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Mission Statement
The Permanent Diaconate
Formation Program is directed at preparing men spiritually,
academically, and pastorally for ordination and to assist the Church
in its mission of salvation of souls. Men who are called and
chosen, will be formed and sent to teach, to guard and to bear
witness to, and to serve Holy Mother the Church through the example
of their lives and their ministries of Word, service, and
charity.
History
of the Permanent Diaconate
The service of deacons in
the Church is documented from apostolic times. A strong
tradition, attested already by St. Ireneus and influencing the
liturgy of ordination, sees the origin of the diaconate in the
institution of the .seven. mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles
(6:1-6). Thus, at the initial grade of sacred hierarchy are
deacons, whose ministry has always has been greatly esteemed in the
Church. St. Paul refers them and to the bishops in the
exordium of his Epistle to the Philippians (cf. Phil 1:1), while in
his first Epistle to Timothy he lists the qualities and virtues
which they should possess so as to exercise their ministry worthily
(cf. 1Tim 3:8-13).
From the outset, patristic
literature witnesses to this hierarchical and ministerial structure
in the Church, which includes the diaconate. St. Ignatius of
Antioch considers a Church without bishop, priests, or deacons,
unthinkable. He underlines that the ministry of deacons is
nothing other than .the ministry of Jesus Christ who was with the
Father before time began and who appeared at the end of time..
They are not deacons of food and drink but ministers of the Church
of God. The Didiscalia Apostolorum, the Fathers of
subsequent centuries, the various Councils as well as ecclesiastical
praxis all confirm the continuity and development of this revealed
datum.
Up to the fifth century
the Diaconate flourished in the western Church, but after this
period, it experienced, for various reasons, a slow decline, which
ended in its surviving only as an intermediate stage for candidates
preparing for priestly ordination.
The Council of Trent
disposed that the permanent Diaconate, as it existed in ancient
times, should be restored, in accord with its proper nature, to its
original function in the Church. This prescription, however,
was not carried into effect.
The Second Vatican Council
established that .it will be possible for the future to restore the
diaconate as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy..
And confer it even upon married men, provided they be of more mature
age, and also on suitable young men for whom, however, the law of
celibacy must remain in force,. in accordance with constant
tradition. Three reasons lay behind this choice: 1) a
desire to enrich the Church with the functions of the diaconate,
which otherwise, in many regions, could only be exercised with great
difficulty; 2) the intention of strengthening with the grace of
diaconal ordination those who already exercised many of the
functions of the Diaconate; 3) a concern to provide regions, where
there was a shortage of clergy, with sacred ministers. Such
reason make clear that the restoration of the permanent Diaconate
was in no manner intended to prejudice the meaning, role or
flourishing of the ministerial priesthood, which must always be
fostered because of its indispensability.
With the Apostolic Letter
Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem of 18 June 1967, Pope Paul VI
implemented the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council by
determining general norms governing the restoration of the permanent
Diaconate in the Latin Church. The Apostolic Constitution
Pontificalis Romani Recognitio of 18 June 1968 approved the
new rite of conferring the Sacred Orders of the Episcopate, the
Presbyterate and the Diaconate and determined the matter and form of
these sacramental ordinations. Finally, the Apostolic Letter
Ad Pascendum of 15 August 1972 clarified the conditions of
the admission and ordination of candidates to the diaconate.
The essential elements of these norms subsequently passed in the
Code of Canon Law promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 25 January
1983.
In the wake of this
universal legislation, several Episcopal Conferences, with the prior
approbation of the Holy See, have restored the permanent Diaconate
in their territories and have drawn up complementary norms for its
regulation.
Diaconal
Formation
General
Requirements
The first diaconal profile
was outlined in the First Letter of St. Paul to Timothy: .Deacons
likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much
wine, not greedy for gain; they must hold the mystery of the faith
with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first;
then if they prove themselves blameless let them serve as
deacons.. Let deacons be the husband of one wife, and let them
manage their children and their households well; for those who serve
well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great
confidence in the faith which is in Jesus Christ. (1Tim
3:8-10.12-13).
The qualities listed by
Paul are prevalently human, almost as if to say that deacons could
carry out the ministry only if they were acceptable models of
humanity. We find echoes of Paul.s exhortation in texts of the
Apostolic Fathers, especially in the Didache and St. Polycarp.
The Didache urges: .Elect for yourselves therefore bishops and
deacons worthy of the Lord, meek men, not lovers of money, honest
and proven,. and St. Polycarp counsels: .In like manner should
the deacons be blameless before the face of his righteousness, as
being servants of God and Christ, and not of men. They must
not be slanderers, double-tongued, or lovers of money but temperate
in all things, compassionate, industrious, walking according to the
truth of the Lord, who was the servant of all..
The Church.s tradition
subsequently finalized and refined the requirements, which support
the authenticity of a call to the diaconate. These are firstly
those which are valid for orders in general: .Only those who
are to be promoted to orders and who have sound faith, are motivated
by the right intention, are endowed with the requisite knowledge,
enjoy a good reputation, and have moral probity, proven virtue and
the other physical and psychological qualities appropriate to the
order to be received..
The profile of candidates
is then completed with certain specific human qualities and
evangelical virtues necessary for diakonia. Among the human
qualities, which should be highlighted here, are:
psychological maturity, capacity for dialogue and communication,
sense of responsibility, industriousness, equilibrium, and
prudence. Particularly important among the evangelical
virtues: prayer, Eucharistic and Marian devotion, a humble and
strong sense of the Church and her mission, spirit of poverty,
capacity of obedience and fraternal communion, apostolic zeal,
openness to service, and charity towards the brothers and
sisters.
In addition candidates for
the diaconate must be active members of a Catholic community and
already have exercised praiseworthy commitment to the
apostolate.
They must come from every
social grouping and carry out any or professional activity, provided
that it is not, according to the norms of the Church and the prudent
judgment of the Bishop, inconsistent with the diaconal state.
Furthermore, such activity must be compatible in practice with
commitments of formation and the effective exercise of the
ministry.
Regarding the minimum age,
the Code of Canon Law prescribes that: .The candidate for the
permanent diaconate who is not married may be admitted to the
diaconate only when he has completed at least he 25th
year; if he is married, not until he has completed at least his
35th year.. In the Archdiocese of Atlanta the
guidelines differ and may be found in the Appendix entitled
Admission Guidelines.
Lastly, candidates must be
free of irregularities and impediments as specified in Canon
Law.
Requirements for the
Archdiocese of Atlanta
Men who live in the
Archdiocese of Atlanta must be recommended to the Archbishop by
their respective pastors. Men who live in other dioceses and
who want to take part in the formation program of the archdiocese,
must be referred and recommended by their bishop. Unmarried
men who are called to the diaconate, are obliged to a vow of
celibacy at ordination in accordance with Church law, confirmed by
the Second Vatican Council. Married men who apply must be in a
valid sacramental marriage; wives must give their consent for their
husbands to enter the formation program. Men who have been
widowed cannot enter into marriage. All who apply for
diaconate formation must have received the sacraments of
initiation: Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. The
minimum age at ordination is 35 years and the maximum age at
ordination is 65 years. Each individual is evaluated based on
considerations such as family situation, mental and physical health,
financial situation, and participation in Church ministries and
activities.
Academic Formation
Overview
The academic training for
the Diaconate Formation Program is one criteria by which a
candidate.s suitability for ordination is determined. The
classes are conducted on two Saturdays during the month. These
are all day sessions. The program begins in February and ends
in December with a break for the summer. The academic
formation program has been structured to acquaint the deacon
candidate with all areas of major importance for diaconal ministry
within the Roman Catholic Church. It begins with an Aspirancy
year, which allows the candidate to be exposed to instructions in
theology, spirituality, and the deacon ministry. This is a
time where he will be involved in prayer and moments of reflection,
to discern whether or not he wants to enter the formation
program. During this period his wife, if married, will be
involved so that she can understand the commitment, which must be
made. Grades will not be issued during the Aspirancy
year.
This program has been
designed to provide a logical flow in the curriculum. Each
course establishes a base of knowledge and understanding upon which
subsequent courses can build and expand. The limited amount of
allotted classroom time does not allow for extensive instruction or
in-depth study in each and every area. Therefore, the
Diaconate Formation Program relies on additional reading and study
at home during Formation and a continuing education requirement
following ordination. This encourages and allows the deacon to
deepen and expand his knowledge and understanding in various areas
of study most pertinent to his ministry and interest.
The candidates are exposed
to the courses considered most important for the academic formation
of a deacon. This begins with a study of spiritual growth and
development followed by studies in Church History and New
Testament. Studies include a broad spectrum of theology,
homiletics, Canon Law, and Pastoral Counseling.
The Archdiocese of
Atlanta, through the Office of Director of Formation, maintains
primary responsibility for the academic, spiritual, and pastoral
aspects of the Diaconate Formation Program. While the academic
formation program is not an accredited entity, the highest academic
standards are applied.
Curriculum
Outline
Aspirancy
Year
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
Diaconal
Spirituality
History of the
Diaconate
Psalms as
Prayer
Diaconal Roles
Formation . Year
1
Church History
Documents of Vatican II to
Date
Fundamental
Theology
Introduction to Sacred
Scripture
Pastoral
Workshop
Formation . Year
2
Sacred Scripture . The
Prophets
Moral Theology
Church Fathers
Dogmatic
Theology
Prayers of the
Church
Formation . Year
3
Catholic
Spirituality
Canon Law
Social Justice
Sacred Scripture .
Letters
Proclaiming &
Preaching Workshop
Formation . Year
4
Sacred Scripture .
Gospels
Homiletics
Canon Law =
year
Methodology = year
Current Moral Issues =
year
Apologetics = year
Praxis
The goal of the Diaconate
Formation Program is always to provide direction and support for its
candidates. Courses are reviewed and evaluated considering
both the needs of the candidates and the Church they will
serve. The formation team encourages candidates to share
questions, concerns and suggestions, as they journey through the
formation process.
Our desire is to form
candidates who are deeply committed and rooted spiritually, as well
as academically. No one part of the formation process is more
or less important than another. An evaluation will be done on
each candidate at least once a year to determine their suitability
for remaining in the program. Consultation with instructors
will be part of this ongoing evaluation process. Evaluation is
both spiritual and academic. Deacon candidates will also be
evaluated on how well they possess the three qualities of a good
minister:
-
They must have an
attitude of service;
-
Have the necessary
competence;
-
And be a team
player.
-
An Attitude of
Service. Those who
minister do so because they follow Christ who .came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister.. They should not enter
into ministry to get their own needs met but to serve the needs of
the community, to aid their prayer, to help the community become a
place where all can contact the living God.
-
Competence. A minister must
be competent. Competence is a combination of specialized
education, training, and natural abilities. Ministers must
know what things they do best and be willing to participate in
other training to expand and enhance their ministry. There
is no substitute for competence.
-
A
Team Player. Ministry is never
a .solo performance.. It is the collaborative effort of the
entire believing community: clergy, religious, and laity
working together. No one type of ministry is more important
than another. It is of paramount importance that the Lay
Minister understand, appreciate, affirm, and accept the Ordained
or Professed Minister. It is equally important that the
Ordained and Professed Minister understand, appreciate, affirm,
and accept the Lay Minister. As Paul reminds us: .we
are all one body in Christ..
.The Deacon is
called to the fullness of Holy Orders to be an agent of service, one
who is personally and directly involved in satisfying the immediate
and real needs of the people. The entire range of corporal and
spiritual works of mercy as well as sacramental and liturgical
ministry should be integral to a deacon as an ordained minister of
the Church.. (1988 Statement of the Bishop.s Committee on the
Diaconate #44)
The focus of all our
efforts in this program must always be the greater glory of God
through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual
Formation
Spiritual formation is an
integral part of each meeting for academic studies. Liturgy
of the Hours, Communion Services, and Holy Hours are all
included in meeting days. Additionally, periodic days of
reflection and retreats are incorporated into the schedule.
Wives are required to participate in all days of reflection and at
retreats when space allows.
71
When candidate
begins the path of formation for the Diaconate, generally he has
already had certain experience of the Spiritual life, such as,
recognition of the action of the Spirit, listening to and meditating
upon the Word of God, the thirst for prayer, commitment to service
of the brothers and sisters, willingness to make sacrifices, the
sense of the Church, apostolic zeal. Also, according to his
state of life, he will already have matures a certain defined
spirituality: of the family, of consecration in the world, or
of consecration in the religious life. The Spiritual Formation
of the future deacon, therefore, cannot ignore this experience which
he has already had, but must seek to affirm and strengthen it, so as
to impress upon it the specific traits of Diaconal
spirituality.
72
The element which
most characterizes Diaconal Spirituality is the discovery of and
sharing in the love of Christ the servant, who came not to be served
but to serve. The candidate must therefore be helped
progressively to acquire those attitudes which are specifically
diaconal, though not exclusively so, such as simplicity of heart,
total giving of self and disinterest for self, humble and helpful
love for the brothers and sisters, especially the poorest, the
suffering and the most needy, the choice of a life-style of sharing
and poverty. Let Mary, the handmaid of the Lord, be present on
this journey and be invoked as mother and auxiliatrix in the daily
recitation of the Rosary.
73
The source of this
new capacity to love is the Eucharist, which, not be chance,
characterizes the ministry of the deacon. In fact, service of
the poor is the logical consequence of service of the altar.
Therefore, the candidate will be invited to participate every day,
or at least frequently, within the limits of his family and
professional commitments, in the celebration of the Eucharist and
will be helped to penetrate ever deeper into its mystery.
Within the context of this Eucharistic spirituality, care will be
taken to give adequate appreciation to the sacrament of
Penance.
74
Another
characteristic element of diaconal spirituality is the Word of God,
which the deacon is called to be an authoritative preacher,
believing what he proclaims, teaching what he believes, and living
what he teaches. The candidate must therefore learn to know
the Word of God ever more deeply and to seek in it constant
nourishment for his spiritual life by means of its loving and
thorough study and the daily exercise of lectio
divina.
75
Spiritual formation
provides an introduction to the meaning of the Prayer of the
Church. Indeed praying in the name of the Church and for the
Church is part of the ministry of the deacon. This requires a
reflection on the uniqueness of Christian prayer and the meaning of
the Liturgy of the Hours, but especially a practical
initiation into it. To this end, it is important that time be
dedicated to this prayer during all meetings of the future
deacons.
76
Finally, the deacon
incarnates the charism of service as a participation in the ministry
of the Church. This has important repercussions on his
spiritual life, which must be characterized by obedience and
fraternal communion. A genuine education in obedience, instead
of stifling the gifts received with the grace of ordination, will
ensure ecclesial authenticity in the apostolate. Communion
with his ordained confreres is also a balm for supporting and
encouraging generosity in the ministry. The candidate must
therefore be educated to a sense of belonging to the body of
ordained ministers, to fraternal collaboration with them and to
spiritual sharing.
77
The means for this
formation are [annual retreats, spiritual exercises, and periodic
days of reflection;] instructions, to be programmed according to an
organic and progressive plan, which takes account of the various
stages of the formation; and spiritual accompaniment, which must be
constant. It is a particular task of the spiritual director to
assist the candidate to discern the signs of his vocation, to place
himself in an ongoing conversion, to bring to maturity the traits
proper to the spirituality of the deacon, drawing on the writings of
classical spirituality and the example of the saints, and to bring
about a balanced synthesis of his state of life, his profession and
the ministry.
78
Moreover, provision
[are] made [to allow] wives of married candidates [to] grow in
awareness of their husbands. vocation and their own mission at his
side. They are to be invited, therefore, to participate
regularly in the formation meetings.
Appropriate efforts should
also be directed towards education of children about the ministry of
the deacons.
71 . 78
cf: Basic Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons /
Directory
for the
Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons:
Congregation
for Catholic Education USCC: July 1998.
The Mentor & Spiritual
Director
The Mentor is
selected from among permanent deacons and/or incardinated in the
Archdiocese of Atlanta and must be of proven experience and will
serve as the direct companion of the aspirant and of each
candidate.
He is charged with closely
following the formation of the aspirant and/or candidate, offering
his support and advice for the resolution of any problems which may
arise and for helping make personal the various moments of
formation.
He will also be called
upon to collaborate with the Director of Formation in judgment of
suitability of the aspirant and/or candidate to continue in
formation and in the final decision of suitability to be presented
to the Archbishop for ordination.
The Mentor will be asked
to prepare a minimum of an annual report concerning
suitability. This report will be prepared in accordance with
criteria provided by the Diaconal Formation Review Board.
The Spiritual
Director is selected from among priests of the Archdiocese of
Atlanta, however may not be the aspirant.s and/or candidate.s
pastor.
His task is that of
discerning the workings of the Spirit in the soul of those called
and, at the same time, of accompanying and supporting the ongoing
conversion; he must give concrete suggestions to help bring about an
authentic diaconal spirituality and offer effective incentives for
acquiring the associated virtues.
Aspirants and candidates
are invited to entrust themselves for spiritual direction only to
priests of proven virtue, equipped with good theological culture,
and profound spiritual experience, of marked pedagogical sense, of
strong and refined ministerial sensibility.
The aspirant and/or
candidate is strongly encouraged to use his spiritual director as
his personal confessor.
Meetings with
Mentors will be at a minimum quarterly.
Meetings with Spiritual
Directors will be bi-monthly at a minimum, preferably on a
regular monthly basis.
Wives
Participation
Wives are encouraged to
attend classes with their husbands; however, this is not a mandatory
requirement. Family considerations, personal interests and
desires, as well as work, are taken into account.
Several days of reflection
are offered to wives of candidates. Wives are required to
attend these days, which are directed at:
-
Problems and situations
wives of deacons encounter
-
Spiritual development
and prayer
-
Diaconal relationship
with family and friends
-
Expectations for wives
of deacons
Wives are encouraged to
make an annual retreat. When space permits, attend retreats
with their candidate husbands.
Other
Formation instructors
provide semi-annual evaluations of all candidates they are
instructing. These evaluations are in written form at the
conclusion each specific class and are informally provided to the
Director of Formation at midyear. The formal evaluations
consider both academic and personal considerations, as well as, a
statement on suitability to advance or continue in
formation.
The Diaconal Formation
Review Board (DFRB) evaluates all evaluations and recommendations
and makes a final determination whether a candidate advances,
advances under probation or is asked to resign from the formation
program. In all cases involving probation or removal from the
program specific reasons are provided to the candidate and his
pastor. Normally, a candidate is placed on probation before
any more serious actions are taken. With probation specific
reasons and remedial actions are provided to the
candidate.
A Formation Academic
Advisory Board (FAAB) was established to periodically review
curriculum and to make recommendations for additions and/or
deletions to the program. Additionally, the FAAB will review
instructor performance and consideration given for new
instructors. Text books are generally recommended by the
instructors and reviewed by the Director of Formation. The
FAAB may also provide insight into the selection of instructional
materials.
Attendance
Policy
All men in formation are
required to be present on all designated class days and all days of
spiritual formation. Attendance is mandatory at all
functions unless otherwise directed.
It is highly desirable for
the wives of candidates to fully participate in the program by
attending class days and participating in those spiritual formation
programs that are not specifically designated for the candidate
alone. The term candidate applies both to men in Aspirancy and
Formation.
Wives are required to
attend those days of spiritual formation specifically intended for
them and those joint spiritual formation days requiring the
attendance of candidates and wives. These days will be
identified sufficiently in advance to allow adequate
planning.
If, for some reason, a man
or woman has knowledge ahead of time that they will need to be
absent on a required day, they are obliged to request in writing
permission from the Director of Formation in advance of the
absence. Postal service or e-mail may be used for this
purpose. In either case adequate time should be allowed for
review and response to the request.
In the event an emergency
situation arises or if a man or woman becomes ill, they must contact
the Director of Formation by telephone. This must be followed
by a formal written statement explaining the
circumstances.
Late Assignment &
Examination Policy
All men in Aspirancy and
Formation (candidates) are required to complete all written and
reading assignments, papers, and examinations required by their
instructors, by the date directed.
Failure to complete all
such reading assignments may subject the individual to review by the
Diaconal Formation Review Board. Failure to complete a written
assignment by the directed date will result in a failing grade for
that assignment.
Failure to complete an
examination on time will result in a failing grade for that
course.
If an emergency situation
arises or the candidate becomes ill and is unable to complete a
written assignment or examination on the directed day, the candidate
must contact the Director of Formation in order to be
excused.
Instructors are not
permitted to excuse a man from an assignment or examination
date. The instructor and the Director of Formation will
consult with one another and make a final determination.
If an allowance is made
for a late assignment or examination, the candidate will have two
weeks in which to complete the assignment or examination.
Failure to comply with
this policy will subject the candidate to formal review by the
Diaconal Formation Review
Board. | 