“Become fire!” We are looking for men who are not half-hearted but whole-hearted, willing to lay down their lives for others…. We need men who actually believe that sainthood is possible… We need men burning with ardent and gentle zeal …. We need men who understand that a vocation to priesthood begins at the burning bush, before the majesty of God himself.” Are you that man?
In 1968 Pope Paul VI, as a result of the Second Vatican Council, reinstituted the office of Permanent Deacon within the hierarchy of the Church. Since that time, more than 17,000 Permanent Deacons have been ordained to service within the Catholic
Church in the United States. Within the Diocese of Ogdensburg today, there are 91 such men serving the needs of God’s people.
The formation program for diaconate begins with the Formation For Ministry
program, a two-year program leading to being commissioned as a lay minister for work in the parish. If a man feels called to become a deacon, there are an additional four years of study and spiritual formation leading to ordination.
Do
you have a sense that God may be calling you to this special ministry? Start by visiting with your pastor. He can lead you through the discernment process. For more information, you can contact the Director of Deacon Formation: Monsignor Robert Aucoin at msgraucoin@gmail.com
"What is marriage? It is a true and authentic vocation, as are the priesthood and the religious life. Two Christians who marry have recognized the call of the Lord in their own love story, the vocation to form one flesh and one life from two, male and female." (Pope Francis, Meeting with the Young People of Umbria, October 4, 2013)
A question that confronts us: Are couples really prepared for marriage and the life that follows it?
The three stages of marriage preparation – remote, proximate, and immediate . According to St. John Paul II's exhortation Familiaris Consortio, marriage preparation is to be seen and put into practice as a gradual and continuous process beginning with the family, the domestic church.