On Thursday, August 3, 2017 at 10:00am my wife and I,
dressed in our Sunday best, entered a classroom at the Rockford Diocese
administrative building. We were met by smiling faces of the eight people who
made up the candidacy scrutiny board. For roughly the next half an hour we
answered questions about our spiritual growth, how the Aspirancy had gone, and
the types of ministries I might be interested in pursuing. Then it was off to
the chapel to wait as they deliberated.
This scrutiny was much different than the first. In the
first the devil latched on to my anxiety and had me convinced that I would be
passed over based on my psychological exam alone. I was getting angrier the
longer the process took and really considered not even showing up for the
scrutiny at all. This time I was at peace. I was not worried about making it
through. If it was God’s will it would happen and if it wasn’t he would
make it clear to me. I was not fearful of the questions. God would give me the
words that needed to be said. Plus, I was able to brag a little about my class,
some of the best men I have known. We challenge each other in the best ways
possible and inspire each other to be better. I have been truly blessed to be
among them. It has made me a much different person.
Father Ken came into the chapel with a smile and an envelope
in his hand. The board had decided favorably and I was officially invited to
candidacy. Now I and my wife had to independently petition the Bishop with a
hand written letter to seek admission into candidacy.
This is where it all becomes real. If I choose to move
forward I will be forever considered by the Church as a man who was a candidate
for Holy Orders. Even if I leave formation sometime in the next three years
that will follow me in everything I do from this point on. I will no longer be
looked upon as a normal layperson and everything I do will be done with extra
scrutiny. Why was this person whom we intended to ordain wasn’t ordained? As
they used to joke, it is a mark in my permanent record.
I have every intention of finishing formation. I no longer
believe that I have been called to service as I did when I started this
program. Now I believe I am being called to be ordained. Service will still be
a huge part of what I do but God wants me to be ordained. Holy Orders is one of
the seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church. A Sacrament is an outward sign, instituted
by Jesus, to give grace. Grace is favor from God that strengthens us to live a
fuller Christian life. Sacraments are permanent – they cannot be removed. To
receive Holy Orders is to receive an indelible mark on one’s soul. The fringe
benefits are the best in the industry but it does call one to live by a
different standard and set of rules. To be ordained is less about what you can
do and more about who you become.
The role of a deacon is somewhat foggy for most people, even
many Catholics. The Permanent Diaconate was only restored in the US fifty years
ago and is constantly evolving and growing. What makes it foggier is that other
faith traditions also have deacons that serve in a variety of roles. I have a
friend who is a Baptist deacon. He was shocked to learn that my formation is a
total of seven years. His was two weeks long. But what he does as a Baptist
deacon was the same thing I was doing as a Catholic layman. A lot of the stuff
reserved for his pastor I will be doing as a deacon. In some traditions deacons
act more like elders or advisors to the elders. It the different definitions
and roles across the faiths it is not surprising many are confused. Here are
some quick facts about the Permanent Diaconate in the Rockford Diocese:
DIOCESE OF ROCKFORD
QUICK FACTS ABOUT
PERMANENT DEACONS
Who is a Deacon? A deacon is an ordained minister of the
Catholic Church. There are three groups, or "orders," of ordained
ministers in the Church: bishops, presbyters (priests) and deacons. Deacons are
ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who
came "to serve and not to be served." The entire Church is called by
Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and
through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church.
What are the requirements to become a permanent deacon? Men
must be between the age of 35 and 55 and must complete two years of ministry
formation and five years of diaconate formation. These programs are conducted
by the Diocese of Rockford. For more specific requirements and how to get
started, men should first contact their parish pastor or contact the Office of
the Permanent Diaconate.
What are these "various ministries" of the Deacon?
All ordained clergy in the Church are called to be ministers of the Word,
Sacrament, and Charity, but bishops, presbyters and deacons exercise these
functions in various ways. As ministers of the Word, deacons proclaim the
Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of Sacrament,
deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct
wake and funeral services. As ministers
of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshaling
the Church's resources to try and meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated
to work toward eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs.
No matter what specific functions a deacon performs, they all flow from his
sacramental identity. In other words, it is not only WHAT a deacon does, but
WHO a deacon is, that is important.
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 Church, in which some 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 die, would not marry
again.
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: they are assigned by the bishop 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 a 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.
This is the life that I am choosing to live. There are
fourteen other men in my class with me. Our wives are our primary support
network. Although not ordained themselves they are absolutely vital in our
success in this endeavor. Just being in this program paints a big bull’s-eye on
us for attacks not only from those who do not like the Church, Christianity, or
religion in general but it also brings on spiritual attacks by the devil and
his minions. There are two types of clergy the devil loves – those he can get
to walk away from their vocation and those he can corrupt. Those he can’t make
bad he makes busy and there isn’t any clergy who isn’t over tasked and over
burdened these days. Pray for me and my classmates, our wives and all clergy.
We sure could use it.
