Merciful Like the Father
Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers 2
Divine mercy is the Father’s merciful love — a love that becomes visible in and through the person of Jesus Christ. Those who seek and find mercy in the Lord Jesus are experiencing God’s own divine mercy and love through Christ’s words and actions, by his death on the cross and in his resurrection. Mercy, Read More
Ministering to a Grieving Church
Deacon Dominic Cerrato Comments Off on Ministering to a Grieving Church
The scandal involving sexual abuse by certain priests, along with the recent revelation of diocesan and seminary corruption, have rocked the Church to her foundation. Because the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, when one part is wounded, the whole body suffers. The scandal has undermined our credibility to proclaim the Good News, diminished Read More
A National Celebration
Deacon Digest staff 1
For years, the leadership of the National Association of Diaconate Directors (NADD) had been planning a special celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the permanent diaconate in the Church. The culmination of their work took place July 22-26 in New Orleans, where more than 2,800 people — including more than 1,300 Read More
Women in the Diaconate: What Are the Issues?
Sister Sara Butler 3
Pope Francis repeatedly has declared that the Church does not have the authority to ordain women to the priesthood. He regards the teaching of Pope St. John Paul II in his 1994 apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis as final. Many Catholics believe, however, that the possible access of women to the permanent diaconate constitutes a separate Read More
How Intellectual Formation Influences Everything
Deacon David A. Lopez 1
The goal of the Christian life is nothing other than union with God. As is so often asserted, God became man so that man might become God. Our lord Jesus Christ made this union possible by his incarnation, life, death and resurrection. The primary means of receiving such a gift are the sacraments, and therefore Read More
Preparing for Christmas
Father Deacon Basil Ryan Balke Comments Off on Preparing for Christmas
As the time approaches for the great feast of the Nativity, it is good to spend some time reflecting in preparation. The Church, both East and West, understands that people take a long time to make changes. Many of us have been working on changing the same aspects of ourselves for decades. This is the beautifully Read More
Out of the Ashes, Justice and Peace
Deacon Mel Tardy Comments Off on Out of the Ashes, Justice and Peace
“Are they all Catholic?” asked my wide-eyed daughter. We’d never encountered so many black clergy and religious until visiting Atlanta in 1996 and stumbling upon an amazing black Catholic prayer service. At their reception, after conversing with someone, I turned to leave and said, “Thank you, Father.” He responded, “Oh, I’m not a priest; I’m Read More
A Call to Rethink the Diaconate
Deacon Victor Puscas Comments Off on A Call to Rethink the Diaconate
The very idea of a deacon reviewing a book written by a bishop only proves the time-honored maxim that fools rush in where angels fear to tread. This particular fool chooses to begin with the words of the fictive restaurant critic Anton Ego from the Disney movie “Ratatouille”: “In many ways, the work of a Read More