Deacons: continuing formation is a necessity

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
“Continuing formation of deacons is a human necessity which must be seen in continuity with the divine call to serve the church in the ministry.” - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) National Directory for the Permanent Diaconate
 
The permanent deacons and candidates of the Diocese of Sioux City gathered in Storm Lake last weekend for their fall continuing education day to learn more about the role that ongoing formation should have in their lives.
 
Instructors from the Josephinum Diaconate Institute – Deacon Matt Coriale, executive director, and Deacon Roger Carrier, associate director – led the workshop which included presentations and hands-on exercises. The diocesan Office of the Diaconate contracts with the Josephinum for the online academic education for the men in formation.
 Deacon Coriale is executive director of the Josephinum Diaconate Institute.Deacon Coriale explained the presentation would help the deacons think about their own ongoing formation and develop a roadmap draft for the next few years of their ministry.
 
“If we don’t invest in our ministry, it will fall apart,” he pointed out. “We talk about what you should be doing - not as a compliance question but a responsibility question.”
 
The presenters explained that ongoing formation is important to help the deacons navigate changes in the world, the church and their personal lives. By doing so, the church reaps the benefit of having a “vital minister” helping to build God’s kingdom.
 
“You think it’s just classes (in continuing formation) but it’s a lot more than that,” the executive director said. “You have to take care of yourself so you can be a vessel for God...formation is much more than education.”
 
Formation dimensions
Deacon Carrier explained that the four dimensions of formation are human, intellectual, pastoral and spiritual.
 
“We tend to think of them as silos. The big problem is thinking of them as discrete entities,” he said. “All are incredibly important.”
 
The national directory states that formation should “promote the development of the whole person. Therefore, the four dimensions in formation should be so interrelated as to achieve a continual integration of their objectives,” for each deacon in his life and ministry.
 
Deacon Carrier said the directory points out that the “primary source for post-ordination formation is the ministry itself.”
 Deacon Carrier addresses the Sioux City Diocese deacons. “(That’s) because we are paying attention to what’s going on in our ministry,” he said. “Don’t take a narrow view of ministry … what we need is to pay attention to how the Lord is leading you.” 

The deacons also need to consider their own stage in life and in ministry. The presenters asked the men to draw their own “enthusiasm curve” to map their excitement of ministry from ordination to the current day. Often, enthusiasm wanes over time, they said.
 
“The deacon is a ‘sacred professional.’ If you had cancer, would you go to a doctor that has not read up on cancer in the last five years? You need to be changing with the world,” Deacon Coriale said.
 
Long-serving deacons may have “checked out” or “only want to do liturgical stuff and see myself in vestments.” The deacon said ongoing formation helps deacons avoid the drop in enthusiasm.
 
“If you don’t take care of the human, intellectual, pastoral and spiritual (dimensions), you are going to end up in crisis, I promise,” Deacon Coriale said, adding priests are susceptible to a similar path.
 
Seasons of ministry
Deacons need to look differently at formation opportunities, the presenters said, as they as they move through various phases of their ministry.
 
Deacon Coriale outlined the four seasons of a permanent deacon’s ministry:

• Season 1 – the first five years where “enthusiasm is still high.”
• Season 2 – the next five years where deacons are “growing in ministry and servant leadership.”
• Season 3 – those ordained 10-plus years when deacons may ask, “how do you keep from getting bored?”
• Season 4 or the last season – preparing for and living in retirement.

 
In the first years of ministry, deacons are still learning the ropes. The executive director suggested deacons early in their ministry should re-read their rites books as a resource.
 
“Look for formation to do things well,” he said of those in Season 1. “Know the things you need to work on and focus on those things first.”
 
Season 2 is a time when deacons gain their confidence through experience and should look for various opportunities to use their talents in ministry. He used continuing education on homiletics as an example.
 
“You might preach one weekend a month. You can’t practice well if you don’t get many opportunities,” Deacon Coriale said. “Talk to your pastor about preaching some daily Masses.”
 
Deacons in Season 3 probably have ministered through changes in leadership at the parish. This season is ripe for taking on a new challenge and “hand off old ministries … find your successor,” and serve as a mentor to younger deacons.
 
“In Season 4 there’s a sense of loss,” he stressed. “Plan for your retirement. It’s not about finances – what are you going to do with your time?”
 
In retirement deacons can mentor newer deacons or even participate in continuing formation offerings, the executive director suggested.
 
Goals and plans
The deacons were asked to look at their strengths and weaknesses and discern where they might want to focus their time and ministry in the next year and beyond.
 
“This is where we are getting to the realities of your particular plans,” Deacon Carrier said of the exercise. “We want them to begin with God’s inspiration. These are not our work so they can be God’s glory.”
 
The men were asked to identify priorities for the next year regarding family, health, ministry, prayer, relationships and/or selfcare. Selecting the top three priorities would help them to create a plan that is “useful and realistic,” Deacon Coriale said.
 
“It’s your responsibility to take care of your formation like your responsibility to take care of your marriage,” he said. “Don’t overcommit. After you leave here, talk to your pastor, wife or whomever. Ask yourself, ‘How am I going to do the things I committed myself to?’”
 The deacons shared their top three priorities for the upcoming year including Deacon Butch Stone, above. Participants were to set their plans and priorities aside for a week or two, pray on it, review it again and “ask the Lord where do you want to send me?” 

The deacons wrote their top three goals onto sticky notes and posted them to a wall in the parish center before the facilitators grouped them by topic. The groupings could result in future ministry for teams of deacons with similar interests in the coming months.
 
“Take some time to reflect on your ministry to see what that looks like. Don’t lose these plans,” said Father Brent Lingle, diocesan director of the diaconate, addressed the deacons. “I hope to have a conversation with each of you on your ministry assignments. This will be a good sounding board for further discernment as you share where you see yourself in ministry.”
 
Online options
Father Lingle explained that the diocese and the Josephinum are discussing a partnership where the permanent deacons would have access to the Josephinum Connect! online continuing education courses.
 
Deacon Coriale explained a variety of topics are available with experts in the church presenting the classes. They would be available on an on-demand basis and are short courses grouped into one-hour segments with primarily pastoral and spiritual content.
 
Father Lingle noted the deacons could register for any of the Josephinum Connect! classes prior to the completion of the agreement with the diocese.

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