Dear friends - I want to share with you, hoping you will feel what I'm trying to express, my excitement at being a part of the 2018 Deacon Congress beginning this weekend in New Orleans. Wendy and I will be there and we could not be happier. This was not a given just one week ago but many prayers were answered in a way that opened a door. While Wendy's mom continues rehab and recovery, now day 48, she has received the ok to continue rehab at least for the time that allows Wendy to be present with me. As I said, we are both so excited.
This Deacon Congress will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the restored Permanent Diaconate in the United States after the actions of Blessed Pope Paul VI, in union with the stated intent of the Second Vatican Council. For context I would encourage you to look up the roots of this restoration in the document Lumen Gentium and the Papal MotuProprio Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem by Blessed Paul VI. Additionally, depending on your enthusiasm you can find the beginnings of restoration of the Permanent Diaconate in the words of the Council of Trent and Vatican Council I. Of most interest would be the discussions of Permanent Deacons held by Priests in the concentration camps of Dachau. The Permanent Diaconate came to the Archdiocese of New Orleans under the leadership and vision of Archbishop Philip Hannan and our first group of Deacons was ordained in the early seventies. So allow me to fast forward to today; the Permanent Diaconate has grown tremendously especially in the United States with over 15,000 Permanent Deacons and here in the Church of New Orleans we have 240 Permanent Deacons.
So as you can see, there is much to celebrate when over 3,000 Permanent Deacons, our supportive and wonderful wives, other family members and a large group of Priests, Bishops and a Cardinal or two (maybe more) will be gathered together in downtown New Orleans. Not to be lost in the excitement of this Congress is the fact that this is the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans and the Catholic roots of this city are every bit as old, if not older, than the official naming of New Orleans as a city. Now on a personal level, 2018 is also for me, and my classmates, is the 10th anniversary of our ordination at the hands of Archbishop Alfred C Hughes. Yes, I marvel at this reality and was thrilled to realize that this 10th anniversary coincides with both the 50th anniversary of the Permanent Diaconate in America and the 300th anniversary of New Orleans. Coincidence? I like to think my God-arranged providence!
This coming weekend, when we all start to gather in downtown New Orleans there will be Permanent Deacons arriving from every state in the nation, over 80 of us from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, brother Deacons from every Diocese in Louisiana and Permanent Deacons from several countries in Europe, north of the border, Latin and South America testifying to the universality of Holy Mother Church. As Permanent Deacons, wives and family members, we will gather as we should, celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Presiding at the Mass will be none other than the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre. We are talking the representative of Pope Francis for our country. At that Mass, the homilist and keynote speaker will be none other than our own Archbishop Gregory Aymond. This will be a thrill for me and my brothers from New Orleans who everyday feel the encouragement and support of our spiritual father to whom we all have promised our obedience. Every day of the week we will be able to gather for Mass and Monday our celebrant and morning featured speaker will be Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of Newark NJ. We also will be able to hear special presentations from Deacons James Keating and Greg Kandra who I have followed since 2008 on his blog known as the Deacon's Bench. I truly hope to meet him personally. My selected breakout session to attend in the afternoon is entitled Prison Ministry: Bringing Lost Sheep Home!! Are any of you surprised? Believe me, I will be thinking of and praying for every one of my men that I get to minister to at Rayburn while in that seminar.
Fast forward to Tuesday and our morning featured speaker will be Bishop Frederick Campbell, Bishop of Columbus OH. Other speakers on Tuesday include Bishop Shawn McKnight, Bishop of Jefferson City MO. He will be followed by Teresa Tomeo and her husband Deacon Dominic Pastore. Teresa has a wonderful radio ministry on Ave Maria and EWTN radio and I listen to her every morning on my way to work. For the afternoon breakouts Wendy and I will split up so we can get information on two different ministry topics; Wendy promises to take notes. Then a special event for all of us will be a Deacon focused afternoon/evening at the World War II Museum including an opportunity to see the latest movie produced by this first class must-see museum. So we arrive at Wednesday morning and the featured speaker will be Archbishop Samuel Aquila, Archbishop of Denver CO. Next up is Bishop Gerald Kicanas, the Bishop-emeritus of Tuscon AZ. We will also here from another prominent Deacon who once was assigned to the USCCN on behalf of Permanent Deacons, Deacon Bill Ditewig. For that afternoon's breakout session Wendy and I will attend the presentation of our life long friend and our Diaconate Director here in New Orleans, Deacon Ray Duplechain.
Thursday morning brings the beginning of the final day of our time together with a closing talk by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston TX and the President of the USCCB. He will also preside at our closing Mass.
All of this I have taken the time to detail for you so you may sense my enthusiasm and also to see the depths, length and breadth our community will undertake to allow your Permanent Deacons the spiritual nourishment and renewal we all need as well as fulfill some important continuing education to fulfill our ministry roles in our parishes, ministries, communities. We will pray together in daily Mass, the praying of Lauds, also known as Morning Prayer. We will have ample time to fellowship, dine together and share our experiences, as well as our hopes, joys, challenges, obstacles and opportunities. Friends - I simply cannot wait!
I want to personally express my appreciation to my home parish, and Father Ken Allen, as well as our local Knights of Columbus, that have helped make my attendance, and Wendy too, possible. Our decision to stay in New Orleans, when we live only 60 miles away, was determined, in large part, by the additional opportunities to be with and learn from others who minister across the country and the world.
All of you who read this humble blog and know me and know what Wendy and I have endured recently should realize that this is such a special opportunity for us, as a couple. Notice I did not say Deacon couple because, well you also know how I feel about that term. Our coupleness outdates my ordination by some thirty plus years, however, this will be a unique opportunity for both of us. Wendy certainly can use the break from daily trips to the hospital and rehab center and now that her mom is improving and others can visit with her, Wendy can be fully present to this experience. She has been a wonderful partner to me in our forty one years of sacramental service in matrimony and in my now nearly ten years of sacramental service in Holy Orders. I honor that and am so pleased that she is so excited about being at the Congress and spending this week together. For me, this event is a lot of lagniappe to this tenth year of service as a Permanent Deacon. Over the course of this next week I will recall with great happiness the events of my own ordination, the service given to me at both wonderful parishes that I have served, Most Holy Trinity and my home parish of St. Jane de Chantal, along with St. Michael's Mission. I will recall with special fondness the ten year blessing of ministering to and with inmates of the Rayburn Correctional Center. And I will recall how wonderfully these men, yes inmates, minister to me too! In reflection I will recall the graced opportunities to assist with the formation of several subsequent classes of new Deacons from our 2010,2012, 2015 classes and the brief time spent with the newly ordained men of 2018. I will look back upon the dozens and dozens of babies/children baptized, the 25 couples married, the somber support at funerals and wakes, the dozens of Bible studies facilitated, speaking at retreats, and you name it. The week that will be spent at the 2018 Permanent Deacon Congress will include these reflections of what has been, the hope of the present and the promise of what is to come; by the grace of God.
Way down yonder in New Orleans, Wendy and I can't wait to participate in this wonderful Congress, to see old friends, to make new friends, to hear about Deacons from Deacons and to grow spiritually, personally, and in ministry.
So Deacons come on down to my hometown, the city of my birth as we glory in God's abundant goodness, thanking Him to be able to serve Him by serving His Church and one another. It's as good a time as ever to say Lesser Le Bon Temps Rouler as we let the Good Deacon Times Roll!!
May I invite all of you to participate with me and Wendy, in no small way, by praying for all of us over the time of this great Deacon Congress, this Sunday through next Thursday. Be assured of our prayers for all of you too.
The abitadeacon can't wait for the 2018 National Diaconate Congress in New Orleans!
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