aspect of virtue, on God’s mercy, in comparison to which our sins are like “grains of sand”. He pointed to the merciful love of God which had been offended. He feared that priests would become “insensitive” and accustomed to the indifference of their faithful: “Woe to the Pastor – he would warn – who remains silent while God is offended and souls are lost”.

Dear brother priests, in this place, which Mary has made special, keep before your eyes her vocation as a faithful disciple of her Son Jesus from the moment of his conception to the Cross, and then beyond, along the path of the nascent Church, and consider the unheard-of grace of your priesthood. Fidelity to one’s vocation requires courage and trust, but the Lord also wishes that you join forces: that you be concerned for one another and support one another fraternally. Moments of common prayer and study, and sharing in the demands of the priestly life and work, are a necessary part of your life. It is a fine thing when you welcome one another into your homes with the peace of Christ in your hearts! It is important to assist one another with prayer, helpful advice and discernment! Be especially attentive to those situations where there is a certain weakening of priestly ideals or dedication to activities not fully consonant with what is proper for a minister of Jesus Christ. Then is the time to take a firm stand, with an attitude of warm fraternal love, as brother assisting his brother to “remain on his feet”.

The priesthood of Christ is eternal (cf. Heb 5:6), but the life of priests is limited. Christ has willed that others continue in time the priestly ministry that he instituted. Keep alive in your hearts, and in others around you, the desire to raise up – in cooperation with the grace of the Holy Spirit – new priestly vocations among the faithful. Trustful and persevering prayer, joyful love of one’s own vocation and commitment to the work of spiritual direction will allow you to discern the charism of vocation in those whom God calls.

Dear seminarians, who have taken the first step towards the priesthood and are preparing in the major seminary or in houses of formation, the Pope encourages you to be conscious of the great responsibility which you will have to assume. Carefully examine your intentions and your motivations. Devote yourselves with a steadfast heart and a generous spirit to your training. The Eucharist, which is the centre of Christian life and the school of humility and service, should be your first love. Adoration, piety and care for the Most Holy Sacrament during these years of preparation will lead you one day to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Altar in an edifying and devout manner.

Along this path of fidelity, beloved priests and deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians and committed lay persons, may the Blessed Virgin Mary guide us. With her and like her, we are free so as to be saints; free so as to be poor, chaste and obedient; free for all because detached from all, free from self so that others may grow in Christ, the true Holy One of the Father and the Shepherd to whom priests, as his presence, lend their voice and their gestures; free to bring to today’s world Jesus who died and rose again, Jesus who remains with us until the end of time and who gives himself to all in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate: A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate

A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate:
A Study for the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
2009-2010

"Deacons are a living sacramental sign of Christ the servant, today"

From TheCatholicSpirit.com

(Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

By Joseph Michalak

Whenever I tell people I work in the Office of Diaconate, the most common response is “The office of what? Can you spell that?”

And whenever I speak with Serra Clubs or at parishes about the vocation and role of the deacon, the most common question is: “What does a deacon do that a priest or lay person can’t do?”

The response is: That’s the wrong question — at least to begin with. As with any vocation (marriage, religious life, priesthood), we first need to answer “who we are” before we can describe “what we do.”

Christ the servant

In the words of Pope John Paul II and the church documents that govern diaconate formation, the deacon is ordained to “sacramentalize service” and to be an “icon of Christ the servant.” In other words, the deacon is a unique living sacramental sign in our midst of Christ the servant, the one who knows suffering and who pours himself out for the good of others.

Therefore, the deacon is ordained — he is no longer a layman — into Jesus’ own apostolic ministry. In theological terms, the deacon, like priest, stands “in persona Christi capitas” (in the person of Christ the head). But the deacon does so not as victim and priest, but as servant.

As one theologian has put it, a priest presides at the Liturgy of the Eucharist that gives rise to charity; the deacon, however, presides at the “liturgy of charity” that culminates in the mystery of the Eucharist.

(This, by the way, is why the church envisions a normal Mass to be one with a deacon, and it is why you will see after the consecration both deacon and priest holding up the host and the chalice. Here is a more robust sign, so to speak, of the dimensions of Jesus the head of the body, victim-priest and servant laying down his life in love.)

At the end of Mass, it is the deacon’s role to intone “The Mass is ended; go in peace,” and he then is ordained to do precisely that: to lead in extending the sacramental charity of the Eucharist — the apostolic ministry of Christ himself — into the world. The deacon often then goes forth as “icon” of Christ where a priest is unable to go, and the deacon is meant to do so as an “animator of the laity.”

Thus, like laity, the deacon by virtue of baptism shares in the three-fold office of Jesus (prophet, priest, and king). In addition, like bishop and priest, the deacon is ordained into a more specified three-fold participation in the ministry of Christ for the church and the world: ministry of the Word (the foundation), ministry of the Eucharist and liturgy (the heart) and ministry of charity and justice (the expression and fruit). What a deacon does flows from this three-fold ministry.

As a servant of God’s Word, the deacon daily contemplates that Word, especially in Scripture. The deacon always proclaims the Gospel at Mass (even if the pope presides); he evangelizes, teaches, instructs, preaches and leads others into “lectio divina.”

As servant of the Eucharist and the sacramental and liturgical life of the church, the deacon presides at baptisms, assists in the mystery of the Eucharist, is the normal bearer of the Eucharist to the sick and suffering, can witness marriages, bury the dead and preside at benediction.

The deacon commits himself to praying morning and evening prayer on behalf of the church and intercedes as Christ for all. As servant of charity and justice, embodying the eucharistic self-gift, the deacon takes the sacramental presence of the church into the most far-reaching corners of suffering: to the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the elderly and dying, to immigrants, to the mentally ill, to the estranged — to wherever there is need and suffering.

What does a deacon do? The list is too long to describe fully. But whatever he does, he does as sacramentally ordained into the ministry of Christ the servant; he is icon of that servant, the living bearer of the Word and doer of the Father’s will. That is why the day after Christmas we celebrate the feast of Deacon Stephen, Proto-martyr, who was so perfectly conformed to the Incarnate Word that he died with Jesus’ own words on his lips. And he died as a good servant would: pointing toward and gazing upon his master, Jesus.

Archbishop’s man

Because he is ordained to be a sacrament of service, the deacon is an extension of the bishop’s apostolic ministry; at ordination, only the bishop lays hands on the new deacon, and the deacon promises obedience to the bishop. In the words of an early church father, the deacon is the “eyes, ears, hands” of the bishop, ordained first to serve the diocese and only then a specific parish.

This is why today deacons usually receive a dual assignment, one to assist in a parish setting and one to serve at the archdiocesan level or in some specific ministry such as in a prison, hospital or nursing home, with the police force, with the homeless, at the university or wherever he may be needed.

Often, a deacon can be more aware of specific needs than a priest can be, and the deacon can then bring those to the attention of the archbishop.
With the recent economic downturn, for instance, we have deacons who assist people in dealing with both the material and spiritual effects of foreclosures on their homes.

Although deacons usually serve under the supervision of a priest-pastor, the deacon is not a “mini-priest” — he is both “alongside” the priest as well as “under” the priest, and he often is active in secular settings where a priest is unable to go.

Bridge-builder

Here is an especially unique feature of the deacon: he is ordained clergy, but he lives a lay lifestyle. He then is supremely suited to be, and to bring, the sacramental presence of Christ and the church to the world. The majority of deacons (but not all) still work full time in secular employment; the majority of deacons (but not all) are married and have families.

They, therefore, are clergy who know and live with the same kinds of challenges as lay folks. But they are ordained and sent by the bishop to do so even as they live a life of contemplation and prayer and charity and sacramental presence. They then are especially able to activate and assist laity in carrying out their specific apostolic role in professional and poli­tical and civic life.

It is noteworthy that the roots of the modern diaconate began during World War II in the Dachau concentration camp as priest-prisoners began praying and thinking about what would be needed for the restoration of culture and civilization in Europe after the war.

Is it indeed possible that the Holy Spirit has ideally suited the deacon (and his wife and family and work) to help rebuild the culture of life and marriage and family that is so under attack today? Many deacons will tell you that some of their most significant ministry takes place at home or at work when not “on duty” but when those around them come to them for prayer or counsel or a listening ear, precisely because they know and see that this is a man of the church.

We recently had a deacon candidate leading others in praying the Liturgy of the Hours at his work simply because others — and not all Catholic — saw him praying and wanted to join in. When we look at the five strategic priorities for the church identified by the U.S. bishops this past year, we see the deacon ideally ready for the New Evangelization.

Pursuit of holiness

Finally, because the deacon usually lives as a lay person would, he can be a singular model of the holiness — the self-gift — to which we are all called. He comes from our midst. As he stands at the altar and raises the chalice of suffering, he is offering not only his own self to the Father, but he carries with him the suffering and needs of all those with whom he comes in contact. He knows the injustice; he bears the challenges. He makes the sacrifice of his life for the sake of all.

Who does this — and why?

We are grateful for the more than 200 men from all walks of life who have been ordained a deacon in this archdiocese since 1975. About 140 are still active in official ministry; all are servants in prayer and witness.

For those who are married, their wives and children (and even grandchildren) likewise make an offering of their lives — and certainly of their husbands and fathers.

Many of the wives generously serve in their own right.

And considering that diaconate discernment and formation is at least four years long, at 15 to 20 hours per week, and a deacon then does “official” ministry about 10 hours per week (and the majority often do much more) for no pay and, too often, for little thanks, the question naturally arises: Why do this?

The answer, all will tell you, is simple: love.

Why be a mother or father? Why be a priest? Love. Why be a disciple of Christ? Love — the generous “giving of self,” the dying to self for the good of the other.

"Annual conference offers encouragement to priests during times of struggle"

From Catholic News Agency

Steubenville, Ohio, Jul 4, 2009 / 04:07 pm (CNA).- A five-day conference held at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio earlier this month brought together over 180 priests from across the country to receive support and practical help in order to be "Strengthened in Hope."

The 35th annual Priests, Deacons, and Seminarians Conference was held from June 15 to 19. Participants spent time with other priests, deacons, and seminarians, while finding renewal in the sacraments and attending talks and workshops helping them learn how to turn obstacles and challenges into opportunities for hope and witness.

The conference was co-hosted by Father Michael Scanlan and Father David Pivonka, TOR, director of Post-novitiate Formation for the Sacred Heart Province of the Third Order Regular and superior at St. Louis Friary in Washington, D.C.

Bishop Robert Baker of Birmingham, Alabama received Franciscan University’s Shepherd’s Award at the conference. The award was given to Bishop Baker "in recognition of the ways he has helped God strengthen and raise up faithful loving shepherds for his flock."

University Chancellor Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, presented the award in front of an enthusiastic crowd, saying, "Bishop Baker has a real heart for the people and a great pastoral care for his priests, and places a priority on the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and religious life."

Baker was appointed as bishop of Charleston in 1999 and then as bishop of Birmingham in 2007. He is the author of the recent book, The Questioner’s Prayer, and also worked with Father Benedict J. Groeshel, CFR, to write When Did We See you, Lord?

Addressing the gathered crowd, Bishop Baker encouraged his fellow priests to offer their intentions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus every day and consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus every month. In addition, he strongly recommended that they never miss daily Mass and that they schedule a holy hour at least once a week, if not once a day.

The bishop expressed his hope that during this newly-begun Year for Priests, the lay faithful would "engage themselves in prayer and action for our priests," helping to renew the love and devotion of priests around the world. "The priesthood is the love, the heart, of Jesus," he said.

In addition to the award ceremony, other highlights of the conference included enriching talks and workshops on a variety of theological and pastoral topics, as well as testimonies and opportunities for confession, Eucharistic adoration, daily Mass, and praise and worship.

Father David Toups, associate director for the U.S. Bishops’ Office of Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations celebrated the 12th anniversary of his vows during the conference. Father Toups conducted a workshop, "Character Produces Hope," in which he called on fellow priests to live moral lives of virtue, striving to "be credible witnesses so the people may believe in Jesus Christ."

Encouraging annual retreats and spiritual direction, Father Toups emphasized the dangers that come from priests failing to comprehend their identity. "The future of the Church is jeopardized when we don’t live in accordance with the great calling we have received," he said. Toups suggested prayers for both priests and laity in support of the priesthood.

Another of the workshops, "Mary: Star of Hope," emphasized the importance of Mary in today’s world as a guiding "Star" pointing towards Christ. Father Leo Patalinghug, director of Pastoral Field Education at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, conducted the workshop, saying, "The Blessed Mother is more than a statue and more to us than a simple set of prayers we say on a bunch of beads." Explaining that every saint had a devotion to the Blessed Mother, he continued, "Mary is the great sign of hope. She points to our salvation at the foot of the cross."

Father Patalinghug urged priests to make their everyday lives a reflection of Marian virtues, including humility, obedience, and compassion. "We’re in an age where disobedience is popular and obedience is irrelevant," he said. Yet despite these obstacles, he encouraged priests to persist in the spiritual works of mercy. "Be proud of your Catholic identity," he said.

The final talk, "A Royal Priesthood: Hope for the Church and the World," featured University trustee Diane Brown explaining that without priests, there would be no sacraments, no Church, and no salvation. Brown expressed her gratitude to priests, who are "of more value to mankind than the entire material universe."

Brown spoke about the importance of prayer and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to preach the truth faithfully. "Pray and don’t stop praying," she said, encouraging the gathered priests to boldly carry out their missions on earth. "A world without God is a world without hope. You, my brother priests, are what the world needs."

"The Diaconate and the Military Archdiocese"

This is a follow up to my previous post HERE. Not sure why I didn't think to check the Military Archdiocese website for information, but Charivari Rob did, and he put a link to the appropriate page from their website in the combox. I post the webpage in its entirety below..








From the Military Archdiocese website:

"The Diaconate and the Military Archdiocese"

This statement is intended to reply in a general and informal way to those who have requested information about the status of Catholic deacons wishing to be of service to the Archdiocese for the Military Services.

The present situation

The Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) does not provide a training and education program for deacons nor does it fund such a program. With few exceptions, all training and education is carried out under the auspices of a civilian (arch)diocese in the United States. It should be noted, however, that not all (arch)dioceses conduct such programs. Military members wishing to learn more about the diaconate should contact the nearest (arch)diocese in the U.S. to inquire about its diaconate formation program.

There are two ways in which deacons presently serve the AMS: (1) on active duty in uniform or (2) in a civilian capacity. Deacons on active duty function on a full-time basis in their primary military occupational specialty while providing support to a local military Catholic priest-chaplain as deacon on a part-time basis.

No deacons are ordained for service to the Archdiocese for the Military Services. A man is ordained a deacon for service to a specific (arch)diocese, even though he may be on active duty in the military or supporting the military in a civilian capacity. The presumption is, in each case, that a deacon on active duty in the military will report to the (arch)diocese for which he is ordained upon completion of his military duty unless the local Ordinary determines or permits otherwise.

Every deacon who wishes to minister within the Military Archdiocese— whether on a U.S. military installation or at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, must first receive written permission from his Ordinary before applying to the Military Archbishop for faculties. Additionally, his ministry must be specifically requested by the senior priest-chaplain of that installation who, in turn, will act as the deacon's supervisor.

The duties carried out by deacons in the Military Archdiocese are essentially the same as those performed in civilian parishes. The deacon may be authorized to preach, carry the Blessed Sacrament to the sick at home or in hospitals, distribute Holy Communion during Mass or at other times; baptize, witness marriages, provide religious instructions, prepare individuals and couples for marriage, coordinate or direct programs for religious education and engage in various other activities under the supervision of the senior Catholic priest-chaplain.

Some of his ecclesiastical responsibilities may parallel, complement or be complemented by the work of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs), lay leaders, lectors, Directors of Religious Education and others.

The deacon in military uniform ordinarily will not be financially remunerated for his work. A deacon serving the military community as a civilian may receive financial remuneration, but this would be an arrangement made by him through military or VA channels.

Finally, in answer to questions concerning deacons serving as "chaplains" in the AMS, only ordained Catholic priests may minister with the title "chaplain" since they enjoy the faculties proper to the priesthood and, therefore, can celebrate Mass and provide the faithful with all the sacraments.

_____

Who am I to argue with the policy of the Military Archdiocese? I also took the time to look at Canon Law with regard to "Chaplains". In reading Canons 564-571, it is clear, and I stand corrected, that from a Roman Catholic Church perspective, Chaplains must be Priests.

Can. 564 A Chaplain is a priest to whom is entrusted in a stable manner the pastoral care, at least in part, of some community or particular group of Christian faithful, which is to be excercised according to the norm of universal and particular law.

Can. 566 - 1. A chaplain must be provided with all the faculties which proper pastoral care requires. In addition to those which are granted by particular law or special delegation, a chaplain possesses by virtue of office the faculty of hearing the confessions of the faithful entrusted to his care, of preaching the word of God to them, of administering Viaticum and the annointing of the sick, and of conferring the sacrament of confirmation on those who are in danger of death.

The two canons above pretty much eliminate the possibility of Permanent Deacon "Chaplains" at least from a Catholic standpoint. However, it is still hard to believe that a Permanent Deacon, particularly one who may have spent a number of years, if not his entire career, in the military could not serve in some full time capacity to help eliviate the severe shortage of Catholic "Chaplains" in our armed forces. These men would have a unique ability to relate to the men they were serving. And would it not be in the tradition of the diaconate for these men to serve those who are not currently being served? I have heard countless stories of military men and women months without seeing a Priest. Inevitably many of them end up going to protestant church services. Imagine the nominal Catholic that decides he really needs God in his life. Looking for someone to talk to he goes to the protestant chaplain, because there is no Catholic chaplain. I'm sure you can play out the rest of the scenario.

I am certainly not suggesting that Permanent Deacons replace Priests as chaplains. I am suggesting that Deacons might be able to handle many elements of ministry that they can do in order to free up our priest chaplains to do what only they can do - hear confession, celebrate Mass, annoint the sick and confirm.

Permanent Deacon Military Chaplains?

Today's military is in dire need of chaplains. Our U.S. Catholic military men and women overseas can go months without the sacraments and the presence of Catholic chaplains. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion were banned by Archbishop O'Brien due to abuses of "Communion Services." In many cases those seeking some kind of spiritual engagement seek out protestant ministers. Yet it is my understanding (corerect me if I am wrong) that the Archdiocese of the Military - or the Department of Defense does not allow Permanent Deacons to serve as chaplains. Based on at least one conversation I have had with a high ranking military chaplain at the Pentagon, I believe it is the DOD that does not allow it. Apparently they only want Priest Chaplains. I could be wrong, I may have misunderstood. Obviously it would be wonderful to have a plethera of Catholic Priests serving as Chaplains, but wouldn't it at least be better to have Permanent Deacons as Catholic Chaplains than to have Catholics seeking spiritual direction from protestant chaplains?

I found the article below interesting - apparently the Canadian military does allow Permanent Deacon Chaplains...

From the Barrier Examiner

KANDAHAR — In an environment where death and brutality is inevitably part of the process, faith and religion are too.

"We're that light in the darkness, that calm in the storm," said Maj. Michel Dion, a battle group padre stationed at Kandahar Air Field, where Canadians and troops from other coalition countries are based as part of the mission to rid the Taliban.

There are currently five chaplains providing faith and religion-based services to Canadians on this base that is home to more than 10,000 military personnel. The services are primarily intended for Canadians, but multinational outreach is offered as well.

"Our primary mission is to support the mission here by providing spiritual, religious and ethical support for members," said Dion, a permanent Roman Catholic deacon who has been stationed here for four months. "We provide a ministry of presence." (Photo at left shows Deacon Michel Dion in uniform on the right)

Regular visits to military units, prayer seminars, including religious support for the wounded, sick and dead are available to the troops here, and many take up the offer.

"Our services are utilized quite a lot, in actuality, as Canadians have become more and more involved (in the mission)," Dion said. "It's challenging to have to interpret what's going on out there. And situations can be very traumatic for some. We work with helping members cope and get through traumatic events. We're a voice for those who feel voiceless."

Dion, who has served in the military for 20 years — 10 in his current capacity — is one of a select few here who don't carry a weapon.

"Being able to walk around Afghanistan without a weapon, that's what everyone here is trying to accomplish," he said.

Update: Click HERE to see my follow-up post to this one.

"Pioneer In Atlanta Permanent Diaconate, Deacon Tom Zaworski, Is First Silver Jubilarian"

It is always my preference to post pictures with an article when possible. However, I may have posted this one rather hastily this morning. Going back and looking at it, I'm realizing I must have been half asleep. I try to maintain a high level of fidelity to the Magisterium on this blog, as well as upholding the beauty and dignity of the Church and vocations in the stories and pictures I post. Somehow this photo slipped through. I'm not quite sure what that is in the background (carpet? quilt?), and I'm even more concerned by the flagon of wine on the altar. The Church has been very clear that the Precious Blood of Our Lord is NOT to be poured. Since there is a pall on the chalice and there are concelebrating priests around the altar, I can only assume that the wine in flagon is there to be consecrated, not because someone forgot to remove it from the altar. My apologies - I'll make sure I've had more coffee before posting!

From The Georgia Bulletin

By Erika Anderson, Staff Writer

FAYETTEVILLE-The journey toward Deacon Tom Zaworski's silver jubilee has been wrought with personal triumphs and, at times, painful challenges.

But it was all worth it March 19, as he celebrated 25 years as a permanent deacon, the first silver jubilarian in the history of the archdiocese's permanent diaconate program.

At the Church of St. Gabriel, where Deacon Zaworski serves, fellow deacons joined their brother in ministry to celebrate his jubilee. Archbishop John F. Donoghue celebrated the Mass, along with several priests under whom Deacon Zaworski has served, including St. Gabriel pastor Father Jimmy Adams.

Deacon Zaworski's jubilee Mass reflected his strong Catholic foundation, as well as his active involvement in the ecumenical community. Rev. Dr. John Hatcher of Rivers Edge Community Church, Fayetteville, offered the second reading, while Msgr. Frank Giusta, with whom Deacon Zaworski has served in several parishes, gave the homily.

Msgr. Giusta, who has been on special assignment in El Paso, Texas, said he met Deacon Zaworski in 1976, while he was in the diaconate formation program.

"It was the first time I had been in contact with a permanent deacon, and I was very interested," he said.

The permanent diaconate program was restored in the United States in 1968. Msgr. Giusta spoke of the challenges Deacon Zaworski faced on the road to ordination, namely, opposition from members of the church concerning this new ministry.

"Tom Zaworski never gave up," he said. "At times he was sincerely discouraged, but he kept going anyhow."

Many dioceses in the United States do not have permanent deacons, Msgr. Giusta told the congregation.

"I think something would be missing in our church community without deacons," he said.

Deacon Zaworski honored Msgr. Giusta by asking him to give the homily at his jubilee Mass, he said.

"Whenever (Deacon Zaworski) makes a commitment he follows through," he said. "He never tired to go to the hospital, to visit the sick . . . to prepare people to receive (the sacraments). And he never tires to preach and to pray."

Following Communion, Archbishop Donoghue offered his gratitude for the jubilarian, as well as for all the deacons of the archdiocese, who now number 153. He spoke of the first deacon of the church, St. Stephen, who suffered martyrdom for speaking the truth of Jesus.

"I think that's very appropriate and applies very well to Rev. Mr. Zaworski," he said. "He preaches what he believes is truth, day in and day out, not just in what he says, but in the way he lives his life."

"I am grateful to Tom and the many other deacons in our archdiocese," he said. "I want to thank all the deacons who serve this archdiocese with such generosity. We are far richer because of their service."

The archbishop also offered thanks to the deacons' wives and prayed that the future would bring more vocations to the church.

"Deacons could never be successful unless they had the cooperation and support of their wives," he said. "I pray that the Lord will continue to bless the church with many more vocations to the priesthood, to Religious life and to the permanent diaconate. As this church continues to grow, many more laborers will be needed to feed the flock."

Though he has been feeding the flock for 25 years as a deacon and even longer when his lay ministry is included, Deacon Zaworski has worked hard to get where he is.

In 1968, as a layman, he was ministering at the state prison in Jackson. At that time, there were no priests, or anyone serving the Catholic inmates, Deacon Zaworski said. After an interview with the inmates to determine their religious belief, if there was a Catholic slant to their answers, then Deacon Zaworski would notify a priest in that area.

"At that time six percent of the inmate population were Catholics who had never been served," he said.

In 1969, Archbishop Thomas Donnellan asked Father Frank Ruff, a Glenmary priest, to investigate establishing the diaconate. The priest approached four men including Zaworski with the idea of becoming deacons.

"It was not a total shock to me (that I had a vocation)," he said, adding that he and his wife had long prayed for vocations in their family of four sons. "We were quite certain with four boys that a vocation would come about. Well, it did come about-it came about to me."

Working for Delta Airlines as a flight superintendent, Deacon Zaworski was fortunate to work in various shifts, allowing him more time to minister. He began his formation in 1970, but the program itself was "on again, off again," as Archbishop Donnellan pondered the role that deacons would have in the archdiocese.

Finally, in 1974, the diocese made arrangements for the diaconate classes to be taught at Our Lady of Holy Spirit Abbey in Conyers. Deacon Zaworski and the late Deacon Charles Moore completed their formation and were ordained in 1977. Thus began the uphill climb.

"We were met with a lot of resistance from clergy, a lot of resistance from the laity," he recalled. "People didn't understand who we were, what we were about and what we were going to do."

He said it was especially difficult for his wife, Helen, because she was excluded. Many people had a hard time accepting a married minister of the church, he said.

Deacon Zaworski first served at St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro, and in 1980 began full-time jail ministry. He was also the first chaplain for the Clayton County Sheriff's Department. He served in this capacity until 1984 when he was reassigned to St. Philip Benizi.

In 1987, he helped to begin the new mission of St. Gabriel. From 1989-95, he served as a pastoral assistant at Fort McPherson, until funds were cut off for his position and he began serving with Msgr. Giusta at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Atlanta.

He stayed there until 1999, and then began working as a chaplain at Fayette Community Hospital. In 1999 he was reassigned to St. Gabriel, where he currently serves.

His life has also been marked by personal tragedy, as two of his sons died-his 16-year-old son of cancer in 1973, and his 21-year-old son in an accident in 1984.

However, the deacon has also received much happiness from his ministry.

"One of the greatest joys I have ever had has been the witnessing of my third son's marriage and the baptism of his two kids," he said.

Though it has been a roller coaster ride, Deacon Zaworski said it has all been worth it because "I am doing what God wanted me to do. He didn't promise me a rose garden."

He said he is fortunate to have a "wonderful and very, very devoted, spiritual wife."

Helen Zaworski said that she is a proud wife and that it showed during the jubilee Mass.

"It was a very nice celebration. I felt happy to see him recognized for what he has contributed-many times not under the best circumstances," she said. "We have come through all of this and it has strengthened our faith and, I think, our marriage."

Address of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the Permanent Deacons of Rome, 2006

Address of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the Permanent Deacons of Rome

Clementine Hall
Saturday, 18 February 2006

Dear Roman Deacons,

I am particularly glad to meet you today on the 25th anniversary of the re-establishment of the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Rome. I greet with affection the Cardinal Vicar, whom I thank for his words on behalf of you all. I also greet Bishop Vincenzo Apicella, until now in charge of the Diocesan Centre for the Permanent Diaconate, and Mons. Francesco Peracchi, Delegate of the Cardinal Vicar who has supervised your formation for years. I offer my most cordial welcome to each one of you and to your families.

In a famous passage from his Letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul says that Christ "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant" (2: 7). He, Christ, is the example at which to look. In the Gospel, he told his disciples he had come "not to be served but to serve" (cf. Mt 20: 28). In particular, during the Last Supper, after having once again explained to the Apostles that he was among them "as one who serves" (Lk 22: 27), he made the humble gesture of washing the feet of the Twelve, a duty of slaves, setting an example so that his disciples might imitate him in service and in mutual love.

Union with Christ, to be cultivated through prayer, sacramental life and in particular, Eucharistic adoration, is of the greatest importance to your ministry, if it is truly to testify to God's love. Indeed, as I wrote in my Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, "Love can be "commanded' because it has first been given" (n. 14).

Dear deacons, accept with joy and gratitude the love the Lord feels for you and pours out in your lives, and generously give to people what you have received as a free gift. The Church of Rome has a long tradition of service to the city's poor. In these years new forms of poverty have emerged.

Indeed, many people have lost the meaning of life and do not possess a truth upon which to build their existence; a great many young people ask to meet men and women who can listen to and advise them in life's difficulties. Beside material poverty, we also find spiritual and cultural poverty.

Our Diocese, aware that the encounter with Christ, "gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction" (ibid., n. 1) is devoting special attention to the topic of the transmission of the faith.

Dear deacons, I am grateful to you for the services you carry out with great generosity in many parish communities of Rome, dedicating yourselves in particular to the ministries of Baptism and the family. By teaching Christ's Gospel, a faculty conferred upon you by the Bishop on the day of your ordination, you help parents who ask for Baptism for their children to reflect more deeply on the mystery of the divine life that has been given to us, and that of the Church, the great family of God.

Meanwhile, you also proclaim the truth about human love to engaged couples who desire to celebrate the sacrament of marriage, explaining that "marriage based on exclusive and definitive love becomes the icon of the relationship between God and his people and vice versa" (ibid., n. 11).

Many of you work in offices, hospitals and schools: in these contexts you are called to be servants of the Truth. By proclaiming the Gospel, you will be able to convey the Word that can illumine and give meaning to human work, to the suffering of the sick, and you will help the new generations to discover the beauty of the Christian faith.

Thus you will be deacons of the liberating Truth, and you will lead the inhabitants of this city to encounter Jesus Christ.

Welcoming the Redeemer into their lives is a source of deep joy for human beings, a joy that can bring peace even in moments of trial. Therefore, be servants of the Truth in order to be messengers of the joy that God desires to give to every human being.

However, it is not enough to proclaim the faith with words alone for, as the Apostle James recalls, "faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (Jas 2: 17). Thus, it is necessary to back up the proclamation of the Gospel with a practical witness of charity, so that "for the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity... but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being" (Deus Caritas Est, n. 25).

The practice of charity has been part of the diaconal ministry from the outset: the "seven" of which the Acts of the Apostles speak were chosen "to serve at tables".

You, who belong to the Church of Rome, are the heirs of a long tradition, of which the Deacon Lawrence is a singularly fine and luminous example. Many of the poor who come knocking at the doors of parish communities to ask for the help they need to get through moments of serious difficulty often come from countries very far from Italy.

Welcome these brothers and sisters with great warmth and willingness, and do all you can to help them in their need, always remembering the Lord's words: "As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Mt 25: 40).

I express my gratitude to those of you who are employed in this silent and daily witness of charity. Indeed, through your service, the poor realize that they too belong to that great family of God's children: the Church.

Dear Roman deacons, by living and witnessing to God's infinite love, may you always be, in your ministry, at the service of building the Church as communion. In your work you are sustained by the affection and prayer of your families. Your vocation is a special grace for your family life, which in this way is called to be ever more open to the will of the Lord and to the needs of the Church. May the Lord reward the availability with which your wives and children accompany you in your service to the entire ecclesial community.

May Mary, the humble handmaid of the Lord who gave the Saviour to the world, and the Deacon Lawrence who loved the Lord to the point of giving up his life for him, always accompany you with their intercession. With these sentiments, I wholeheartedly impart to each one of you the Apostolic Blessing, which I gladly extend to all your loved ones and to everyone you meet in your ministry.

"Four ordained as church's 'servant ministers'"

From the Catholic Sentinel
By Ed Langlois

Mike Caldwell, Tim Dooley, Dennis Desmarais and David Briedwell at ordination.
Sentinel photo by Kim Nguyen
David Briedwell, a firefighter and paramedic, joined the Catholic Church in 1990. On a Marriage Encounter weekend, he felt grabbed. Before he knew it, he was telling others on the weekend that he was going to become Catholic, joining his wife Sally Marie in her faith.

He started out as a member of St. James Parish in his home town of McMinnville. Like some new Catholics, he drifted away from practicing his faith for awhile. When he returned, he felt welcomed with open arms. That started something.
He offered to mow the lawn at Good Shepherd Church in nearby Sheridan. Pretty soon, he was also counting the weekend collection and doing other jobs. When the priest was reassigned and it appeared no other was coming soon, the clergyman handed the church keys to Briedwell. Eventually, he began serving as a lector, eucharistic minister, sacristan and pastoral associate in Sheridan and Grand Ronde. Then he was named pastoral administrator. On Saturday, Briedwell became a deacon of the church, bound to serve the needy, preach the word and lead sacraments.

“You have to have people praying for you to do this,” says the father of two, citing great support from family and friends.

Briedwell was one of four men ordained as permanent deacons at St. Mary Cathedral. The others are Mike Caldwell, Dennis Desmarais, and Tim Dooley.

The permanent diaconate was revived by the Second Vatican Council. In the U.S., there were only 500 or 600 deacons in the 1970s. There are more than 17,000 now.

In Oregon, 64 permanent deacons visit the sick and prisoners and provide food, clothing and other assistance to needy Oregonians. They help prepare young couples for marriage and instruct those hoping to become Catholic.

The ministry of a deacon is primarily one of service and charity. Deacons are ministers of the word, which means they can proclaim the gospel at Mass, preach and teach in the name of the church. Their sacramental ministry includes baptizing, conducting prayer services, serving as an official church witness to marriage and conducting funerals and wake services.

Archbishop John Vlazny thanked the men and their wives for their willingness to play a role as “servant ministers” in the church’s evangelizing mission.

“First and foremost we ourselves must be men of prayer, integrity, generosity and compassion,” Archbishop Vlazny told the new deacons, offering that as an antidote to “bland Christianity” and “darkened spirits” in the world.

“The extent of the spirituality and generosity of deacons and their wives is reflected over and over again in the way they live their lives together with their families and through their service to the people of God, especially the poor and needy,” the archbishop said.

“I remind you that your presence at the altar is not truly meaningful unless it is complemented by your daily concern for the marginalized, uncatechized and alienated sisters and brothers in our church families,” he added. “Otherwise you will be merely glorified altar servers and that is not the kind of partnership the bishops had in mind four decades ago when they reestablished the order of deacon.”

Caldwell, who already serves as a business manager at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Southeast Portland, says bookkeeping did not seem like enough. He felt called to direct work in service of the gospel. He began a social justice group at the parish and has tackled issues like immigration and pro-life advocacy. He also is planning a project of charity help to needy families. Caldwell and his wife Linda have three children.

About a decade ago, Desmarais felt called to something. He was not sure what. The PacifiCorp employee got involved at St. Pius X Parish and grew especially interested in social justice ministry. He went with a group to a camp of migrant workers, and joined the Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good, a group of churches and unions seeking just public policy. He went on mission trips to Mexico, attended retreats on poverty at the Downtown Chapel and began youth groups at St. Pius X Parish and then at St. Juan Diego when it began.

One day, he was talking to two permanent deacons, Bob Little and Jésus Espinoza. Espinoza suggested he look into becoming a deacon and kept raising the idea over time. Desmarais decided to give it a try. He reveled in master’s studies through the University of Portland and felt that work affirmed his decision. He and his wife Marci have three children.

Until five years ago, Dooley never gave thought to becoming a deacon. Now, everything about it feels like his calling.

“I thought that I had my path pretty well charted out, and the last thing I wanted to do was go back to school,” he says. “But there’s no stopping the Holy Spirit once we open the door.”

His pastor at Holy Family Parish in Portland, Father Bob Barricks, planted the seed one night at dinner when he asked Dooley if he’d consider becoming a deacon. Dooley was surprised by the request, but the idea stuck. He brought it up to his wife LeAnn and shared his worry that it might reduce his time with her. She advised him to forge ahead and has supported him in the process ever since.

“I’ll aways remember that my vows as a deacon are binding, but my vows to LeAnn came first,” he says.

Father Barricks recently told parishioners that Dooley’s ministry “springs” from his marriage to the wider community.

Dooley and LeAnn have two daughters. He has served as a eucharistic minister at Providence Portland Medical Center and in homebound ministry at his church. He works for Oregon Catholic Press, publisher of this newspaper.

"Considering the Call of the Permanent Diaconate"

From The Herald News

By John J. Oliveira

In June of 1967, Pope Paul VI restored the order of deacon as a permanent ministry in the Church. In August of the following year, the American bishops obtained permission to restore this ministry in our own Country.

...

Deacons are ordained to assist the bishop wherever the need exists in the Diocese at that time. Consideration in an assignment is given to the location of the deacon, his family and his occupation. An applicant must be willing and able to balance his commitment to his family, his work and the diaconate. After a period of discernment called Aspirancy, a period of information and deliberation, candidates will be required to attend four years of study with two semesters each year. Candidates are expected to have, as a minimum, a high school diploma. While applicants to the permanent diaconate can be married, if their spouse dies, they cannot remarry.

The ministry of a deacon is usually considered to be threefold. There is the Ministry of the Word, the Ministry of Liturgy and the Ministry of Service. Briefly, the Ministry of the Word includes proclaiming the gospel and preaching, catechetical instruction and evangelization.

The Ministry of the Liturgy entails specific liturgical roles such as preaching, baptizing, witnessing at marriages, distributing communion and officiating at wakes, funerals and burials.
The Ministry of Service is exemplified in varying ways, such as visiting the sick, helping in homeless shelters, distributing food to the hungry, assisting those in prison, etc. Many of our deacons are involved in these ministries here in our Diocese.

The permanent diaconate is different from the transitional deacon. The transitional deacon is in transit from diaconate to priesthood. A permanent deacon is one who will always remain a deacon. Both share in the same sacrament of Holy Orders.

The permanent diaconate is not for men who wanted to be priests and got married. It is not for men who want to be seen on the altar on Sunday in their own parish. It is not a call to prestige or acknowledgement by others; it is a call to ministry — to be ordered to the service of the church and of others.

In essence, it is a call from God. It is sensing that God is calling you to be more of a witness to the love of God in your life. It is a call that, of its very nature, demands sacrifice on your part; generosity of time, talent and hours of study to prepare you to serve others.

The call to ministry is a special call that must be accepted by your wife and family if you are married. One is unable to do this alone. Others must be willing to help and accept what you sense God is calling you to be.

Read the full article HERE.

"Number of Deacons Among Us Grows"

From The Florida Catholic

By Linda Reeves

Left: Deacon William Ferguson is vested with his stole by an attending priest and deacon during his ordination Sept. 6. The retired software engineer is a member of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Boca Raton. Photo by Jason Collins

The number of permanent deacons serving Catholics in the Diocese of Palm Beach continues to grow. What does this mean for the future of the local church?

“The more deacons we have the better,” said Ana Daza-Jaller, coordinator of the Permanent Diaconate Formation Office, who pointed out that permanent deacons have a vital role helping parish priests, who have extremely busy jobs and large flocks that continue to increase here.

Eight men joined the ranks of the clergy as deacons Sept. 6 at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola during an ordination Mass with Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito presiding. The cathedral was packed.

WHO ARE THE NEW CLERGY?

In the south end of the diocese in Boca Raton, Deacon William Ferguson serves at St. John the Evangelist and Deacon Lon Phillips is at Ascension.

Out west in Wellington, Deacon William Jacobs is at St. Thérèse de Lisieux and Deacon Joseph O’Connell assists at St. Rita.

The central diocese has Deacon Richard Lyles at St. Francis of Assisi in Riviera Beach, Deacon Miguel Munoz is at St. Ignatius Loyola, Deacon Stephen Scienzo serves at St. Peter in Jupiter and Deacon Martin Serraes is at Holy Name of Jesus in West Palm Beach.

“Each of the eight men has exhibited the necessary qualities we seek in men serving in the diaconate and has demonstrated continued growth in all of the areas concerned,” said Deacon Dennis Demes, program director. “In addition to their duties in their respective parishes, each new deacon indicates an area of service to (take on in) the Diocese of Palm Beach as well, since a deacon is ordained primarily as a minister of the greater church.”

A deacon is to be “a servant in a servant-church,” according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In 1967, the Catholic Church restored the diaconate as a permanent order of ministry, returning to the practice of the early church. Prior to the directive from Pope Paul VI, the diaconate was only a transitional stage as men prepared to be priests.

The clergy member has specific duties including proclaiming Scripture, preaching and performing charity for others. Deacons also assist at marriages, preside at funerals and burial rites, and lead Communion and prayer services.

There are more than 14,000 permanent deacons in the United States, according to the bishops’ conference.

Here the diocesan formation program, in its seventh year, has graduated 25 permanent deacons, bringing the population of “active deacons serving locally” to 86, according to Daza-Jaller.

The four-year diaconate program has attracted faithful men from all walks of life and professional careers. Deacon Demes pointed to projections that if the brotherhood continues to grow, deacons might outnumber priests one day.

At this point, the priesthood is strong in the diocese. According to the chancellor’s office, 110 priests have official assignments in the diocese with 53 parishes and missions. This figure includes diocesan, religious and extern priests. Another 65 active and retired priests have faculties in the diocese and help in parishes and ministries.

At the present time, the diocesan formation program has 22 participants.

“We have five in the first year, eight in the second year, five in the third year and four in the fourth year,” said Daza-Jaller.

Deacon Lee Levenson of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Delray Beach completed the diocesan program and studies required at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. He was ordained with 11 other men September 2006 during ceremonies at St. Patrick in Palm Beach Gardens.

“I recall quite vividly that all of us were very excited,” he said. “I personally felt very happy, but not at all sure that I was worthy of this wonderful sacrament. I expressed my concerns to a priest I was visiting in North Carolina just weeks before my ordination and he replied, ‘Lee, none of us are worthy to receive the sacrament of holy orders, but that being said, we must simply open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and let the Triune God fill us and guide us.’”

Excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI's homily at Notre Dame addressed to Priests, Seminarians, Deacons and Religious

CELEBRATION OF VESPERS WITH PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS PEOPLE, SEMINARIANS AND DEACONS
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Notre-Dame Cathedral, ParisFriday, 12 September 2008

"Even now the word of God is given to us as the soul of our apostolate, the soul of our priestly life. Each morning the word awakens us. Each morning the Lord himself “opens our ear” (cf. Is 50:5) through the psalms in the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer. Throughout the day, the word of God becomes the substance of the prayer of the whole Church, as she bears witness in this way to her fidelity to Christ. In the celebrated phrase of Saint Jerome, to be taken up in the XII Assembly of the Synod of Bishops next month: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Prol. in Is.). Dear brother priests, do not be afraid to spend much time reading and meditating on the Scriptures and praying the Divine Office! Almost without your knowing it, God’s word, read and pondered in the Church, acts upon you and transforms you. As the manifestation of divine Wisdom, if that word becomes your life “companion”, it will be your “good counsellor” and an “encouragement in cares and grief” (Wis 8:9).

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword”, as the author of the Letter to the Hebrews tells us (4:12). Dear seminarians, who are preparing to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders and thus to share in the threefold office of teaching, governing and sanctifying, this word is given to you as a precious treasure. By meditating on it daily, you will enter into the very life of Christ which you will be called to radiate all around you. By his word, the Lord Jesus instituted the Holy Sacrament of his Body and Blood; by his word, he healed the sick, cast out demons and forgave sins; by his word, he revealed to us the hidden mysteries of his Kingdom. You are called to become stewards of this word which accomplishes what it communicates. Always cultivate a thirst for the word of God! Thus you will learn to love everyone you meet along life’s journey. In the Church everyone has a place, everyone! Every person can and must find a place in her.

And you, dear deacons, effective co-workers of the Bishops and priests, continue to love the word of God! You proclaim the Gospel at the heart of the Eucharistic celebration, and you expound it in the catechesis you offer to your brothers and sisters. Make the Gospel the centre of your lives, of your service to your neighbours, of your entire diakonia. Without seeking to take the place of priests, but assisting them with your friendship and your activity, may you be living witnesses to the infinite power of God’s word!

In a particular way, men and women religious and all consecrated persons draw life from the Wisdom of God expressed in his word. The profession of the evangelical counsels has configured you, dear consecrated persons, to Christ, who for our sakes became poor, obedient and chaste. Your only treasure – which, to tell the truth, will alone survive the passage of time and the curtain of death – is the word of the Lord. It is he who said: “Heaven and earth will pass away; my words will not pass away” (Mt 24:35). Your obedience is, etymologically, a “hearing”, for the word obey comes from the Latin obaudire, meaning to turn one’s ear to someone or something. In obeying, you turn your soul towards the one who is the Way, and the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6), and who says to you, as Saint Benedict taught his monks: “Hear, my child, the teaching of the Master, and hearken to it with all your heart” (Prologue to the Rule of Saint Benedict). Finally, let yourselves be purified daily by him who said: “Every branch that bears fruit my Father prunes, to make it bear more fruit” (Jn 15:2). The purity of God’s word is the model for your own chastity, ensuring its spiritual fruitfulness. "

Pope Benedicts XVI at Vespers with Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Religious in Notre Dame Cathedral

VATICAN CITY, 12 SEP 2008 (VIS) - At 7.15 p.m. today, in the Parisian cathedral of Notre-Dame, the Pope presided at the celebration of Vespers with priests, religious, seminarians and deacons. Also present at the celebration were a number of representatives from other Churches and Christian communities.

Commenting in his homily on Psalm 126, 1 - "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain" - the Pope asked: "Who is this Lord, if not our Lord Jesus Christ? It is He Who founded His Church and built it on rock, on the faith of the Apostle Peter". St. Augustine asks "how we can know who these builders are, and his answer is this: 'All those who preach God's word in the Church, all who are ministers of God's divine Sacraments. All of us run, all of us work, all of us build', yet it is God alone Who, within us, 'builds, exhorts, and inspires awe; Who opens our understanding and guides our minds to faith'".

"What marvels", the Pope added, "surround our work in the service of God's word! We are instruments of the Holy Spirit; God is so humble that He uses us to spread His word. We become His voice, once we have listened carefully to the word coming from His mouth. We place His word on our lips in order to bring it to the world. He accepts the offering of our prayer and through it He communicates Himself to everyone we meet".

Benedict XVI highlighted how "our earthly liturgies, entirely ordered to the celebration of this unique act within history, will never fully express its infinite meaning. Certainly, the beauty of our celebrations can never be sufficiently cultivated, fostered and refined, for nothing can be too beautiful for God, Who is Himself infinite Beauty. Yet our earthly liturgies will never be more than a pale reflection of the liturgy celebrated in the Jerusalem on high, the goal of our pilgrimage on earth. May our own celebrations nonetheless resemble that liturgy as closely as possible and grant us a foretaste of it!

"Even now the word of God is given to us as the soul of our apostolate, the soul of our priestly life. ... Throughout the day, the word of God becomes the substance of the prayer of the whole Church, as she bears witness in this way to her fidelity to Christ".

The Holy Father encouraged the priests not to be afraid "to spend much time reading and meditating on the Scriptures and praying the Divine Office! Almost without your knowing it, God's word, read and pondered in the Church, acts upon you and transforms you".

Turning to address seminarians, he said: "You are called to become stewards of this word which accomplishes what it communicates. Always cultivate a thirst for the word of God! Thus you will learn to love everyone you meet along life's journey. In the Church everyone has a place, everyone! Every person can and must find a place in her".

To deacons he said: "Without seeking to take the place of priests, but assisting them with your friendship and your activity, may you be living witnesses to the infinite power of God's word!"

Benedict XVI reminded men and women religious, and all consecrated people, that their "only treasure - which, to tell the truth, will alone survive the passage of time and the curtain of death - is the word of the Lord. ... Your obedience is, etymologically, a 'hearing', for the word 'obey' comes from the Latin 'obaudire', meaning to turn one's ear to someone or something. In obeying, you turn your soul towards the One Who is the Way, and the Truth and the Life. ... The purity of God's word is the model for your own chastity, ensuring its spiritual fruitfulness".

Finally, Benedict XVI greeted the representatives from other Churches and Christian communities who "have come to pray Vespers together with us in this cathedral".

"I implore the Lord to increase within us the sense of this unity of the word of God, which is the sign, pledge and guarantee of the unity of the Church: there is no love in the Church without love of the word, no Church without unity around Christ the Redeemer, no fruits of redemption without love of God and neighbour, according to the two commandments which sum up all of Sacred Scripture!"

Article on the Permanent Diaconate and the Twenty-Five Men Ordained in Indianapolis

From the Chicago Tribune

By KEN KUSMER/Associated Press Writer

INDIANAPOLIS - After resisting the idea for more than three decades, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis has ordained its first class of deacons, taking some pressure off overworked priests and giving a new role to men who keep one foot in the church and the other in the outside world.

"Everyone kept urging me: 'You've got the makings, you've got the spirituality,"' said Donald Dearman, 57, a Catholic convert and retired correctional officer who was among 25 deacons ordained by the archdiocese last month. "Someone told me they saw the Holy Spirit on the back of my head."

Indianapolis, like most U.S. Catholic dioceses, struggles to recruit enough priests to man its 151 parishes, spread across most of the southern half of Indiana. The number of diocesan priests fell 5 percent from 156 in 2001 to 148 last year. The archdiocese ordained only two new priests this year. Nationally, the number of priests has fallen 13 percent from 45,699 in 2000 to 40,580 in 2008.

At the same time, the number of Catholic deacons in the U.S. has grown steadily, from 898 in 1975 to 16,527 currently, including 13,647 who remain active, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.

When Indianapolis first sought deacon candidates five years ago, it was overwhelmed with the response and had to turn away dozens of men interested in going through the four-year process.

Deacons can't fill the priest void completely; they cannot say Mass, consecrate the Eucharist or hear confessions. But they perform other duties that often fall to priests, including performing baptisms, presiding at marriages as long as they're not Masses, leading prayer services and conducting wakes and funeral services. During Mass, deacons can read the Gospel and deliver the homily, or sermon. Many deacons have careers that put them in the workaday world. The first Indianapolis class included a marketing professor, engineers, an insurance agent and a truck driver.

"With the shortage of priests, it's extremely important," said Joe James, among a handful of permanent deacons who were ordained elsewhere and moved into the Indianapolis archdiocese.

The 70-year-old retired psychologist said that very soon, the three parishes he serves in Richmond, Ind., will be sharing one priest.

Indianapolis' new deacons are members of what Catholics call the permanent diaconate. Candidates for the priesthood become deacons in a transitional step, while permanent deacons remain in that role for life.

Unlike priests and bishops, deacons can be married -- but only if they're married at the time they're ordained. Single deacons generally cannot take wives. Women are not allowed to become deacons.

All but a handful of the nation's 195 dioceses began using permanent deacons in the decades after the office was restored during the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, said Bill Ditewig of St. Leo University in Florida, former director of deacons for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Yet priests in Indianapolis resisted for a number of reasons, said the Rev. Donald Schmidlin, an archdiocesan priest for 50 years. Some didn't want another holy order that wasn't open to women, and others did not want to further emphasize the clergy over the roles of lay women and men who handle much of the ministry in a parish. Some felt the deacon option would erode the number of men wanting to become priests.

The occasional story from other dioceses about a deacon being poorly prepared or ill-suited for ministry provided further disincentives, Schmidlin said.

"We've benefited tremendously from the successes and failures of other dioceses," Schmidlin said.

To head off one potential area of conflict, the archdiocese developed a training program for deacons that also touched on working collaboratively with lay people on church staffs, said the Rev. Bede Cisco, diaconate director for the 230,000-member Indianapolis archdiocese.

"We've been very careful to tell our guys they are the new people serving in the parish and that they certainly need to respect and work well with those who already are serving," Cisco said.

After the archdiocese decided to accept deacon candidates, informational meetings drew 100 men, and the archdiocese received 52 applications for the first class of candidates in 2004, Cisco said. More than half were turned away for a variety of factors, including age and suitability for ministry.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Hat tip to Deacon Kandra.

Pope Benedict XVI to Priests, Deacons and Seminarians of Brindisi

"Place Yourselves With Ever Growing Openness at the Service of the Gospel"

Below is a Vatican translation of Pope Benedict XVI's June 15, 2008 address to the priests, deacons and seminarians of the Archdiocese of Brindisi.

* * *

Dearest priests, deacons and seminarians,

I am pleased to address my cordial greeting to all of you gathered in this beautiful Cathedral, reopened for worship after its restoration last November. I thank Archbishop Rocco Talucci for the warm welcome he has addressed to me in your name and for all his gifts. I greet the priests to whom I wish to express my satisfaction at the immense and structured pastoral work they carry out. I greet the deacons, the seminarians and everyone present and express my joy at being surrounded by a large crowd of souls consecrated for the advent of the Kingdom of God. Here in the Cathedral, which is the heart of the Diocese, we all feel at home, united by the bond of Christ's love. Let us commemorate here with gratitude those who spread Christianity in these regions: Brindisi was the first city of the West to welcome the Gospel, which reached it on the Roman consular roads. Among the evangelizing Saints I think of Bishop St Leucius, of St Oronzo, St Theodore of Amasea and St Lawrence of Brindisi, proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by John XXIII. Their presence lives on in the hearts of the people and is witnessed to by many of the city's monuments.

Dear brothers, in seeing you gathered in this Church, in which many of you received your diaconal and presbyteral ordination, I remember the words that St Ignatius of Antioch wrote to the Christians of Ephesus: "Your excellent presbyters, who are a credit to God, are as suited to the Bishop as strings to a harp. So in your harmony of mind and heart the song you sing is Jesus Christ". And the holy Bishop added: "Every one of you should form a choir, so that, in harmony of sound through harmony of hearts, and in unity taking the note from God, you may sing with one voice through Jesus Christ to the Father. If you do this, he will listen to you" (Letter to the Ephesians, 4). Persevere, dear priests, in seeking this unity of intention and reciprocal help, so that fraternal charity and unity in pastoral work are an example and incentive for your communities. This, above all, was the goal of the pastoral visits your Archbishop made to your parishes which ended last March. Due, precisely, to your generous collaboration, it was not merely a juridical exercise but an extraordinary event of ecclesial and formative value. I am certain that it will be fruitful since the Lord will make the seed sown with love grow abundantly in the hearts of the faithful.

I would like to encourage you with my presence today to place yourselves with ever growing openness at the service of the Gospel and of the Church. I know that you already work with zeal and intelligence, sparing no energy in spreading the joyful Gospel proclamation. Christ, to whom you have consecrated your lives, is with you! In him we all believe, to him alone we entrust our lives, it is he whom we desire to proclaim to the world. May Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14: 6), be the object of our thought, the topic of our words, the reason for our life. Dear brother priests, if your faith is to be strong and vigorous, as you well know, it must be nourished with assiduous prayer. Thus be models of prayer, become masters of prayer. May your days be marked by times of prayer, during which, after Jesus' example, you engage in a regenerating conversation with the Father. I know it is not easy to stay faithful to this daily appointment with the Lord, especially today when the pace of life is frenetic and worries absorb us more and more. Yet we must convince ourselves: the time he spends in prayer is the most important time in a priest's life, in which divine grace acts with greater effectiveness, making his ministry fruitful. The first service to render to the community is prayer. And therefore, time for prayer must be given a true priority in our life. I know that there are many urgent things: as regards myself, an audience, a document to study, a meeting or something else. But if we are not interiorly in communion with God we cannot even give anything to others. Therefore, God is the first priority. We must always reserve the time necessary to be in communion of prayer with our Lord.

Dear brothers and sisters, I would now like to congratulate you on the new Archdiocesan Seminary which was inaugurated last November by my Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. On the one hand, it expresses the present state of a Diocese, understood as the culmination of work undertaken by priests and parishes in the area of the pastoral care of youth, in teaching the catechism, in the religious animation of families. On the other hand, the Seminary is a precious investment for the future, because it ensures that through patient and generous work the Christian community will not be deprived of shepherds of souls, of teachers of faith and of zealous guides and witnesses of Christ's charity. Besides being the place of your formation, dear seminarians, true hope of the Church, this seminary of yours is also a place for the up-dating and continuing formation of youth and adults who wish to make their contribution to the cause of the Kingdom of God. The careful formation of seminarians and the continuing formation of priests and other pastoral workers is a primary concern of your Bishop, to whom God has entrusted the mission of guiding the People of God who live in your City as a wise pastor.

Another opportunity for the spiritual growth of your community is the Archdiocesan Synod, the first since the Second Vatican Council and since the unification of the two Dioceses of Brindisi and Ostuni. It is an opportunity to relaunch the apostolic commitment of the entire Diocese but above all it is a privileged moment of communion that is a help in the rediscovery of the value of fraternal service, as indicated in the biblical scene of the washing of the feet (cf. Jn 13: 12-17) that you chose, with the words of Jesus that comment on it: "As I have done" (Jn 13: 15). If it is true that the Synod, every Synod, is called to establish laws and to issue the appropriate norms for an organic pastoral activity, raising and stimulating renewed commitment to evangelization and Gospel witness, it is also true that a Synod must reawaken in every baptized person the missionary outreach that constantly animates the Church.

Dear brother priests, the Pope assures you of his special remembrance in prayer so that you may continue on the journey of authentic spiritual renewal which you have been making with your community. May the experience of "being together" in faith and reciprocal love help you in this commitment, like the Apostles around Christ in the Upper Room. It was there that the Divine Teacher taught them, opening their eyes to the splendour of the truth and giving them the sacrament of unity and love: the Eucharist. In the Upper Room, during the Last Supper, at the moment of the washing of the feet, it clearly emerged that service is one of the fundamental dimensions of Christian life. It is therefore a duty of the Synod to help all the members of your local Church to rediscover the meaning and the joy of service: a service for love. This applies above all for you, dear priests, configured to Christ "Head and Pastor", always ready to guide his flock. Be thankful and happy for the gift received! Be generous in carrying out your ministry! Sustain it with assiduous prayer and a continuing cultural, theological and spiritual formation!

While I renew the expression of my lively appreciation and my warmest encouragement, I invite you and the entire Archdiocese to prepare for the Pauline Year which is shortly to begin. It can be an occasion on which to relaunch generous missionary activity, for a more profound proclamation of the Word of God, welcomed, meditated and translated into a fruitful apostolate, as it happened exactly for the Apostle to the Gentiles. Conquered by Christ, Paul lived entirely for him and for his Gospel, spending his existence even to the point of martyrdom. May you be assisted by the Blessed Mother of the Church and Virgin of Listening; may the Patron Saints of this beloved land of Apulia protect you. Be missionaries of God's love; may each of your parishes experience the joy of belonging to Christ. As a pledge of divine grace and of the gifts of his Spirit, I gladly impart the Apostolic Blessing to you all.

"Archdiocese of Indianapolis ordains 25 deacons"

From the Indystar
By Robert King

Photo by Danese Kenon

Emphases and (comments) mine - BW

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis, cut from the wilderness nearly 175 years ago, turned a new page in its long history today when it restored an ancient office of the church that has lain largely dormant for Roman Catholics since the Dark Ages.

Twenty-five men — all but one married (celibate) and most grandfathers — were ordained this morning as deacons of the church. Aside from men on their way to becoming priests, it’s an office Catholics had abandoned until the 1970s. (Great news!)

Deacons are familiar to Protestants, but in the Catholic faith, they are a notch below priests but more than the average parishioner. (This is just about the strangest way I've heard someone write about the Diaconate.) Catholic deacons are vested the authority to conduct baptisms, weddings and funerals, preach at Mass and lead prayer services. Unlike priests, though, they may not hear confessions, anoint the sick and consecrate the Eucharistic bread and wine.

“We aren’t clergy and we are not lay people,” said Mike East, one of the newly ordained deacons. “We walk with a foot in each role.” (I hate to point out an error made by the newly ordained deacon, but Deacons are in fact clergy. Holy Orders, of which the Diaconate is one, by their very nature make one a member of the clergy.)

Read the rest of the article here.

"The Ideal Family of the Permanent Deacon"

J. Francis Cardinal Stafford
President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity
February 19, 2000

"Two texts illustrate the characteristics of the ideal husband and of the ideal wife on the one hand, and of the ideal deacon on the other. The first is taken from the Bible, the second from the ordination rite. A Regula Vitae for the deacon can be deduced from them and includes elements of a new way of living guided by the Holy Spirit.

These texts serve as the first two parts of my talk, the deacon as husband and the deacon as an ordained minister. In the third part I will point out elements of the deacon’s spirituality. In the conclusion, examples of contemporary family spirituality will be cited."

Read the rest of Cardinal Stafford's writing on the ideal family of the Permanent Deacon here.

"Bishop Clark ordains seven deacons"

From the Diocese of Rochester Catholic Courier

By Jennifer Burke

ROCHESTER -- Sacred Heart Cathedral was filled with both solemn prayer and joyful laughter May 31 as Bishop Matthew H. Clark ordained seven men to the diaconate.

Making his first public appearance since his May 8 hip-replacement surgery, Bishop Clark ordained Jose Berrios, Bienvenido DeJesus, Michael Donovan, David Hudzinski, Edward Kohlmeier and Alberto Pacete to the permanent diaconate. He also ordained Brian Carpenter a transitional deacon, and plans to ordain him a priest next year after Deacon Carpenter completes studies at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago.

The seven diaconal candidates were presented to the bishop immediately after the Gospel was read. As his name was called, each candidate answered "present" in a strong, clear voice. When all had been accounted for Bishop Clark elected them for ordination.

"Relying on the help of the Lord God and savior, Jesus Christ, we choose these men, our brothers, for the order of the diaconate," he announced.

"Thanks be to God," the congregation responded before affirming the candidates’ election with a lengthy and ringing applause.

"I’d like to thank our candidates for their emphatic exclamation of their presence here today," Bishop Clark said once the applause had died down.

Their presentation to the bishop was not the only time the candidates let their enthusiasm shine through. Several minutes later, after the homily, Bishop Clark asked the candidates several questions so they might publicly affirm their intention to serve in the office of the diaconate.

The candidates answered each of the bishop’s questions with a forceful "I do!" the way young military recruits might respond "Yes, sir!" to a drill sergeant at boot camp. Their response was so enthusiastic that several times it elicited chuckles from Bishop Clark and the rest of the congregation.

Laughter soon gave way to emotion, however, as the seven candidates promised obedience to Bishop Clark and his successors and then prostrated themselves on the cool cathedral floor as the congregation sang a Litany of the Saints. Several newly ordained deacons later told the Catholic Courier they would remember this powerful moment for the rest of their lives.

"I think I made a flood over there," Deacon Pacete said as he recalled the emotional experience.

"You really get the sense that you’ve got all of these saints coming down and with you as you’re lying prostrate on the ground," added Deacon Carpenter, who grew up attending St. Joseph Parish in Penfield and has since served at St. Paul Parish in Webster, St. Mary Parish in Canandaigua and Peace of Christ Parish in Rochester.

Deacon Hudzinski said he sang along with the litany as he prostrated himself, hoping the saints were watching and bestowing their blessings.

By lying prostrate on the floor before the congregation, the new deacons visibly demonstrated their commitment to humility and obedience, added Deacon Berrios, who with his wife, Candy, belongs to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Rochester.

"I was just praying for humility and asking God to make me more humble every day," he said.

Another powerful moment, Deacon Donovan said, came several minutes later, when each candidate stood or knelt before Bishop Clark, who then laid his hands on each man. When the bishop laid his hands on Deacon Kohlmeier and prayed over him, it felt like "God speaking to me," the newly ordained deacon later recalled. Deacon Kohlmeier and his wife, Nancy, belong to the three-church cluster of Church of the Epiphany, Sodus; St. Rose, Sodus Point; and St. Mary of the Lake, Ontario.

The candidates were then vested with their stoles and dalmatics by loved ones and brother deacons before each received a Book of the Gospels from Bishop Clark. The bishop then concluded the ordination part of the Mass by offering a greeting of peace to each new deacon and to the permanent deacons’ wives. Dozens of deacons then approached their new brothers, welcoming them with hugs and broad grins.

Moments later the newly ordained had their first chance to distribute Communion as deacons. This provided another powerful moment for Deacon Carpenter, who also was able to bestow his first blessing upon a young cousin of his who hadn’t yet made his first Communion.

After the Mass, the overall feeling was one of "jubilation," said Deacon Hudzinski, who with his wife, Amy, belongs to Rochester’s St. Boniface Parish. Both Deacon Hudzinski and Deacon Donovan said the ordination experience surpassed their expectations.

"This is actually the fifth ordination that I’ve been to, (but) obviously when you’re going through it yourself, it’s a lot different," said Deacon Donovan, who with his wife, Linda, belongs to Blessed Trinity/St. Patrick parishes in Tioga County.

During the ordination Deacon Pacete, who belongs to the Our Lady of Lourdes/St. Casimir/St. Charles Borromeo cluster in Elmira, found himself reflecting on the unwavering support he received from his wife, Mesina, and from his family and the community at Church of the Annunciation in Rochester, where he previously served as a pastoral associate.

"This is for them," he said.

"It’s very exciting," added Deacon DeJesus, who with his wife, Priscila, attends Rochester’s Our Lady of the Americas Parish. "I’m very proud … to be part of our church in our country."

The ordination was an overwhelming experience, "kind of like (being) in a time warp, with everything going on around you," Deacon Kohlmeier observed. "You're just kind of caught up in the whole thing."

As moving and emotional as the ordination was, Deacon Carpenter expects his ordination to the priesthood next year to be even more powerful. This diaconal ordination fell on the same day as his 10-year reunion for Notre Dame University, which meant many of his friends weren’t at the cathedral May 31.

"I said, ‘Go to the reunion and come next year,’" he said.