Of community, crawfish and vocation: Permanent Deacons enjoy a special day in New Orleans

A Community Crawfish Boil

Photo: Crawfish Boil Recipe

There is nothing more Louisiana than a crawfish boil.  These local favorites boiled up just right and supplemented by potatoes, corn on the cob, sausage, onions, garlic, you name it, are a crowd pleaser every year from mid December through late May, maybe early June.  We love a good crawfish boil!

Today the Community of Permanent Deacons of the Archdiocese of Louisiana celebrated our vocation with a traditional Louisiana Crawfish Boil!  What a success this event was, in part because the crawfish and all the fixins were delicious, but more so because the community came together in great numbers.  We had almost 300 Deacons, candidates, aspirants and family members all gathered together at our diaconate center on the westbank of New Orleans.

For my wife and I we were able to reunite with about a dozen members of my ordination class of 2008.  And I particularly enjoy meeting with the candidates and aspirants because I remember those deacons who showed me kindness and support when I was an aspirant and then a candidate.

Getting the whole community together is such a rare event this was an amazing turnout.  Of course many Deacons could not attend because of family events or because they were still attending to liturgcal responsibilities like baptisms and late Masses.  But it was so good to see such an overwhelming response from not just the Deacons, candidates and aspirants but also the wives, children, grandchildren, grandparents and other relatives and friends of so many of the individual deacons.

On this vocation Sunday, when so often the emphasis is on the Priesthood or the religious life for nuns, brothers, etc. (and that is how it should be) we must also remember that the restored Permanent Diaconate is indeed a vocation and the Deacon is ordained clergy.

I hope many of you get to eat crawfish someday if you have never experienced them.  And I hope, more importantly, you get to experience the important ministry of service by a dedicated Permanent Deacon in your church community.