My friend Silas Henderson of the Salvatorians contacted me Saturday with some great news:
I wanted to let you know that Jordan Ministry Team (the Salvatorian ministry I direct) has scheduled Deacon Bill Ditewig to offer a special online workshop for Deacons on Tuesday June 9: “Spirituality of the Diaconate in a Time of Crisis: Moving Forward.”
You can learn more at this link.
The website describe it this way:
Join us for this special presentation for permanent deacons, candidates for the permanent diaconate, and the wives of deacons by Deacon Bill Ditewig.
Date and time: Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 8:00pm (ET)/5:00pm (PT)
The diaconate was renewed during a time of crisis in the Church and the world, and the renewal continues to navigate from one crisis to another, including the COVID pandemic. This presentation will consider the critical origins of the contemporary diaconate in order to draw insights for the future of the Church and her deacons. The focus will be on the virtue of humility as an essential attitude in approaching the needs of the Church as she continues to adapt herself to the current realities brought about by the effects of these crises.
About the Presenter: Bill Ditewig is a Deacon of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, currently serving in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida. A career Naval Officer for more than twenty-two years, Deacon Ditewig was ordained in 1990 while still on active duty. In more than thirty years as a deacon, Bill has studied and written extensively on ministry in the Church, especially the ministry of the deacon and has served in various capacities for dioceses across the United States. Deacon Ditewig served as Executive Director of the Secretariat for the Diaconate at the USCCB. He as a BA in Philosophy, an MA in Education, another MA in Pastoral Theology, and the Ph.D. in Theology from the Catholic University of America. He and Diann have been married for forty-nine years. They have four children and sixteen grandchildren.
The cost for the workshop is $10.00. To session will be held via ZOOM (the required link and any handouts will be emailed to registered participants before the session). Please register on or before June 8.
Note: If your school, parish, or diocese will be paying for this session, please enter the discount code GUEST when registering.
To register, please contact Jordan Ministry Team at (520) 623-2563 or email JMT@JordanMinistry.org. To register online (at this link) please add the event to your cart and complete the registration process.
About the Jordan Ministry Team, from its website:
The Salvatorian Family traces its roots back to the Apostolic Teaching Society founded in Rome on December 8, 1881, by the Venerable Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan. Fr. Jordan saw the Church as a “discipleship of equals” and he imagined a new community within the Church made up of priests, brothers, sisters, and lay members working side by side, using all the ways and means which the love of Christ inspired.
Today, the Salvatorian Family consists of three branches: Society of the Divine Savior (Salvatorian Fathers and Brothers), the Sisters of the Divine Savior (Salvatorian Sisters), and International Community of the Divine Savior (the Lay Salvatorians). Salvatorians minister in more than 40 countries, responding to the signs of the times and striving to be a prophetic voice of renewal in the Church and the world. Salvatorians seek to fulfill their mission by being one with those they serve, manifesting to the world the goodness and kindness of our Savior.
In 2001, seeking to establish a new collaborative ministry in a mission diocese within the United States, the three branches of the Salvatorian Family came together to establish Jordan Ministry Team to serve alongside the clergy and people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson. More recently, Jordan Ministry Team has extended its mission to other dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the Diocese of Las Vegas. By supporting the work of teachers, catechists, lay ecclesial ministers, permanent deacons, and Catholics of all states of life, Jordan Ministry Team serves at the diocesan, parish, and school level to help spread the Good News of God’s mercy and love embodied in Jesus, the Divine Savior.
And there’s this: Silas also shared the news that he is preparing to make his final vows with the Salvatorians this fall, and plans to be ordained a permanent deacon for the order next year. Please keep him in your prayers!
