Permanent Diaconate Program
Welcome to our New Website!
Welcome to the web site for the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Fresno. Our program began in 1998 and has expanded with three classses of deacons having been ordained so far. The last class was ordained on January 15, 2011. The diaconate formation process was interrupted as we waited for a new bishop. Now that Bishop Ochoa has been appointed our bishop, decisions will be made soon about the diaconate formation program. In the meantime, if you sense that God is calling you to the vocation of a permanent deacon, please contact us here at the Pastoral Center in Fresno at 559-493-2840. Our office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Yours in Christ,
Deacon John Sousa, Interim Director
Event Calendar
"Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach."
What Is A Permanent Deacon?
Since the beginning of Christianity, the diaconate has been primarily a ministry of love and justice. As members of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church, deacons proclaim the Gospel and preach at liturgical services; they lead the community in prayer, and conduct baptisms and witness marriages, and they address the needs of the community in an active ministry of outreach and service to others. Pope John Paul II described diaconal ministry as “. . the Church’s service sacramentalized.” Pope Paul VI offered the vision that the Permanent Diaconate is a “. . .driving force for the Church’s service.” The word “deacon” has its origin in the Greek word for “servant.” Since the renewal of the Permanent Diaconate by the Church Fathers at Vatican II, we have come to understand that deacons have a unique expression of ordained ministry, called to “pour out their own lives in service to others.” Deacons help the Church link the two greatest commandments of Christ: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” As explained by nationally-recognized author Deacon William Ditewig, the Church sees the deacon as “. . a sacramental witness to Christ within the community, and the deacon also serves as a prophetic reminder to all the baptized of their own responsibility to care for others.” Most Permanent Deacons are married and also have family responsibilities, a consideration Council participants saw as a blessing for the Church, as deacons would be a direct presence of their sacred ministry outside the church environment. By his call to ordained ministry, a deacon is engaged in his ministry at home, at work, or wherever he is participating in activities not directly related to the church, as an example of an authentic witness and teacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Deacon Ditewig concludes: “It is precisely in his leadership and presence outside formal ecclesial structures, that the deacon can often enable and empower others to exercise their own . . . responsibilities as Christians.”
You Can Contribute To Our New Web Page!
We welcome any written contributions to include on our web page that would be of interest to deacons in our diocese. We especially would love to have photos of deacons performing their ministries that could be posted. For photo submissions, make sure you identify all of those in the photo, as well as the date and place that the photo was taken. You should also have the permission of those in the photo to display the images on our web site.
When Will the Next Formation Class Begin?
Normally, our formation classes are on a 5-year cycle. However, with the passing of our beloved Bishop John Steinbock, we have been in a hiatus pending the appointment of a new bishop for our diocese. According to the National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States, a bishop is the authority who ultimately decides whether to admit an applicant into the aspirant path, which is normally a discernment period prior to formal acceptance by the bishop into diaconal formation. Until permission is received from our new bishop, Bishop Armando Ochoa, to resume the preliminary evaluation process, we cannot proceed with invitations to enter into the discernment process for the diaconate. However, during this period of time, we will actively meet with all interested men who may be considering a diaconal vocation, to discuss their potential eligibility for the program in the future. Men who are interested in discussing a diaconate vocation are encouraged to contact the Office of the Permanent Diaconate at the Pastoral Center, 1550 N. Fresno Street in Fresno. Normal office hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Other appointment times may be arranged subject to availability of staff. For office information, please click on the “Contact Us” link on this web page.
Favorite Thoughts . . . .
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. . .it's about learning how to dance in the rain." (unknown)
"Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." (unknown)
Deacons In Scripture
Within the letter to Timothy (3:8-10, 12-13), we read of the qualifications for men being considered for diaconal ministry in the early Church: “Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not indulging in much wine, not greedy for money: they must hold fast to the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. And let them first be tested; then, if they prove themselves blameless, let them serve as deacons. Let deacons be married only once, and let them manage their children and their households well; for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”
Within the letter to Timothy (3:8-10, 12-13), we read of the qualifications for men being considered for diaconal ministry in the early Church: “Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not indulging in much wine, not greedy for money: they must hold fast to the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. And let them first be tested; then, if they prove themselves blameless, let them serve as deacons. Let deacons be married only once, and let them manage their children and their households well; for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”
