Deacon Joseph Soon holds a gold monstrance containing the Eucharist during the diocese’s Corpus Christi procession.
Deacon Walter Yoshimitsu and Bishop Larry Silva at the annual “Star Light, Star Bright” Christmas party for inmates and their kids at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua.
By Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz
Hawaii Catholic Herald
As one cohort of permanent deacon candidates culminates its formation journey with ordination in early 2018, the diocesan Deacon Formation office is already preparing for its next wave of vocations.
Formation for Deacon Class 10 is slated to start in 2019. Registration is now open to Catholic men (see sidebar for criteria) interested in pursuing a possible call to the diaconate to participate in an “inquiry weekend” aimed at answering questions about life and ministry as a permanent deacon.
The first inquiry weekend is March 9-11, 2018; registration is due by Feb. 28. There will be another inquiry weekend June 8-10, 2018, with registration due by May 30. It is not required to attend both.
The inquiry weekends will be done onsite at St. Stephen Diocesan Center in Kaneohe. Prospective deacon candidates — and their wives, for those who are married — are required to stay overnight at the diocesan center. All expenses, including accommodations and airfare for neighbor islanders, will be paid for by the diocese, with the help of voluntary donations to offset costs at the end of the weekend.
Deacon Modesto Cordero, diocesan director of the Office of Worship, hosts a session on the new Order of Matrimony.
According to Deacon John Coughlin, diocesan co-director for deacon formation, applications for the diaconate will be accepted only after a possible candidate attends one of the inquiry weekends.
Only 30 couples can be accommodated at each inquiry weekend.
Deacon Coughlin said the aim for the weekends is to “dispel myths and give facts” about becoming a permanent deacon. He explained that among the activities are an orientation on the formation process, sessions on diaconal responsibilities and life after ordination, as well as liturgies and communal meals where candidates can approach deacons presently in ministry with their questions.
The inquiry weekends prevent “misinformation on the ministry” and provide guidance in making “an honest decision” about the vocation.
“In many ways it will mimic an actual formation weekend,” Deacon Coughlin said.
He noted that inquiry weekend participants will receive an application packet in the final session, and early submittal of the application allows Deacon
Coughlin and the formation team to “begin the vetting process in earnest.”
If a candidate, after the weekend, decides timing not to be right for pursuing diaconate formation, Deacon Coughlin said it is possible to revisit the application process again later.
The diocese begins formation of a new deacon class every three years. Each class undergoes five years of intense classroom and hands-on experiences designed to prepare them for the community service and liturgical responsibilities deacons take on after ordination.
Deacon Class 10 is slated for ordination in 2024.
A potential deacon candidate’s wife must also be heavily involved in the formation process. Deacon Coughlin described the formation as “a couple’s journey” which provides the support and resources necessary for both the candidate and his spouse to thrive as a family and as active members in ministry.
Deacon Coughlin, who was ordained in Deacon Class Six in 2007 and celebrated his 10th anniversary in diaconal ministry this past year, said becoming a deacon is gratifying. In addition to running the Deacon Formation office with his wife Kathleen, Deacon Coughlin assists at St. Jude Church in Kapolei. Through his ministry, he counsels the grieving, prepares couples for marriage convalidation, aids those who are estranged from the church, and assists at Mass.
“There are so many levels (of ministry) that you’re exposed to when you’re ordained,” he said.
He noted that preaching at Mass and “breaking open the Word of God” for the congregation in the homily can be the most daunting part of a deacon’s responsibilities. However, he assures prospective applicants that this skill, and many more facets of the hidden gifts God has blessed them with, “comes with the grace of ordination.”
Bishop Larry Silva, in a homily, recognized the importance of deacons in the life of the church. He called their role “a sacrament of service.”
Deacon Coughlin hopes more men in the diocese will consider a vocation to the diaconate. He recommends anyone feeling the call to talk to a trusted pastor or a deacon about his interest, and then attending one of the inquiry weekends to supplement his decision-making.
“Come open-minded and seeking to know more,” Deacon Coughlin said.
Discerning the DIACONATE
Think you might have a calling to become permanent deacon? Here are the canonical and diocesan requirements for the diaconate, as listed on the Diocese of Honolulu website:
- Male Catholic
- Received sacraments of baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
- Active in the church at least three years
- Legal U.S. resident and resident of Diocese of Honolulu at least three years
- Able to fulfill five years of formation
- English proficient
- High school diploma or equivalent, with ability to do further online coursework
- Ability to relate well with diverse people
- Full acceptance of church teachings
- Mature faith, good reputation
- Good physical and mental health
- Minimum age 30 at the beginning of Aspirancy Year
- Maximum age 60 (formation office may consider older candidates of good general health)
- Stable valid Catholic marriage for at least five years prior to application
- Written consent from wife and support of family members
- Celibacy for unmarried applicants
- Widowers can be considered three years after loss of spouse
- Completion of online courses prior to Aspirancy Year
Contact the diocesan Deacon Formation office for more info on inquiry weekends or the vocation of permanent diaconate: Deacon John Coughlin, 203-6729, jcoughlin@rcchawaii.org.
ONLINE: catholichawaii.org/diocesan-offices/deacon-formation/
