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The ‘Diaconate Mysteries’

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Contemplative prayer is a prayer of silence — an experience of God’s presence. It is the opening of our minds and hearts — our whole being — to God. This goes beyond thoughts, words and emotions. The Rosary is a form of contemplative prayer. It teaches us about the virtues of Jesus and Mary and Read More

The Unexpected Moments

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Several years ago I had the privilege of teaching a graduate course in moral theology to a group of seminarians in the Caribbean. Arriving at the monastery, a big steel gate opened, and the car entered the courtyard. I was then taken to what can be described as a large dormitory with metal bunk beds Read More

Open the Doors of Mercy

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Liturgy is the authentic matrix of Christian piety and discipleship. In this Marian issue of Deacon Digest, I would like to share three specific Marian moments of diaconal service within the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, where, through words and gestures, the deacon inspires authentic devotion to the Virgin Mary among the faithful. At the beginning of Read More

Interview with Deacon Dominic Cerrato

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On Aug. 1, Deacon Dominic Cerrato, editor of Deacon Digest, spoke with Teresa Tomeo on her radio show “Catholic Connection,” which is co-produced by EWTN and Ave Maria Radio. Below, you’ll find the interview in two parts.   Read More

Big Turnout in the Big Easy

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As the Church in the United States celebrates the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the permanent diaconate, 1,300 deacons and their families — more than 2,700 people in all — flocked to New Orleans for the 2018 National Diaconate Congress, held July 22-26. In his remarks at the opening Mass of the congress, Archbishop Read More

50 Years Later: Harvesting the First Fruits

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In the debates surrounding the First Vatican Council (1869-70), St. John Henry Newman said it takes about 100 years to receive a council. Well, we are just over the halfway mark since the end of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) and 50 years since the restoration of the permanent diaconate (1968). Vatican II was a Read More

The Deacon as Servant Leader

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Much has been written about the important role of the Catholic deacon as a servant leader in the parish. But as we reflect on this 50th anniversary of the restoration of the permanent diaconate, we should ask: What does it mean to be a servant leader as a deacon? What is a Servant Leader? The Read More

Ready to Serve

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A few months ago, I received a call from Gretchen Crowe, editor-in-chief of Our Sunday Visitor. She told me they were rebooting Deacon Digest magazine and asked if I was willing to contribute a few articles. I was pleased to learn that the magazine was going back into publication, as the diaconate lacks a national Read More

Empathy in Diaconal Ministry

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Perhaps one of the most essential qualities of diaconal ministry is the gift of empathy. In its most basic sense, empathy concerns the ability to recognize and enter into the experience of another. The term is grounded in the Greek prefix “em,” meaning “in,” and the word “pathos,” meaning “suffering.” This implies a deeply personal Read More