| Permanent Diaconate Program
By the imposition of the hands of the bishop, a man is transformed into a sacramental servant of God. He takes on the mission of Christ in the world and thus by virtue of ordination, sacramentalizes his every endeavor on behalf of Christ and in the service of the people of Christ.
The deacon is called personally and ecclesially to serve after the manner of Jesus. He is first and foremost a Christian man in his usual employment or retirement and lifestyle, trained and formed by additional study and prayer for a special ministry to the community as an ordained minister.
Director
Rev. Michael Morgan, J.D., J.C.L.
(904) 262-3200, ext. 135/Catholic Center
(904) 771-2152/Parish Residence
Email: mm3557@gmail.com
Assistant Director
Deacon Paul Pettie
(904) 471-4541
Email: bppettie@bellsouth.net
Mailing Address and Street Address
Catholic Center
11625 Old St. Augustine Road
Jacksonville, FL 32258
Fax: (904) 262-0698
Email: diaconate@dosafl.com
General Requirements
The Permanent Diaconate Program is open to men either married or single. Deacons promise obedience to the bishop at their ordination and thus they are committed, morally and according to canon law, to serve the church under the direction of the Bishop of Saint Augustine. Married deacons are not allowed to remarry should their spouse pass away. Men who are unmarried at the time of ordination make a promise of celibacy.
Wives of Married Applicants
Wives of married applicants are invited and encouraged to take part in virtually all aspects of Diaconate Formation Program in the Aspirancy and Candidacy years. The wife of a married applicant must consent in writing to her husband’s participation in the Aspirancy and Candidacy years of training and formation, and by church law she must also consent to his ordination to the diaconate.
Age Requirements
Men who will be at least 35 and not older than 60 at the time of ordination may participate in the Diaconate Formation Program in the Diocese of Saint Augustine. Note that men between the ages of 35 and 40 must be able to assure the Diaconate Vocations Board that family and work commitments will permit their faithful participation in the training and formation program, and in ministry once ordained.
Additional Requirements
Consideration is given to the following as to a man's suitability for the Diaconate Formation Program in the Diocese of Saint Augustine:
Status: A Roman Catholic male, married or single, stable in career or work, and of sound moral character, mature faith and possessing a sense of vocation to service.
Family: If married, a partner in a stable marriage for at least 5 to 7 years, who has the expressed consent and support of his wife, and whose children are of an age and adjustment as not to be unduly affected by their parents’ pursuit of a life of ministerial commitment.
Natural Gifts: Demonstrates the potential to develop the ministerial skills of relating to people, speaking well and being a spiritual leader.
Spirituality: A man of prayer willing to make personal sacrifices to be a consecrated sign of God’s love for others in his vocation to serve.
Education: Completed high school and capable of doing college level studies.
Application Process
How do I find out more about becoming a Deacon?
The best place to start is with your pastor, who can put you in touch with the directors of the Permanent Diaconate Program for the diocese. The directors will be able to outline the various requirements and processes to be followed. You can also call or write the Office of the Permanent Diaconate and request a preliminary application form.
Do I have to wait to apply until I have completed the Diocesan Ministry Formation Program?
Formal application to the Permanent Diaconate Program may not be made until you are in the third year of the Ministry Formation Program.
The Diaconate Formation Program of the Diocese of Saint Augustine, established in 2004, is a five year period of training, discernment and formation which consists of three related parts:
– The Ministry Formation Program (MFP), a three-year program.
– The Aspirancy Year
– The Candidacy Year
1. The MFP – is a long established program, fully accredited by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the goal of which is to train and form men and women for lay ministry in the diocese. The program is designed to equip men and women with the academic, spiritual and pastoral tools that one must possess to successfully minister in our parishes and ministries. The MFP fulfills many, but not all of the academic, spiritual and pastoral requirements for the formation and training of permanent deacons.
The first step in becoming a permanent deacon is to successfully complete the three-year MFP. You must apply for, and be accepted into the MFP in the same way and on the same terms as all others. You should note that one of the requirements for acceptance into the MFP is that you have been actively involved in parish life in some capacity. You should also note that successful completion of the MFP does not guarantee continuing on into the Aspirancy and Candidacy years of the Permanent Diaconate Program. As required by church law, further evaluation and an additional application process will occur should you desire to continue on towards ordination as a permanent deacon. You will be given the opportunity to begin this additional application process at the beginning of your third year of the MFP.
Information about the Ministry Formation Program and about the MFP application process may be obtained directly from the Ministry Formation Program Office at Marywood Retreat Center. The Program Coordinator is Deacon Maurice Culver; he can be reached at (904) 287-2679, ext. 12, or by email at mculver@marywoodcenter.org.
If you have already successfully completed the MFP you may apply to begin the Aspirancy Year of deacon formation in the next available formation class.
2. The Aspirancy Year – is the year after you have completed the MFP. It is meant to be a year of more focused discernment in which you seriously ask yourself if you want to accept the graces and responsibilities, which come with the sacrament of Holy Orders.
In order to provide some context for this discernment, the year includes training and instruction directly related to the diaconate. Courses include homiletics, liturgical practice, canon law, theology of holy orders and the diaconate, and an introduction to philosophy course. Spiritual direction with a priest of your choice once each month is a most important component of this year, as is a weekend retreat towards the end of the year, and a Day of Recollection during Advent and Lent.
During the Aspirancy year classes will be held at a parish location in the Jacksonville area. Classes will usually be once each month on a Saturday from September through May, and will go from about 8:00 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m. The precise schedule may vary slightly from time to time.
Towards the end of the Aspirancy Year, class members will receive the Ministry of Lector in which they will be formally instituted as lectors.
3. Candidacy Year – is the final year of the five-year program. This is the year in which class members will receive the Ministry of Acolyte, being formally instituted as such, and later in the year will be admitted to candidacy for Holy Orders. Finally, in June of this year, ordination to the diaconate will occur.
The Candidacy year is meant to be a time of continuing discernment – a time during which your decision to continue on to ordination is affirmed and finalized. During this year – academic, spiritual and pastoral training and formation continue. Courses during this year include Homiletics II, Canon Law II (the marriage law of the church), Liturgical Practice II, selected issues in theology, and a course on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Spiritual direction continues once a month with your spiritual director. There will again be a Day of Recollection during Advent and Lent, and there will be a five day canonical retreat toward the end of the year as required by church law for everyone prior to ordination to any order of the clergy.
Classes during the Candidacy year will also be held at a parish location in the Jacksonville area. They will continue to be on one or, in some cases, two Saturdays a month during the months of September through May. The schedule for these classes will be similar to the class schedule for Aspirancy year classes.
Commitment
The training and formation necessary to be ordained, as a permanent deacon requires commitment. It will require your time, most importantly it will require that you be spiritually engaged and invested in the process, and it will require a small amount of your treasure.
As you can see from the above descriptions, you should expect to devote about two Saturdays a month during the months of August (for the MFP) or September (for Aspirancy / Candidacy years) through May to this program. It is very important that you be willing and able to do this as the attendance requirements for all three parts of this formation program are of necessity very strict.
Formation for ministry be it lay ministry or ordained ministry, is not merely an academic exercise. In fact, it is primarily a spiritual exercise in which academics; skills workshops and practica play a supporting role. You must, therefore, be willing and able to participate faithfully in the spiritual formation aspects of the MFP, and in the spiritual direction, retreat and day of recollection requirements of the Aspirancy and Candidacy years.
A small amount of your treasure may be required. The tuition for the MFP is currently $600.00 per year exclusive of books. Pastors will sometimes agree to pay a part of this amount. The tuition for the Aspirancy and Candidacy years of deacon formation is $2,000.00 per year. If your pastor assists you with at least half of this amount, the bishop has agreed to guarantee that your first assignment (of at least three years) as an ordained deacon will be in the parish, which has supported you.
Commonly Asked Questions
Why do some deacons become priests?
For many years ordained ministers "ascended" from one office to another, through various minor orders, culminating in ordination to the presbyterate, or priesthood. The Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965), however, authorized the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent order of ministry. So, while students for the priesthood are still ordained (transitional) deacons prior to their ordination as priests, there are more than 13, 000 permanent deacons in the United States who minister in this Order permanently.
May married men be ordained deacons?
Yes. The Second Vatican Council decreed that the diaconate, when it was restored as a permanent order in the hierarchy, could be opened to "mature married men," later clarified to mean men over the age of 35. This is in keeping with the ancient tradition of the Catholic Church in which married men were ordained into ministry. Also in keeping with ancient practice is the expectation that while a married man may be ordained, an ordained man, if his wife should predecease him, may not marry again without special permission.
Is a Deacon ordained for the Parish or the Diocese?
Whenever a person is ordained, he is to serve the diocesan church. Deacons are no different in this regard. The deacon is to ministries for which the bishop perceives a great need, and for which the deacon may have special gifts or talents.
Most often, this will be within a parish setting, just as most priests serve in a parish. Once assigned to the parish, the deacon and any other clergy assigned to the parish minister under the immediate supervision of the pastor. However, this assignment may be changed at the request of the deacon or the initiative of the bishop.
What specific kinds of things does the Deacon do?
The deacon reaches out to the poor, the sick, the elderly, the forgotten, the divorced, the alienated, the imprisoned, and others who have no voice or suffer injustice. He performs works of charity and justice in the name of the Church. He helps organize, lead, and support lay ministry. He may assist in marriage and baptismal preparation as well as other forms of catechesis such as RCIA and parish religious education programs. He may conduct scripture studies or small prayer groups.
The deacon is often called to lead God’s people in prayer, officiating at wakes, funerals and baptisms or weddings outside of Mass.
Before he is ordained, the deacon is an active Catholic lay person, known for his dedication and service to the people of God. Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, the deacon is ordained to lifelong service of the people of God.
|
