The Vocation of the Deacon : An Orientation

1. The Vocation of the Deacon:An Orientation Deacon William T. Ditewig, Ph.D. Director of Faith Formation, Diaconate and Pastoral Planning Diocese of Monterey

2. Tonight • 6:30 Opening Prayer, followed by Presentation: “The Vocation of the Deacon” • 7:00 – 7:15 Q & A on Presentation • 7:15 – 7:45 Conversation at each site • 7:45 Final Q & A

3. Who is a Deacon? • An ordained member of the clergy, along with bishops and priests • A VOCATION from God, discerned through the Church • Ordained to act in the person of Christ the Servant and in the name of the Church • No longer a lay person in the eyes of Catholic theology and law

4. Who is a Deacon? • Ordained BY the Bishop for service TO the Bishop throughout the Diocese • Not simply for a particular parish • Wherever the Bishop determines the need • Don’t expect to go back to “home” parish

5. What Does a Deacon Do? • Like the Bishop (and Priest), a three-fold ministry: • Word • Sacrament • Charity • 24/7/365: Not just when in church! • JPII: Purpose of diaconate: to place the Church’s ministers in new places

6. US BishopsNational Directory, #39 • “By ordination, the deacon, who sacramentalizes the Church’s service, is to exercise the Church’s diakonia. Therefore, ‘the diaconal ministries, distinguished above, are not to be separated; the deacon is ordained for them all, and no one should be ordained who is not prepared to undertake each in some way.”

7. From the Vatican’s Directory: “In every case it is important that deacons fully exercise their ministry: in preaching, in liturgy and in charity to the extent that circumstances permit. They should not be relegated to marginal duties, be made merely to act as substitutes, nor discharge duties normally entrusted to non-ordained members of the faithful” (Directory), 40.

8. Responding to the Vocation:How? • Prayer! • Discussions with spouse, children, pastor, deacons, friends • Prayer! • Discussions with diocesan office • Prayer! • Apply for consideration for diaconal formation

9. Formation • Roughly FIVE years • Process detailed by Holy See, US Bishops, and Bishop Garcia • Beginning in Fall, 2014 • Completed applications by 15 April • Interviews • Selections in June • Costs?

10. Three “Paths” of One Program • Three Paths: • aspirant • candidate • post-ordination • Each Path consists of the four dimensions essential to complete formation

11. Dimensions • Directory echoes Pastores Dabo Vobis and the Vatican Basic Norms • Human Dimension • Spiritual Dimension • Intellectual Dimension • Pastoral Dimension

12. Human Dimension • Aims to shape the minister to be “a bridge, not an obstacle, for others in their meeting with Christ.” (Basic Norms, 2) • ability to relate to others • Pope says this one most basic of all

13. Spiritual Dimension • Human dimension “leads to & finds its completion in the spiritual” • “constitutes the heart and unifying center of Christian discipleship” • objective: “to bring to fulfillment the new life received in baptism.”

14. Intellectual Dimension • “Substantial nourishment for the human & spiritual dimensions of his life” • knowledge of faith & church must be “complete & serious” • High school grad/GED; must be able to handle college/graduate level work

15. Pastoral Dimension • Integrated formation relates personal, spiritual & intellectual dimensions to pastoral practice

16. Five years • Two Saturdays per month, September through May • 9:00 – 3:00 • “Academic” Day (courses from SCU) • “Formation” Day • Annual Formation Retreat (weekend) • Summer Pastoral Assignments • Formation Team, Scrutinies Board, Deacon Advisory Board, Staff  Bishop • Liturgical Steps: • Candidacy • Lector • Acolyte • Ordination

17. Final Observation: The Diaconate is NOT a Program!