Deacon Inquirer

 

Let's Get this Party Started ...

The process to become a Deacon in the Archdiocese of Boston begins with the "Inquirer Stage" ... which is really just three (3) to four (4) information sessions that are open to everybody, usually in the fall:

1. Who is the Deacon, and am I one who is called?
2. How does diaconate ministry fit into marriage and family life?
3. Application process, Canon Law, Formation from the wives' perspective.
4. Half-day discernment retreat on Saturday

The Application Process ...

After you complete all four (4), you can begin the Application Process ...

The actual application was fourteen (14) pages of questions in three (3) sections: The Applicant Questionnaire, The Pastor Evaluation, and The Spouse .  Attached to the application are two (2) essays: a brief (2-3 page) autobiography and a similar "spiritual" autobiography about your spiritual life that brought you to this point.  Included is a list of canonical issues or impediments that must be addressed before an application may be accepted.

• Were you baptized or received into the Catholic Church within the past five years?
• Have you ever repudiated the Christian faith or denied any of the primary truths or beliefs which come from divine revelation and Church teaching?
• Have you ever killed another person or been involved in the killing of another person?
• Have you ever procured an abortion of positively cooperated with someone else ni procuring na abortion?
• Have you ever mutilated yourself or another person gravely and maliciously?
• Have you ever attempted suicide?
• Have you ever been excommunicated, or been involved in any activity that might result in excommunication?

This is then reviewed with your Pastor (or other Priest) and he completes the evaluation section on various "dimensions" that will be reviewed each year while in formation for progress:

• Vocation (Discerning the Call)
• Human (Knows his limitations)
• Spiritual (Relationship with God)
• Intellectual (Interpreting Scripture)
• Pastoral (Plays well with others)

A Pastoral Recommendation Letter should also be attached.

A short questionnaire for the wife (two pages) is at the end ... indicating her understanding and support of what is involved and giving her complete veto power through the whole formation process.

Other documents needed are personal recommendations from your employer, a friend/neighbor, and a parishioner in addition to certified church copies of your baptism, confirmation and (if married) marriage documents ... which for me was a bit of an issue as the church got the actual dates wrong (by up to one month for my wedding) ... but they were apparently official, so they were good to go (now I apparently have two wedding anniversaries).

After submitting all of that in a package ... I settled in to wait ... 

At some point before the beginning of the fall semester, I had to sit for an interview with another deacon and did a psyche evaluation that included some very direct and fairly personal questions about my life ... but it all worked out and I was accepted as one of nine (9) Aspirants in the Diaconate Formation (Class of 2024) ... 

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The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States of America

Chapter Four Vocation, Discernment, and Selection

Required application documents include the following:

1. A church certificate of Baptism, Confirmation, and, if relevant, Matrimony, issued within the preceding six months
2. Proof of age (in accord with canon law, the USCCB has established the minimum age of ordination at thirty-five years)
3. A completed application form and, as appropriate, a consent form regarding psychological consultation and the confidentiality of consultative reports
4. A recent photograph of the nominee and, if married, of his wife, for administrative and faculty identification
5. A personal handwritten statement from the wife of a married applicant indicating her initial consent for his application and entrance into aspirant formation
6. Letters of recommendation
7. Results from a recent physical examination to ensure that applicants possess the good health necessary for diaconal formation and ministry (this exam should include HIV and drug testing)
8. An official transcript of past or present academic studies
9. "A written report of the rector of any previous house in which the candidate has spent time in formation,”  including “explicit reference to the evaluations of the candidate and the votes he received”
10. A written report from the director of any previous diaconal formation program in which the applicant has spent time in formation, including explicit reference to the evaluations of the applicant and the votes he received
11. A thorough criminal, cyber, and social media profile background check of each nominee under the auspices of the diocesan diaconate office, including a report of the applicant’s financial stability
12. Proof of legal residency and canonical domicile or quasi-domicile in the diocese
13. A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s employer
14. A personal autobiography, which is helpful in getting to know the applicant more intimately