First Sunday of Advent (A)

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The Unknown Day and Hour   Lectionary: 1 Reading 1 -  Isaiah 2:1-5 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 122: 1-9 Reading 2 -  Romans 13:11-14 Alleluia -  Cf. Psalm 85:8 Gospel -  Matthew 24:37-44 '... Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.' Introduction  As we gather on this First Sunday of Advent , we also mark the beginning of the Church’s new liturgical calendar and a four-week preparation period leading up to Christmas. The word Advent comes from either of two Latin words, which simply mean “to come” (Ad-venire) or “to arrive” (Ad-ventus), and as early as the fourth (4th) century, Christians have had this special time of preparation towards Christmas. Of course, Advent is not merely a countdown to Christmas; Even as we begin the material preparations for the social celebration of Christmas, the liturgical celebrations of these weeks invite us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus. But what does the co...
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Deacon Parish Assignment (SOS)

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Assignment Policy [of the Archdiocese of Boston]

The assignment procedures for Newly Ordained Deacons is set forth in “Deacon Ministerial Policy for Parish Collaboratives” document dated March 19, 2014 and included in Appendix J of the "The Official Aspirant and Candidate Handbook" approved in June of 2016 ... which was expected to be updated and republished sometime during my four years in formation (and is still pending as of today).  Although no longer available for download, in the absence of the superseding publication, I am presuming it is still the rule (or at least close enough to it).  In that regard, here is the policy ...

The Archbishop of Boston makes the final determination for the assignment of each Deacon, with the assistance of the Office of Clergy Personnel, in accordance with the needs of the Archdiocese and the gifts, abilities, and availability of the Deacon. Deacons will carry out their assigned ministry under the direction of a Pastor (or supervisor for those who are assigned to a hospital or prison chaplaincy position). Assignments will be made in a manner that ensures the proper exercise and balance of liturgical and Pastoral functions (see Collaborative Responsibility section below). There are benefits for Deacons to be assigned in or near their home as they know and interact in the community and neighborhoods, and the proximity to the Deacon’s home minimizes commuting time and allows them to be more involved in Pastoral ministry.

Recognizing the benefits of being assigned in or near their home parish, the recommended radius that is considered reasonable is 15 miles or within a 30 min drive ... which is almost all of Essex County and half of Suffolk County. However, the process for Newly Ordained and Out of Cycle Transfers calls for the Deacon Candidate to "provide a list of collaboratives of interest (in their geographical area) in order of preference to the Deacon Personnel Board (DPB; USCCB National Directory 291) after they have received their Call to Orders letter from the Archbishop."  In actuality we did this before and received our assignments with the Call to Orders.   This information is then compared with parish/collaborative requests (with an informal precedent given to the candidate's sponsor ... which in my case is Our Lady Star of the Sea in Marblehead, my home town/parish).  Ultimately the Archbishop makes the final assignment; after which, the candidate is asked to meet with the Pastor to "discuss and complete a Statement of Pastoral Understanding (Contract of Diaconal Service) to be signed by both the Deacon Candidate, his wife (if married), and the Pastor."  ... which is still on my to do list, but I have had a preliminary conversation to setup some of the expectations.  So ... without further ado ...



Parish Assignment to Our Lady Star of the Sea

It really wasn't much of a surprise.  My Parish Pastor asked for me, and since they technically didn't have a deacon (I say technically because senior deacons don't count toward the assignment numbers, but they do make excellent mentors), the need was there.  In fact, all of my classmates were generally happy with their assignments.  The only downside here is that the first deacon assignment is only for five (5) years ... with a possibility of extending ... but that also means that in five (5) I might also be leaving my home parish for parts unknown.  At any rate ... my first Homily is scheduled for my Mass of Thanksgiving at my home parish, Our Lady Star of the Sea, at 9:00 AM, Sunday, September 22, 2024 ... where I will be talking about "Wicked People."

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