New diaconate program inquiry session planned

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SALT LAKE CITY – A new Diaconate Formation Program is being offered by the Diocese of Salt Lake City for men who wish to increase their service to the Church.

There is a great need for deacons in the diocese, said Deacon Drew Petersen, director of the Office of Diaconate.

The Salt Lake diocese was the first in the United States to offer a diaconate formation program when it was permitted following Vatican II, and there have been several classes of deacons since then. Deacon candidates must be men who are at least 36 years of age and have been active in the faith for at least five years. If they are married, they must have the support of their wife to enroll in the program. For this particular class, candidates must be fluent in English. Each candidate must fill out an extensive application, provide references and agree to a home visit.

After the approval process, the formation is divided into aspirancy and candidate phases. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops increased the aspirancy period from six to 12 months to two years; it takes that long for candidates to change their lives in readiness for the diaconate, Deacon Petersen said.

Formation participants will meet two Saturdays a month in Salt Lake City; their wives are encouraged to attend, particularly during the aspirancy period. If conditions allow, those meetings will be held in person, although if pandemic conditions change some classes could be shifted to Zoom.

“The camaraderie needs to be developed among them; it’s really important and it’s very difficult to do virally,” Petersen said.

Participants will be instructed in Scripture, theology, Mariology, the Second Vatican Council, moral theology, homiletics, Christology and canon law. They will also learn some Spanish.

After the aspirancy period, suitable participants will be recommended for candidacy. They will then work toward becoming lectors and then acolytes before being ordained as deacons. During their final year, they will complete a practicum at a local parish to prepare them for their ministry.

Petersen’s office has kept contact information for those who have expressed an interest in the program over the last several years; they have 14 names on the list. Petersen said he hopes to have at least that many men enroll in the program.

The diaconate is “a long process, a long discernment, what you are called to do,” said Deacon Tom Devereux, who was ordained in January 2020 and serves in hospital ministry and at St. Mary Parish.

The long formation process was worth it, he said. “Spending time in discerning allowed me to understand who I was as a person, what God was calling me to do.”

Devereux said he has been fortunate to be able to serve alongside Fr. Oscar Picos, pastor at St. Mary’s, during Mass throughout the pandemic. In the days of lockdown, they livestreamed Mass together; later parishioners were able to join them. Many of his fellow deacons were not so blessed, he said.

“One thing that has affected most of us is the lack of community, knowing how to serve when there’s no community,” he said.

Because of the pandemic, several ministries have been suspended across the diocese, but Devereux has found unique ways to serve. He began posting weekly homilies on Facebook, and has since transitioned to facilitating a weekly 30-minute Zoom Gospel Chat in recent months. Still, he looks forward to when he can resume much of his in-person ministry.

For information about the diaconate formation program, contact Deacon Petersen at 801-328-8641 ext. 337 or deacon.petersen@dioslc.org; or Mirna Gomez, 801-328-8641 ext. 322 or mirna.gomez@dioslc.org. A Zoom inquiry session will be held in April. The sign-up period will end March 31.