Deacon Dominic Cerrato
A Beauty that Wounds
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The following is an excerpt from “Encountering Christ the Servant: A Spirituality of the Diaconate” (OSV, $18.95) by Deacon Dominic Cerrato. In his excellent book “The Heart of the Diaconate,” Deacon James Keating speaks of ordination as a kind of deep wounding. In this wounding, the deacon’s heart is lacerated by Christ’s own beauty and Read More
Ministry as a Form of Worship
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Many years ago, while I was undergoing formation, I recall learning the various liturgical rites associated with the diaconate. We were taught the rituals, saying the “black” and doing the “red.” It was all very functional, and, in the end, we knew how to baptize, officiate at marriages, perform vigil services and assist at Mass, Read More
Intentionality and the Diaconate
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It’s often the case that, when I ask a newly ordained deacon what makes his ministry “diaconal,” he replies, “Service.” When I ask how that service differs from the service of a layperson engaged in full-time Church ministry, I typically get the response, “Ordained service.” This form of circular reasoning really doesn’t answer the question Read More
Working Shoulder to Shoulder in the Vineyard of the Lord
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Just last week, as director of the diaconate for the Diocese of Joliet, I received three different phone calls from three different pastors asking if there were any available deacons to be assigned to their parish. I’ve noticed, over the past few years, that this request has become more common. With the mean age of Read More
The Eucharist in a Post-COVID Church
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Even before the rise of COVID-19, belief in the doctrine of the Real Presence was declining among a majority of self-identified Catholics. A 2019 Pew Center survey found that most don’t believe that Jesus is truly present, body, blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist. Some 69% say that the bread and wine used are Read More
Understanding Better the Servant Mysteries
Deacon Dominic Cerrato 1
I was first introduced to the concept of the Servant Mysteries by Deacon James Keating several years ago in his talks and retreats. It’s one of those theologically loaded phrases that says as much as it hides. Initially, based on the context in which it was used, I immediately grasped its importance to the identity Read More
The Interior Life as a Place of Encounter
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The following is an excerpt from “Encountering Christ the Servant: A Spirituality of the Diaconate” (OSV, $18.95) by Deacon Dominic Cerrato. What more do you want, O soul! And what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess your riches, delights, satisfactions, fullness, and kingdom — your Beloved whom you desire and Read More
The Lone Deacon: Toward a Less-Effective Ministry
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Some of us are old enough to remember the television show “The Lone Ranger.” That program, preceded by a long-running radio show, aired from 1949-57 and starred Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. Of course, unlike some of you, I saw it in reruns. The Lone Ranger is a fictional character who fought outlaws in the Read More