A Vatican Radio interview with two American Deacons in Rome for the Jubilee for Deacons

Jubilee of Deacons: ordered to serve the joy of the Gospel

Deacons attend the Blessed Sacrament in solemn procession on the Feast of Corpus Christi in Rome, May 26th, 2016 - RV

28/05/2016 16:14

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(Vatican Radio) This weekend here in Rome, the Church is marking the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in a special way with the Jubilee of Deacons. As their very title suggests – taken as it is from the Greek word for “servant”, diakonos – Deacons are ordained to a ministry of service in the Church: they proclaim the Good News liturgically, they assist priests at the Altar, and they preach to the faithful on matters pertaining to authentic Christian living. Deacons also bring the Blessed Sacrament to the sick in hospital and to the housebound: they visit prisoners, offering them both companionship and counsel; they baptize, receive the marriage vows of couples entering Holy Matrimony, and they pray for the dead.
Two Deacons from the United States, the Rev. Messrs. Doug Breckenridge and Greg Kandra, visited Vatican Radio during the course of their pilgrimage to celebrate the Jubilee of Deacons, and spoke with us about the joys and challenges of their vocation, especially in the present generation of the Church in the West, which recovered the Permanent Diaconate as a distinct ministry during and after the II Vatican Ecumenical Council.
Click below to hear our extended conversation Deacon Greg Kandra and Deacon Doug Breckenridge

“I think – and I think many people would agree with this – it is one of the great success stories of Vatican II,” said Deacon Kandra (of the Diocese of Brooklyn, NY, who, in “civilian” life, was a producer for CBS News, and who now works closely with the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and blogs at Aleteia). “In my diocese in particular,” added Deacon Breckenridge  (of the Diocese of Dallas, Tx., who made his career in the banking and finance industry, and who has been committed for several years to working with the Children's Medical Center), “there are three [Diaconate formation] classes going at once: so, every two years, they start a new class of thirty to forty men,” who undertake the roughly six-year program of formation for the Diaconate, which often takes place on nights and weekends over that six-year period.
Both Deacon Kandra and Deacon Breckenridge are married – and while there is no requirement that men in the Permanent Diaconate be married, the vast majority of men who pursue their studies to the end and accept Ordination are married when they do. “My wife was very supportive,” explained Deacon Kandra, “she and I prayed together when I was discerning this – in early 2002 – and she said, ‘I just feel this is something you are supposed to do,’ and I said, ‘I do too.’.”
Deacon Breckenridge explained that Deacons’ wives do not only play a central role in discernment, but also in ministry. “A wife can choose to have her husband taken out of formation at any time, without him knowing that his wife has asked,” said Deacon Breckenridge. He went on to say that his ministry has informed his married life. “It has deepened our relationship,” he said, “we both are more active in the Church,” since he was ordained, and Mrs. Breckenridge also contributes to her husband’s service specifically as a Deacon. “She is my best editor for my homilies,” he explained.
“We also help in all areas of marriage ministry,” Deacon Breckenridge continued, “I think it is one thing that, as a married couple, we bring,” i.e. their experience of married life, which they are happy to share with couples seeking the Sacrament of Matrimony from the Church.
“Being the wife of a Deacon is almost a vocation unto itself,” offered Deacon Kandra. “My wife is a great collaborator – a great prayer warrior,” he continued, “she makes it possible for me to do what I do.”
Deacon Kandra concluded the conversation with high praise for the Diaconate as a calling of service that is one of constant surprise and discovery. “I always say it was the second-best decision I ever made: the first one being to marry my wife,” he said. “It is such an adventure, and it is such a joy: I wake up some days and I can’t believe I get to do what I do.”

The Jubilee for Deacons big day is here!

It's Sunday in Rome as I write this so today is the 3rd and final day of the Jubilee for Deacons!  Permanent Deacons worldwide who traveled to Rome for the Jubilee are about 6 hours away from vesting and thereby assisting Pope Francis at Mass.  Among them are approximately 20 of my brother Deacons from the Archdiocese of New Orleans.  Thanks to them and Deacon Greg Kendra, a nationally known blogging Deacon, I have been able to experience this Jubilee for Deacons through their pictures and their words.  What a special grace that the Holy Father included Permanent Deacons in his year-long celebration of the Jubilee of Mercy!

I've been thinking and reflecting all things Deacon over these past few days in anticipation of the Jubilee for Deacons.  Locally, at my parish of St. Jane's we will have a brief recognition of the four Permanent Deacons who assist and serve the parish at 10 AM Mass tomorrow.  In addition to yours truly, our parish is served by Deacon Frans Labranche, ordained 1981, Deacon Don Bourgeois, ordained 1989, Deacon Mark Coudrain, ordained 2006.  I was ordained in 2008.  Together the four of us have some 80+ years of service as Deacons!

When the Permanent Diaconate was restored in 1968 by Pope Paul VI it was just a few years later that Archbishop Philip Hannan in New Orleans agreed to begin a program of formation for Permanent Deacons.  The first class was ordained in 1974, followed by 1976 and 1981.  Since then, a new group of Deacons are ordained every 3-4 years.  Currently the Archdiocese is served by 165 active Permanent Deacons and we have an additional 50 retired Deacons.  Remember, once a Deacon always a Deacon!

Permanent Deacons, who are most noticed by the faithful at Mass, actually serve throughout the community all week long.  Sometimes that service includes just "being" Deacon at work and in the community.  Other times we are ministering at hospitals, nursing homes, hospice, homeless shelters, prisons, food banks and so much more.  Deacons are ministers of charity and imitate Christ the Servant who came to serve and not be served.  At the parish, besides duties at Mass, Deacons prepare couples for marriages, handle annulments, prepare families for baptism, conduct prayer services, Bible study programs, work with RCIA and provide other services as needed by the Pastor.

I am so thankful for the ministry of Deacon entrusted to me by the Church and to be serving in this capacity now at St. Jane Church as well as Rayburn Prison.  I am also thankful for serving alongside Deacons Frans, Don and Mark. 

And who knows, maybe that next Permanent Deacon is out there somewhere.  Feel free to ask us about the Diaconate; God may be calling you too!

Preparing for the Feast Day of Corpus Christi; now called the Body & Blood of Christ

Corpus Christi and the Mystical Body of Christ

Michele Chronister

Christ promised to be with us always, even unto “the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) Each time we walk into a Catholic Church and see a flickering red light we are reminded of how he continues to keep this promise, through his Eucharistic presence.
Growing up Catholic, attending a Catholic school, and very much immersed in Catholic culture, I didn’t have much opportunity to visit non-Catholic churches. I remember one of my first ecumenical experiences, visiting an Assembly of God church as an eleven year old. The diocese of Gary (the diocese I grew up in) was participating in ecumenical outreach and activities that year, and part of the program consisted in different denominations coming together to pray at different churches.
The congregation was kind and very welcoming, but I remember being struck by a strong sense of emptiness. Although Jesus was there spiritually, in the midst of these prayerful people, something was missing. With no tabernacle, I felt unsettled, lost for a direction to turn to.
Christ’s sacramental presence – under the appearance of bread and wine, but truly the Body and Blood, soul and divinity of the living God – is a compass with which to orient our lives.
However, there is another layer to this teaching on the Eucharist. Christ is really and truly present in the Eucharist. However, so is his mystical body.
The teaching on the mystical body of Christ is a beautiful one that isn’t discussed nearly enough outside of theological circles. I remember not really coming into contact with this teaching, in all of its fullness, until studying theology in college.
We are all familiar with Paul’s description of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). (Likely, my fellow children of the 1980s and 90s are also familiar with the Marty Haugen song about the mystical body, “We Are Many Parts.” I apologize in advance if that tune is now stuck in your head.) The body of Christ is made up of many parts, and each of us have a role to play in that body. Since, through baptism, we are all parts of that “mystical” body, we are all united in a unique, complementary way. (Just as body parts are.)
That bond is far stronger than we may realize, however. Through the mystical body, we are uniquely connected to all people in the Church. To use the classic terminology, we are bonded to the Church militant (those of us still fighting the good fight on earth), the Church suffering (those in purgatory, undergoing the final stages of purification before heaven), and the Church triumphant (those in heaven). Not only are we all united through the bond of baptism (including those who did not have the opportunity to receive the traditional Sacrament in this lifetime and were admitted to the Church via a “baptism of desire” or a “baptism by fire/martyrdom”) but we are all united through the Eucharist.
The Catholic musical artist, Danielle Rose, has a beautiful song that illustrates this reality, “See You in the Eucharist.” She wrote this song before briefly entering an extremely cloistered religious order, and it was meant to be a reassurance to her loved ones that they would never be truly separated, because they would always be united, in every liturgy, through the Eucharist. It’s been nearly a decade since I first heard those lyrics, but they have stuck with me.

When we gather at the table, we are closer than our breath.Even nearer than the angels, when we touch his very flesh.Dwelling in each other’s presence, I will hold you close inside.Every soul in heaven and earth now is present in the Body of Christ.

The teaching sounds radical but is rock solid. Often, when receiving the Eucharist, we are focused on our intimate union with Christ in the Eucharist. However, the other aspect of Eucharistic teaching is just as important. In the Eucharist, all are made one in Christ. (This is where the other name for the Eucharist, “Communion”, comes from.) And when we receive Christ in the Eucharist, when we stand before the altar at each Mass, we are not only in Christ’s presence, but in the presence of all the angels and saints. Through the Eucharist, we experience perfect, beautiful union with all of Christ’s body – everyone from canonized saints to our fellow sinners in the pew.
What many may not realize, however, is that this is also another way in which God allows us to never be separated from our loved ones, especially our loved ones who have died. The great feast of Corpus Christi falls on Memorial Day weekend this year, and so those loved ones we have lost are on our minds in a particular way this weekend, and many of you may visit the grave of a loved one in the days to come.
In this life, we can delight in our closeness with loved ones – but the union we can know with them is nothing compared to the union we can experience with them in the Eucharist. This is the great desire of Christ – that all may be one (John 17:21). The oneness he longs for is not a superficial one, but rather the deep, intimate union only possible in the Eucharist, with Christ as our head.
This teaching has been especially on my heart in the past month. Recently, our family lost our third child, our sweet Gabriel, to miscarriage. Anyone who has ever lost a child, at any age, knows how devastating a loss it is. Because the Church has no official teaching on what happens to unbaptized babies who die (the theories range from that of “limbo” to heaven without qualifications and everything in between) we can hope in the mercy of God and the possibility of heaven for our child. We can hope in the goodness of God, and trust that the Masses, blessings in utero, prayers, and conditional Baptism offered our child, mean that he may very well be in heaven. Although we cannot know this with certainty in this life, we can trust in the merciful love of God.
The burial of our baby was one of the hardest things our family has ever undergone. It was absolutely heartbreaking, saying farewell to a tiny body that was, only a week earlier, still tucked safely in my womb. However, the funeral Mass that followed was one of the greatest comforts we have known. Although we could no longer be in Gabriel’s physical presence, we possessed the hope of possibly being in his spiritual presence at Mass. If Gabriel is in heaven, then that would mean that, at every Mass, our family is once again united. We are united in adoration of Christ, in the Eucharist.
I am sure that everyone who is reading this article has lost someone in their lives. Most of you reading this article have experienced the heartache of standing at the grave of a loved one, and know the perpetual ache of that separation and grief.
The power of the resurrection extends to the Eucharist. Through our hope in heaven and the resurrection, we can hope that we will never be truly separated from those we love. We can pray for the repose of their souls, and in doing so can continue to offer them our unconditional love via prayer. In return, once in heaven, they can pray for us. It is an exchange of love that goes deeper than any we can experience in this life.
The union of the Church in the Eucharist is a powerful reminder that love is stronger than death. This weekend, as we celebrate both Corpus Christi and Memorial Day, take hope in the depth of the doctrine of the Eucharist. Through Christ, we may all be one, in a union that will never truly end because of the love of Christ, stronger than death.
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever.

He ministered to skiers and mountain climbers

St. Bernard of Montjoux

Facts

Feastday: May 28
Patron of mountaineers, skiers, the Alps
Birth: 923
Death: 1008

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Bernard of Montjoux was probably born in Italy. He became a priest, was made Vicar General of Aosta, and spent more than four decades doing missionary work in the Alps. He built schools and churches in the diocese but is especially remembered for two Alpine hospices he built to aid lost travelers in the mountain passes named Great and Little Bernard, after him. The men who ran them in time became Augustinian canons regular and built a monastery. The Order continued into the twentieth century. He was proclaimed the patron saint of Alpinists and mountain climbers by Pope Pius XI in 1923. He is sometimes fallaciously referred to as Bernard of Menthon and the son of Count Richard of Menthon, which he was not. His feast day is May 28th.
Bernard became patron and protector of skiers because of his four decades spent in missionary work throughout the Alps.

1st official day in Rome of the Jubilee for Deacons; some of the highlights

Permanent deacons and their wives attend a conference at the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome May 27. Attendees were participating in the Jubilee of Deacons, a celebration of the Holy Year of Mercy. CNS photo/Paul Haring

Deacons gather in Rome, share reflections on ministry, challenges

By  Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

• May 27, 2016

ROME – Thousands of permanent deacons and their wives began their Year of Mercy celebration by cutting straight to the heart of what it means to be a deacon, how the ministry impacts their families and the challenge of explaining their vocation to others, including bishops and priests.

The pilgrims divided into language groups and hundreds of English-, German- and Portuguese-speaking deacons and their families gathered May 27 at Rome's Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva.
Whether alone or with their wives, dressed in clerical collars or T-shirts because of the afternoon heat, they began sharing experiences of formation, homiletics training and ministry assignments even before the formal program began.
The Jubilee of Deacons was to conclude May 29 with a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square.
In the informal conversations and the sharing afterward, the women were active participants. Many of them had accompanied their husbands to formation classes, and all of them are directly impacted by their husbands' ministries.
Deacon James Keating, director of theological formation at the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, Nebraska, said deacons are born in families, most of them fall in love and start families before discerning a vocation to the diaconate, and they often are called upon to minister to other families.
Deacon Keating insisted that a deacon who has had proper formation in prayer, theology and the sacraments "will become a better husband," his wife "will actually fall more in love" because he will be converted to a closer relationship with Jesus and a greater availability to others.
However, he said, that availability is not so much about time and activity, as it is about "being" a deacon. It's about "relationships, not ministries," Deacon Keating insisted.
Kimberly Norman, whose husband, James, is a deacon at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica in Chicago, said Deacon Keating was right. Speaking of her husband, she said: "Yes, he is a better man. Yes, he is a better husband." The preparation and ministry "has strengthened our marriage."
Deacon Norman said his wife has changed, too, and is a particularly good example and reminder to him to make more time for prayer.

Deacon Anthony Gooley of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia, and a lecturer in theology at the Broken Bay Institute, told the crowd that deacons were instituted in the early Christian community to minister to people whose particular needs were not being met by the disciples.
They have the same mission today to reach unserved or underserved populations, he said. In fact, their potential contribution to the new evangelization "is limited only by imagination and by the will of those who engage in placements and pastoral planning in the dioceses."
"Too often a deacon is left to work out the details of his own pastoral ministry," Deacon Gooley said, and arrangements are made with "a handshake deal with the parish priest."
His remarks led to a ripple of agreement around the basilica.
Deacon Greg Kandra of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, a popular blogger and multimedia editor for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, focused on the ministry of deacons in the workplace. Many of the almost 45,000 permanent deacons in the world continue to work in secular jobs in to support their families even after ordination.
But a deacon is a deacon no matter where he is, Deacon Kandra said. He is called by the church to be on the "front line," wherever he is.
"The deacon is called to be a witness to compassion," helping those who are hungry or poor, whether materially or spiritually. "They might work in the cubicle next to yours," he said.
As a witness to the dignity of work, Deacon Kandra said, the deacon is called to stand up for just wages and decent working conditions, but also to improve the workplace environment by "quieting gossip," listening to grievances, speaking up for those without a voice.
"Some of the most important missionary activity in the world today may begin in unlikely places, not in a jungle or desert of some far-off country, but around the water cooler, or on a bus, or over coffee in the company cafeteria," he said.
"What began on the altar on Sunday," Deacon Kandra said, "continues in the world and in the workplace on Monday."

Fantastic Faith-filled Friday in a state prison!

Tonight was our spring retreat for the men at Rayburn Prison, hosted by our Catholic Community.  165 men gathered in the chapel, many members of our own St. Peter Catholic Community and guests invited by the men. They were gathered together to pray and hear presentations from Fr. Joe Palermo, an Archdiocesan Priest from our major seminary in New Orleans and Sister Judy Gomilla, now a "regular" as this was her 3rd visit to the prison.

Our speakers focused on prayer, prayer life and praying with the Scriptures.  Father Joe had a beautiful power point presentation to helped demonstrate his message and topped off the evening by showing the men how to pray with Scripture, based on the story of blind Bartimaeus from the Gospel of Mark.  He invented the men to share, in front of the whole group, and we were blessed that 6 or 7 men indeed shared how the Gospel passage spoke to them in their own prayer.

Sister Judy encouraged the men to see in themselves the dignity that each possesses from God and the reality that even with prison life, nothing can stop them from a deep intimate relationship with Jesus.  She composed a prayer, utilizing the name of several candy bars to share with them that anything and everything can be an opportunity to offer prayer!

By the way, the men were feed tonight with 105 boxes of pizza and 15 boxes of breadsticks!  Each inmate was able to eat 5 pieces of pizza; not necessarily healthy but for each of them quite the treat!

Once again, a visit to Rayburn, where I have been going for over 8 years, never ceases to amaze me.  Tonight was spiritually moving and satisfying as I experienced all these men in prayer, growing ever closer to God as they work out their salvation, like all us, with fear and trembling, and hope and joy!

Friday morning brought day 105 with the Baltimore Catechism

Day #105: How do we worship God?

How do we worship God? We worship God by acts of faith, hope, and charity, and by adoring Him and praying to Him. What does faith oblige us to do? Faith obliges us: first, to make efforts to find out what God has revealed; second, to believe firmly what God has revealed; third, to profess our faith openly whenever necessary. Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:32) Further reading: CCC 2095-2103

Another post-flood update from St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College

Greetings from Saint Joseph Abbey and Seminary College! Today, we wanted to share with you a video that we recently created that spotlights this unique time in our history. You can listen to the stories of those that were here during the flood and how our seminarians, monks, staff and community have responded – in faith, in grace, and in hope. I think that you will see that in spite of it all, there is an air of excitement and expectation that this event will transform us into a community that grows and is strengthened by adversity. Our institution has been in constant flux in the weeks and months following the floods of March 11th. In these past nine weeks, we have seen 31 buildings and structures virtually stripped and gutted, walls torn out, floor boards removed, electrical systems exposed, and furniture piled high. The roar of fans used to dry out and control the humidity of our buildings has become a familiar buzz, the faces of our recovery team and construction workers as common as our co-workers. See photos of the recovery process. We have watched with pride as 29 seminarians strode across the stage to receive their graduation diplomas as they continue on their path to priestly formation, and we have rejoiced upon receiving word that we are expecting 158 seminarians next fall, the largest class in the history of our institution. We have witnessed in amazement as dozens of churches, elementary schools, choir groups and volunteers have organized fundraising concerts, auctions, luncheons, and sales on our behalf to contribute to the recovery of our institution, and we have witnessed the financial need that this devastation has caused – an estimated $30 million – slowly being met with the overwhelming generosity of our community of faith, our loyal neighbors, friends, and supporters.  To date, over $2 million dollars has been raised, and two-thirds of the donations received have been made in amounts of less than $100. Learn how to Help the Abbey here. For that, we are exceedingly humbled and grateful. Thank you. Our road ahead is long, but the burden is lightened when shared with friends. Thank you again for your ongoing support, generosity, prayers and willingness to join with us on this road to recovery. In Gratitude, Leslie A. Tate Director of Institutional Advancement Saint Joseph Abbey and Seminary College 75376 River Road Saint Benedict, LA 70457 Office: 985-867-2235 sjasc.edu | saintjosephabbey.com | helptheabbey.com

Bishop of England; a once proud Catholic nation

St. Augustine of Canterbury

 

Facts

Feastday: May 27
Death: 605

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At the end of the sixth century anyone would have said that Augustine had found his niche in life. Looking at this respected prior of a monastery, almost anyone would have predicted he would spend his last days there, instructing, governing, and settling even further into this sedentary life.
But Pope St. Gregory the Great had lived under Augustine's rule in that same monastery. When he decided it was time to send missionaries to Anglo-Saxon England, he didn't choose those with restless natures or the young looking for new worlds to conquer. He chose Augustine and thirty monks to make the unexpected, and dangerous, trip to England.
Missionaries had gone to Britain years before but the Saxon conquest of England had forced these Christians into hiding. Augustine and his monks were to bring these Christians back into the fold and convince the warlike conquerors to become Christians themselves.
Every step of the way they heard the horrid stories of the cruelty and barbarity of their future hosts. By the time they had reached France the stories became so frightening that the monks turned back to Rome. Gregory had heard encouraging news that England was far more ready for Christianity than the stories would indicate, including the marriage of King Ethelbert of Kent to a Christian princess, Bertha. He sent Augustine and the monks on their way again fortified with his belief that now was the time for evangelization.
King Ethelbert himself wasn't as sure, but he was a just king and curious. So he went to hear what the missionaries had to say after they landed in England. But he was just as afraid of them as they were of him! Fearful that they would use magic on them, he held the meeting in the open air. There he listened to what they had to say about Christianity. He did not convert then but was impressed enough to let them continue to preach -- as long as they didn't force anyone to convert.
They didn't have to -- the king was baptized in 597. Unlike other kings who forced all subjects to be baptized as soon as they were converted, Ethelbert left religious a free choice. Nonetheless the following year many of his subjects were baptized.
Augustine was consecrated bishop of the English and more missionaries arrived from Rome to help with the new task. Augustine had to be very careful because, although the English had embraced the new religion they still respected the old. Under the wise orders of Gregory the Great, Augustine aided the growth from the ancient traditions to the new life by consecrating pagan temples for Christian worship and turning pagan festivals into feast days of martyrs. Canterbury was built on the site of an ancient church.
Augustine was more successful with the pagans than with the Christians. He found the ancient British Church, which had been driven into Cornwall and Wales, had strayed a little in its practices from Rome. He met with them several times to try to bring them back to the Roman Church but the old Church could not forgive their conquerors and chose isolation and bitterness over community and reconciliation.
Augustine was only in England for eight years before he died in 605. His feast day is celebrated on May 26 in England and May 28 elsewhere. He is also known as Austin,a name that many locations have adopted.