“The diaconate is one piece to open the door. We can’t cower inside the church to defend ourselves … we have to go out to the world.”
Like a lot of places, Baltimore is making adjustments to spread information about the vocation.
This, from Catholic Review:
Starting Nov. 18, the archdiocese will host a series of information sessions for those considering becoming permanent deacons.
There are common misconceptions that deacons are just mini-priests or mega-laymen, but Father Michael Triplett, director of deacon formation for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said deacons serve a much larger, vital role for the church.
“They have a foot in both worlds,” Father Triplett said. “They are a cleric. They have a very particular calling and grace built up. But they also have families and they often have secular jobs. And so, they’re very aware of what’s going on in the world and the challenges that families face.”
Indeed, in promoting the information sessions, organizers cited Archbishop William E. Lori’s pastoral letter “A Light Brightly Visible,” which encourages greater community engagement by everyday Catholics.
But because deacons are so integrated into their communities, and they can’t move from parish to parish as priests do, recruiting future deacons presents a unique challenge.
“The hope is to continue to not only recruit deacons and call for deacons but to help diversify the diaconate,” Triplett said. “We want to develop strong deacons who are Spanish speakers, from our African-American communities, and from the urban and rural communities.”
… Father Tripplett said deacons allow the church to be more true to what is happening in the wider world.
“The diaconate is one piece to open the door. We can’t cower inside the church to defend ourselves … we have to go out to the world.”
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