Office of the Diaconate
News and updates for all deacons in the Diocese of Green Bay
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Dear Brother Deacons, Candidates, and Wives,
Attributes of a Deacon
If asked to share our thoughts on the diaconate, we deacons have a good idea what we would say about the calling and expectations of a deacon. There are also times when it’s good to look at the role of a deacon through a different lens. Here are some excerpts from a document written by Father Joseph DeGrocco and sums up his perspective on the calling of a deacon. As a side note, the entirety of Father DeGrocco’s document is sent to all inquirers in the first packet of information they received from the Office of the Diaconate. Father DeGrocco makes the following points he believes a man needs to possess who is called to the permanent diaconate:
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An understanding of being called by God and a desire to pursue holiness. A man pursuing the diaconate must see his desire to serve as a true vocation. Essential to that calling is a commitment to the person and mission of Jesus Christ, a commitment that includes a willingness and ability to live such Gospel values as simplicity of life, compassion and forgiveness, humility and obedience. Inherent in this call to holiness is the mature understanding of his own identity as a disciple and as a deacon, not as a “mini-priest.” The permanent diaconate isn’t just something that represents a “next step” for a man who has long been involved in parish life and is looking for the next thing to do. Rather, it is a gift to the church that has its own charism and brings its own contribution to the life of the church.
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Willingness to be a man of the church. Their service to the church is through their relationship to the bishop and their obedience to him, promised at ordination. It is commonly understood that permanent deacons will not automatically serve in their home parish. Instead, they are assigned by the bishop according to the needs of the diocese, in order to allow them to function where they are most needed.
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Willingness to be intimately involved with the needs of the sick, the poor and the needy. Given their call to sacramentalize the church’s mission of service, deacons must be in the midst of the community, serving the needs of the poor, the forgotten and the neglected. The deacon is in a unique position to build up the body of Christ and promote the gifts and ministries of all the baptized.
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The ability to be a “man of community,” calling forth the gifts of all the baptized. As one who has a foot in both worlds, the world of the laity and the clerical world, the deacon is in a unique position to build up the body of Christ and promote the gifts and ministries of all the baptized. The deacon must be especially aware of both the individualism and anti-institutional bias rampant today: he must be one who gives witness to the necessity of communion and our responsibility to one another in the body of Christ.
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The personal integrity to balance family, work and service to the church. As an ordained minister, the deacon has the responsibility to give public witness in the name of the church by following Christ in all areas of his life: his marriage, his family, his secular occupation and his style of life. The homily in the rite of ordination says it well: “Like those once chosen by the Apostles for the ministry of charity, you should be men of good reputation, filled with wisdom and the Holy Spirit. Firmly rooted and grounded in faith, you are to show yourselves chaste and beyond reproach before God and man, as is proper for the ministers of Christ and the stewards of God’s mysteries” (No. 199).
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The ability to be a man of the word. Although his ministry is supposed to be much broader than just the liturgical ministry of functioning at Mass, the fact is that most people come into contact with deacons in precisely this role, as ministers of the word at Mass. It is the deacon who is charged with proclaiming the Gospel during the celebration of the Eucharist. But as with his service at the table of the altar, this ministry at the table of the word should stem from his being a man of the word in every aspect of his life.
In the ordination rite, the ordaining bishop places the book of the Gospels in the hands of the newly ordained deacon and says, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” Thus, as a minister of God’s word, the deacon must allow the power of Scripture to pervade every aspect of his life. He must constantly be meditating on the word and applying it to his life so that by both preaching and example he shows how the word of God can be active in the hearts and minds of all who follow Christ.
Aspirancy Sponsorship
It is with great joy that we will be welcoming our first cohort for formation since the pause and the introduction of the New Directory of Formation. Nine applicants have been informed that they are being welcomed into Year I Aspirancy and two more are waiting to complete the application process which should be finished by the end of next week. After our process is complete, Deacon Shaun will release the names of the men who will be journeying together in greater discernment of our vocation to serve and to have that service sacramentalized.
A new tradition Deacon Shaun would like to begin this year is for members of our diaconate to sponsor an aspirant and his family. The concept is for men who have been ordained to the diaconate in our diocese to agree to keep one aspirant and his family in his daily morning or evening prayer as he continues in formation. To symbolize this sponsorship, the deacon who is to sponsor an aspirant will be asked to purchase a Book of Christian Prayer from the Office of Worship ($32.00), which the deacon will present or have presented at a Mass welcoming the aspirant into our community. The Mass where this will take place is on September 10 at 9:45 am at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. If the deacon cannot physically present the Book of Christian Prayer at the Mass itself, he can request a representative to do so during the liturgy – more details will follow.
If you are willing to sponsor an aspirant or if you have any questions about this, please contact the diaconate office and we will move this forward. Thank you all for your prayers for our men soon to be in formation and for your yes to your diakonia.
Job Opportunity
St. Gabriel the Archangel is looking for a Liturgy and Adult Evangelization Coordinator. A deacon or a gentleman in formation for the diaconate will be strongly considered for this full-time position. If anyone is interested please contact Deacon Tom Gritton at deacontomgritton@gmail.com or 920-585-9620.
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- Please pray for the repose of the soul of Faith Sanderfoot, whose daughter Lori is the wife of Deacon Tom Gritton. Faith passed away over a month ago and the news just recently came to our attention. Our prayers are with Lori and her family as well as Deacon Tom as they continue to mourn the loss of Faith.
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July 11, 2022
Dear Priests and Pastoral Leaders,
Worship Jesus Retreat “The Word Becomes Flesh”
As we look to the Diocesan gathering this year that typically happens in October, we will be doing something a little bit different. This year Bishop would like to invite you and five people in key leadership positions in your parish and in our schools to participate in a Discipleship Retreat focused on “The Word Becomes Flesh.”
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SAVE THE DATE:
Resch Expo in Green Bay
October 11, 2022, from 8:30am to 4:30pm
Please see the following video invitation from Bishop Ricken and the
“Save the Date” flyer for more information.
Additional information about the day, registration, parking, etc., will be forthcoming. No cost to attend. QUESTIONS | disciplesontheway@gbdioc.org | (920) 272-8329
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An invitation from Bishop David L. Ricken for October 11 |
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All for now . . .
Abundant blessings,
Deacon Shaun Johnson and Deacon Rick Hocking
Office of the Diaconate
Diocese of Green Bay
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Office of Diaconate
The Office of the Diaconate seeks to form and have deacons who are “…men who desire to encounter the Lord, who receive his love as their way of being and who carry his capacity to listen for pain in the human heart all the while knowing where relief for that pain is found within the Church.”
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Deacon Shaun Johnson
Diaconate Director
sjohnson@gbdioc.org
920-272-8289
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Deacon Rick Hocking
Associate Diaconate Director
rhocking@gbdioc.org
920-272-8290
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Jennie Huettl
Administrative Assistant
jhuettl@gbdioc.org
920-272-8316
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"Deacons of the Diocese of Green Bay" Facebook page!
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