The fullness of ministering to the people of God in a particular community is the responsibility of the bishop. However, even from the beginning of the church it was clear that one person could not possibly fulfill this responsibility on his own. This responsibility was shared by presbyters (priests) and deacons from within the community.
The deacon is an ordained minister in the Catholic Church. Ordination implies a permanent commitment, a stable role in the Church and sacramental grace. There are several important words in this description of a deacon. The first is the word “is”. When we speak of a deacon the focus is not on what he can
What is diaconal ministry like in the early years of the 21st century? Deacons are ordained to ministry of the Word, the Altar and Service. Ministry of the Word and Altar are consistent for all deacons. However, the ministry of service varies, depending on the needs of the community to which the deacon is called
The young Christian community in Jerusalem grew by leaps and bounds during the first few years after Pentecost. People were attracted by the teachings of Jesus which were shared by the disciples. They were attracted by the warm and supportive community of believers who tried to bring Jesus’ teachings to life. They were moved by
The Diocese of Chalan Kanoa is planning to start the formation process for another group of deacon candidates in the near future. In preparation for the formation program, I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a few issues of Along the Way to the topic. Since I’m writing about the diaconate, it
A few weeks ago, Michael, one of my sons, was vacationing in Hawaii, on the big island. The tour guide suggested that they take a short cut through the mountains to get to the other side of the island. However, near the ridge of the mountain, Mauna Kea, they ran into stopped traffic as a
Maybe I’m getting old, but the world seems to be crazier now than it was a few decades ago. Just a few week ago there were two mass shootings in one night in the US. It used to be that mass shootings were a rare occurrence but nowadays they are commonplace. Any psychotic who has
The Book of Genesis tells us that we are made in the image and likeness of God. The problem is trying to figure out what that means. It certainly implies that there are some divine characteristics within us that comprise this likeness to God. Catholic theologians tell us that the key characteristics are our personhood
What does it mean to be pro-life in the 21st century? Pope Francis has reiterated the basic Catholic understanding that the dignity of life must be respected from conception until natural death. This understanding has been echoed by the US bishops and every other Bishop’s conference around the world for many years. It is nothing new.
I gave a homily recently on the Our Father prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples. I wanted to expand on that homily for an ATW reflection, as it is an important concept for understanding our faith. So, here goes… Back in 1991 my father came to Saipan to visit. It was his first trip