DEACON FORMATION
A life of service to others
The Deacon gives his life to the service of others through a life filled with the word of God, liturgy, and charity. By virtue of his sacramental ordination by the bishop, the deacon acts in the name of the whole Church and of Christ, and raises the meaning of service to an outward sign of God’s grace. This grace offered to all of us nourishes all Christians for a life of service to others. The deacon is this sacramental signification as servant in every aspect of life, even outside of the liturgy.
As Pope John Paul II said in his address, “The Heart of the Permanent Diaconate,” given in Detroit, September 19, 1987, “Yours is not just one ministry among others, but it is truly meant to be… a “driving force” for the church’s diakonia. By your ordination you are prefigured to Christ in his servant role. You are also meant to be living signs of the servanthood of his church”.
In this Archdiocese, the deacon formation program, which is found at www.seattlearch.org, takes three years. These three years entail classes that are essential for the life of a deacon. Preceding the first year is a six month orientation period. The next three years have as there themes as noted below.
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YEAR ONE Theme: Hearers |
YEAR TWO Theme: Church as |
YEAR THREE Theme: Church as |
The classes, which are too numerous to list here, offer the candidate spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual formation. The qualifications and other information on the deacon formation program can be found on the web site listed previously.