Ministry
Hitting the ‘Pause’ Button
Deacon Greg Kandra Comments Off on Hitting the ‘Pause’ Button
“Don’t it always seem to go / That you don’t know what you’ve got / ‘Til it’s gone …” That song from my youth by Joni Mitchell keeps running through my mind as I think what we have all collectively been living through over the last few months. And it has a special resonance, I Read More
Deacon as Minister of Potency
David W. Fagerberg 1
The role of the laity was recognized with greater clarity and emphasis at the Second Vatican Council. I do not suggest that an appreciation of the laity was ever lacking, but their role in the Church was given new attention. This is evident in several of the most important documents of the Council. The Dogmatic Read More
Preparing for the New Normal
Deacon Dominic Cerrato 1
As I begin my column, which is typically a good month before publication, we’re still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In most places, churches are closed, Masses are suspended, baptisms and weddings are postponed, and funerals are limited to all but the closest of relatives. With many states issuing stay-at-home directives, life as Read More
From the Streets to the Ambo
Deacon Sergio Gonzalez Comments Off on From the Streets to the Ambo
My name is Deacon Sergio Gonzalez. That name still sounds strange and unreal to me when people call me a deacon. It has been a little over a year since I was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. I am 39 years old, a father of four children and sacramentally married Read More
Servant Leaders in the School of Jesus
Father Daniel Dozier Comments Off on Servant Leaders in the School of Jesus
One way of considering the three-year public teaching ministry of Jesus during his earthly life is through the lens of leadership development. In this regard, the late Cardinal Carlo Caffara, in his work “Living in Christ,” identified three main differences between the school of the rabbis and the school of Jesus in first-century Palestine, which Read More
Marriage and Preaching: A Match Made in Heaven
Deacon Steve Kramer Comments Off on Marriage and Preaching: A Match Made in Heaven
During the past 26 years of ordained ministry, it has been my honor and privilege to preside at more than 400 weddings. Every relationship is different, and I always share with my homiletic students that it is not just another wedding (or baptism, funeral or wake service); it is this family’s wedding. Each time we Read More
Deacon’s Role in Liturgical Preaching Outside of Mass
Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers Comments Off on Deacon’s Role in Liturgical Preaching Outside of Mass
One of the most anticipated duties that a deacon exercises upon ordination is liturgical preaching. During formation, while listening to homilies in the pew, we may have said to ourselves, “I can’t wait to get ordained so I can preach on .” However, to understand properly how the deacon functions Read More
Serving the Suffering Church: Disconnection from Those We Serve
Deacon Dominic Cerrato Comments Off on Serving the Suffering Church: Disconnection from Those We Serve
I don’t know about you, but the effects of the novel coronavirus have got me feeling a bit disconnected from those I serve in my diaconate. The measures taken by many dioceses around the country and, indeed, around the world, have suspended all Masses, along with the traditional Lenten devotions and even the upcoming Triduum Read More