DIAKONIA DIAKONIA Volume III Number 3 October 2017

Upcoming Events

Annual Marion CelebrationSunday, October 1, 2017

3:00 PMSt. Benedict Parish, Johnstown

Lay Ecclesial Ministry CertificationThursday, October 12, 2017

7:00 PMCathedral of the Blessed Sacrament,

Altoona

Fall Clergy GatheringOctober 16-18, 2017

Seven Springs Resort, Champion, PA

Rite of Lector and AcolyteSaturday, October 21, 2017

4:00 PMSt. Mary Parish, Hollidaysburg

Shroud of Turin Talk

What Are Deacons and WhatSeparates Them from Priests?

By Philip Kosloski

Even though they may look alike andshare many responsibilities, deaconsare not priests.

Sometimes going to Mass can beconfusing for a Catholic unfamiliar withdeacons. Both clergy members wearvestments at Mass and in somedioceses, both even wear Roman collars.To make it even more confusing,sometimes priests and deacons wear thesame gray-colored clerical shirts withthose Roman collars.

However, while deacons and priests maysometimes appear to be the same, theirroles in the Church are very different.

The USCCB provides a succinctdefinition of a deacon and his particularrole in the Church.

"A deacon is an ordained minister of the

October 29, 20173:00 PM

St. Benedict Parish, JohnstownThe Sacrament of Reconciliation will be

available following the presentation.

- 2018-

Lenten Day of RecollectionSaturday, February 17, 2018

St. Bartholomew, Wilmore9:30 AM

Chrism MassMonday, March 26, 2018

11:00 AM (arrival time is 10:00 AM)Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament

Annual Diaconate RetreatFr. Bernard Ezaki, Retreat Master

June 3 - 7, 2018Antiochian Village, Bolivar, PA

Begins Sunday with Registration at 3:30 PM and ends Thursday after the

10:00 AM Closing Mass

LENTEN DAY OF RECOLLECTIONSaturday, February 17, 2018

9:30 AMSt. Bartholomew, Wilmore

Ministry Grounded and Focused on Christ

Our Lenten Day of Recollection willfocus on putting things in the rightorder to have a relationship withJesus so our identity as a servant isproperly grounded and defined for usin our diaconal ministry. The VeryReverend Joseph Mele, V.E., Ph.D.,Episocal Vicar for Leadership,Development, and Evangelization forthe Diocese of Pittsburgh and Dr.Michael Therrien, Director ofEvangelization; President of theInstitute for Pastoral Leadership,

Catholic Church. There are three groups,or 'orders,' of ordained ministers in theChurch: bishops, presbyters and deacons.Deacons are ordained as a sacramentalsign to the Church and to the world ofChrist, who came 'to serve and not to beserved.' The entire Church is called byChrist to serve, and the deacon, in virtue ofhis sacramental ordination and through hisvarious ministries, is to be a servant in aservant-Church."

Deacons have been around the Churchsince the very beginning, frequently beingreferenced in the New Testament. Toclarify this history Pope Francis created acommission to investigate the role ofdeacons in the early Church, lookingespecially at the role of women deacons.

The most well-known reference todeacons in the New Testament is from theActs of the Apostles. It reads, "And thetwelve summoned the body of thedisciples and said, 'It is not right that weshould give up preaching the word of Godto serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pickout from among you seven men of goodrepute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,whom we may appoint to this duty'" (Acts6:2-3).

From the very beginning deacons wereknown to serve and assist the priests andbishops in their sacramental ministry.

Practically speaking deacons can domany activities that priests participate in.Deacons can baptize, preach duringMass, officiate at a Catholic wedding, andeven run a parish (with the permission ofthe local bishop). Deacons can also leadcommunion services that often look andfeel like a Catholic Mass.

Deacons, however, can not consecratethe Eucharist or hear confessions. Theycan not administer the sacraments ofConfirmation or Anointing of the Sick.

Simply put, deacons are meant to beservants, assisting the pastor (andChurch) in whatever way he can.

All priests and bishops are also deacons,because the diaconate is the first of thethree stages of Holy Orders. Deacons whogo on to be ordained priests are known as

Diocese of Pittsburgh, will discuss thedangers of ministry that is consumedby mission and then forgets all aboutJesus.

They will also discuss the importanceof balance and humility in ministry. Often those in ministry get very busywith the doing of things for the parish. It can sometimes happen that peoplederive a sense of their own value andidentity from what they accomplish. These can evolve into control issuesand power struggles. Over time, weburn out because we do not spendsufficient time in prayer and wegradually forget the main thing, whichis the relationship with Christ. Ourmission can grind us down and wecan become resentful and jaded.

The goal of the Day of Recollection isto help us reverse that order byputting the relationship to Christ firstand deriving a sense of identity fromthat. It is from our relationship withChrist that we can discern ourmission and stay grounded in prayerwhile we accomplish the work of God.

The Day of Recollection will concludewith the celebration of Mass.

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BIRTHDAYSOCTOBER06 Anne Gibson10 Tom Beavers14 Michael Anna14 Tom McFee15 Ted Janisko16 Kevin Nester18 Linda Ivanits19 Bill Underhill28 Patricia Hornick NOVEMBER

transitional deacons. They are vowed tocelibacy. Men who serve in the permanentdiaconate - meaning they will not, as arule, proceed to priestly ordination - maybe married at the time of their ordination,but may not remarry if their spousepasses away.

The permanent diaconate is a specificvocation in the Church, one that dependson the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God isthe one who calls deacons to service inthe Church through the sacrament of HolyOrders. It is important to remember that itis not something that is gained by goingthrough the ranks of the Church, butsomething that is given (and received)through the grace of God.

Used with permission from Aleteia Newsletter, 2017. For more information please visit:

www.aleteia.org

Rite of CandidacyBishop Mark accepted Derek Lang(pictured with his wife Casey) as acandidate for the Permanent Diaconateon Saturday September 14, 2017. Masswas celebrated at Saints Peter & PaulParish in Philipsburg where the Langs aremembers.

"The Rosary is Hard!" 5 Keys to Get Started

by EdwardSri

06 John Concannon07 Allan Duman09 Dan O'Dowd11 Anne Dalla Valle16 Cindy Gibboney16 Patricia Killoren DECEMBER01 Sherry Ahearn05 Tom Boldin12 Connie Young13 Nancy Pyle22 Sally Sroka23 Gary Gill23 Penny Nester27 John Szwarc29 Carol Papinchak

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIESJim & Karen Janosik

10/10/70Jay & Nancy Pyle

10/13/61Don & Cindy Giboney

10/19/2007Fred & Kathleen Weaver

10/22/60Tom & Shirley Boldin

10/23/71

Kevin & Penny Nester11/13/92

Gene & Barbara Neral11/17/62

Scott & Diane Little11/25/2000

Tom & Andrea Beavers

12/28/91Chris & Vickie Conner

12/30/2000

THE BOOK SHELF

When Women Pray: Eleven CatholicWomen on the Power of Prayerby Kathleen Beckman

The Way of the Heart: Connecting withGod through Prayer, Wisdom, and Silenceby Henri J. M. Nouwen

Many great popes, saints, andChristian leaders have exhorted us topray the rosary. It's a powerful prayer,they say, one that can change your life,strengthen the family, bring peace to theworld, convert entire nations, and win thesalvation of souls.

But does the average person experiencethe rosary this way?

Many Catholics, unfortunately, have theimpression that the rosary is not relevantfor them. It might be a sacred prayer forvery religious people-priests, religioussisters, and exceptional Catholics - but notfor "an ordinary lay person like me." Evensome devout Catholics admit that they area bit intimidated by this prayer. They havetremendous respect for the rosary, knowit's important, but feel bad that they don'tlove it more. Many view it as the marathonof Catholic devotions. "I know it's animportant prayer, but it takes fifteen totwenty minutes. I'm too busy. I don't havetime for that." "It's too hard to stay focusedfor that much time. I prefer shorterprayers."

Some have questions about the rosary:Does all this attention to Mary distract usfrom a relationship with God? Why do werepeat the same prayers over and over?Are we suppose to concentrate on theprayers, the mysteries, or both? Stillothers think the rosary is just plain boring -a monotonous, dry, mechanical way oftalking to God, not as personal andmeaningful as other forms of prayer. "It'slike taking the garbage out for your wife.You know you should do it, but date nightis more exciting." "Sure, the rosary mightbe good for you - like flossing your teeth -but it's not as interesting and meaningful tome as spiritual reading or adoration."

Getting Your Feet Wet If the rosary is not a part of your regularprayer life right now, it's easy to get yourfeet wet with this devotion. Click Here toread more....

This is an excerpt taking from, Praying the Rosary Like Never Before,

Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and EarthTo learn more about Dr. Sri, visit

www.edwardsri.com

Jesus the Bridegroom: The Greatest LoveStory Ever Toldby Brandt Pitre

Padre Pio: A Personal Portraitby Father Francesco Napolitano

Champions of the Rosary: The History andHeros of a Spiritual Weaponby Donald H. Calloway, MIC

Faith Under Fire: Dramatic Stories ofChristian Courageby Matthew Archbold

Catholics and Protestants: What can WeLearn From Each Otherby Archbishop Donald Wuerl

Praying the Rosary Like Never Before:Encounter the Wonder of Heaven andEarthby Edward Sri

Hail Mary, Holy Bible: Sacred Scriptureand the Mysteries of the Rosaryby Clifford Yeary

The Preaching of Pope Francis:Missionary Discipleship and the Ministry ofthe Wordby Gregory Heille, OP

Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved byBeauty: An Intimate Portrait of MyGrandmotherby Kate Hennessy

On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis onFaith, Family and the Church in theTwenty-First Centuryby Jorge Mario Bergogli

Longing to See Your Face: Preaching in aSecular Ageby Thomas J. Scirghi SJ

MUSICThe monks of Fontgombault sing

"Salve Regina"

3 AMAZING WONDER WOMEN OF THE BIBLE

Princess Diana wasn't the first"Wonder Woman" to captivate theworld.

This summer the recent film adaptation of Wonder Woman is set to be the secondhighest grossing movie of the year andrecently became the third biggest releaseof all time for Warner Brothers Studio.

Thousands were enthralled with the "girlpower" displayed on screen, but it wascertainly not the first time the worldwitnessed the amazing strength of women.

This Wonder Woman's power lies in herheart, not her fists. The Bible containsnumerous stories of women who stood upfor their beliefs and did God's will, despitethe cultural limitations put on them at thetime.

Here are three fantastic "Wonder Women"w h o reveal the beauty and strength ofwomen when all odds are stacked againstthem. Read more...

Used with permission from Aleteia Newsletter, 2017 Formore information please visit:

www.aleteia.org

"Why Sacramentals Aren't CatholicSuperstition,

Unless You're Using Them the WrongWay"

From rosary beads to scapulars, theseholy tokens are set apart by the Churchfor our spiritual help.

How Not to Preach By John J. Conley

The Vatican has recently become afount of advice on how top rea c h. "The Joy of the Gospel"gives tips on the Sunday sermon,and the Congregation for DivineWorship's new Directory onPreaching analyzes the nature of theliturgical homily.

As a veteran of 60 years in the pewsand 30 years in the pulpit, I would liketo offer my own advice on how not to preach.

1 . It's all about you. Keep thesermon strictly autobiographical. Yourcongregation is dying to know allabout your last vacation. There's noneed to discuss that pesky readingabout Abraham and Isaac and theknife.

I recently heard a sermon about apriest's socks. Father explained howdifficult it is to keep pairs of sockstogether. Read more...

Article used with permission from AmericaMagazine; www.americamagazine.org

Summer GatheringThe Diaconate Community held apicnic on Sunday, August 27th at theSt. Michael Church Pavilion in St.Michael. A warm thank you to Fr.Brian Warchola and his hospitality. An afternoon of fellowship, good foodand fun was shared by all.

Holy water. Brown Scapulars. SaintBenedict medals. Blessed salt. Rosarybeads . Are these and all the rest justtalismans of Catholic superstition, even ifthey do bear the pious-sounding name"sacramental"?

While the Church knows and teaches thatsacramentals are anything but tools ofsuperstition, the fact is that someCatholics do not use sacramentalsproperly and fall into seeing them as atype of good luck charm.

How then is a Catholic to use thesesacred items without falling prey to asuperstitious mindset?

First of all, a brief primer on these religiousitems. Sacramentals are anything setapart or blessed by the Church for thepurpose of sanctifying our lives andleading us to the sacraments. They aresacred signs and provide for us grace(spiritual help) through the intercession ofthe Church.

Another way to describe sacramentals isthat they are extensions of thesacraments. They are not sacraments inthemselves, but are related to the sevensacraments and flow from them,ultimately leading us back to them. Read more....

Used with permission from Aleteia Newsletter, 2017 Formore information please visit:

www.aleteia.org

How to Build a Better Preacher By Sidney Callahan

Michael Hunhardeaux

Three Rules for Preaching LikePope Francis By Mary Ann Walsh

Looking over Pope Francis' pontificateso far, I think his greatest contributionmay be his telling us how to spreadthe Gospel.

He uses simple words and vibrantimages. He stands as an example ofhow priests should give homilies andhow all of us can evangelize, that is,spread the Gospel.

Here is a book aimed at reviving Catholicpreaching that hits its mark.

Thomas J. Scirghi, S.J., an associateprofessor at Fordham University, is arenowned academic expert and a masterof the art. His inspiring vision can besuccinctly put: "Preaching is the act oftalking to people about Jesus Christ."Christian preaching announces God'sgood news for us in Jesus. Our personalexperiences of God's gracious help arerecounted; the old story is told in a newway when the Scriptures are opened tous. Those hearers whose "hearts burnwithin them" are moved to action in theirdaily lives. The sermon becomes"portable."

Scirghi recognizes how much preparationgood preaching requires. He offers wiseand practical guidelines for how toproceed and how not to. Preaching differsfrom impersonal lecturing or theologicalcommentary - even on church orcommunity concerns. Preachers shouldnever "leave Jesus in the sacristy." Norare they called to be entertainers, Readmore...

Article Used with permission from America Magazine; www.americamagazine.org

Spirituality: What Is A Parish? By Philip Kosloski

Countless Christians use the term, butwhat does it mean?

1. Keep it short. We know the mindcan absorb only what the seat canendure. Read more

Article used with permission from AmericanMagazine; www.americanmagazine.org

"Do you have in your heart thewind of joy?"

Catechesis on Memory, Hope and Vocation Pope Francis, General Audience 8/30/2017

Pope Francis continued hiscatechesis on Hope during hisWednesday General Audience,August 30, 2017 in St. Peter's Square.Challenging especially the young, hesaid all must answer the question:"Do I have in me, in my heart, thewind of joy?"

He used the example of Jesus' call tothe first disciples and how that call tovocation involved hope and memory.He noted that one disciple, John,recalled the exact time, even in his oldage, "a clear memory of youth, whichremained intact in his memory as anelderly man."

The Pope echoed the questions Jesusasked the first disciples: "You, whoare young, what do you seek? In yourheart, what do you seek?" He saidthat young people who seek nothing"are not young people; they areretired, they have grown old beforethe time."

There are many ways to discover avocation, according to the Pope. Buthe said that "every vocation beginswith an encounter with Jesus whogives us a new joy and hope." Thisapplies to marriage, consecrated life,and the priesthood, and leads us,also through trials and difficulties, toan "ever fuller encounter, thatencounter grows greater; theencounter with Him and to the fullnessof joy. "

Here is ZENIT's full translation of PopeFrancis' Italian catechesis. Read more...

As Christianity was firmly established invarious countries, there arose a need toorganize the communities of Christiansinto a manageable system. This task firstbegan in the 4th century and was refinedover the years, culminating in the 16thcentury with the Council of Trent.

It was at Trent that bishops wereinstructed to clearly define parishes andthe priests who would serve them.Specific boundaries were established sothat the priest understood to whom hewas ministering. This was a geographicalboundary determined by the number ofsouls present in a specific region.

The parish priest (also known as the"pastor") had the care of all souls livingwithin his boundaries. He was obliged toattend to their spiritual needs and providethe sacraments. As needs demanded, apastor could be assisted by additionalpriests who would work under hisinstruction. Read More...

Used with permissionwww.aleteia.org

Office of the Permanent Diaconate

925 S. Logan Blvd.Hollidaysburg, PA 16648

(814) 693-9870 Deacon Michael L. Russo Director ofthe Office of the Permanent Diaconate Office ofthe Diaconate michael.russo@atlanticbb.net

Joan M. NoonanOffice Coordinatorjnoonan@dioceseaj.org

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