Take a look, from the Trenton Monitor:
A restructured program for deacon preparation is set to be rolled out this fall, offering a shorter and more integrated formation.
Informed by feedback from those who have recently completed and those currently enrolled in diaconate formation, the new program will be shortened from five to four years, with the former fifth year of practicum incorporated into the summers and throughout the academic periods. Candidates for the Ordination Class of 2027 will be the first in the four-year format; those further along in formation will still see some benefits from the tailored approach.
“The most important emphasis is on integration of the academic, the pastoral and the practical,” said Father Christopher Colavito, diocesan vocations director and director of deacon formation. “The academic cannot be overemphasized to the detriment of the other two, and the pastoral has to be integrated along the way.”
With the approval of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., Father Colavito developed the changes and has been serving on a committee at Seton Hall University, South Orange, to help revise its curriculum.
“Of the dioceses in the program through Seton Hall University, we were the only ones that had a five-year program,” he pointed out. “And in meeting with the guys that graduated in 2023, their number one complaint was that gap between May and September … and it was overly academic and ill-focused on the purpose and intention of the diaconate in preparation for parish service.”
Besides truncating its length, Father Colavito addressed the need to eliminate the program’s redundancy of content while adding classes that would better prepare the candidates for their unique role.
“That opened up the ability to bring in a class that’s being developed on evangelization and apologetics,” he explained. “They will also have a ‘hot topic/current issue’ course that will address specific moral issues of the moment.”
The summers will see the candidates continuing to meet weekly to integrate the coursework – learning how to apply it to the diaconal ministry and practicing things like homilies and Baptisms.
Through the restructuring, Father Colavito is prioritizing a strong knowledge of the General Instruction on the Roman Missal (GIRM) and the candidates’ ability to approach the liturgy in ways that glorify God and edify his people at all times.
Additionally, he is working on changing the impression of the deacon’s role throughout the Catholic community.
“Their main purpose is to serve – and not just the liturgy and the priest,” he explained.
