Program and Schedule
The Deacon Conference offers a mix of recorded and live presentations. Recorded presentations are available to watch at any time you desire to log in to your lifetime access and watch. Live presentations will air at the scheduled times below.
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Deacon Conference Recorded Presentations
Click each talk to expand each description.
Deacons were among the most beloved figures in the early Church — and far more likely than priests to be elected as pope! What can modern deacons learn from the ancient models?
To fulfill our obligations and respond faithfully to the spiritual demands of diaconal service, those of us called to this ministry must devoutly practice the disciplines of the spirit in four important areas: becoming vulnerable to the graces received at ordination, a daily examination of conscience, worship of the Blessed Sacrament in adoration, and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This presentation covers the main themes found in Deacon Dominic's book, Encountering Christ the Servant; A Spirituality of the Diaconate (Our Sunday Visitor, 2020).
The interior life of the deacon is that "place" where his "heart" encounters the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The "RIM Dynamic" provides an illuminating framework through which one can reflect more deeply on this encounter. Through scripture, personal anecdote, and his own sacred poetry, Deacon Tony Clishem will reflect on this dynamic of relationship, identity, and mission. Identifying the dispositions, or graces, which help one progress in the interior life will also be key. Because of her perfect communion with her Son, Deacon Tony will also reflect on the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our best exemplar of an intimate relationship with Christ, the Servant.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he taught them to pray “Our Father.” But this Father was not their Father; it was Jesus’s Father. As disciples, we are drawn into Christ’s own relationship with the Father. The Catechism instructs is to contemplate Christ at prayer, to listen to his teachings, and then to dare to pray. We will take up that gift and challenge in this presentation.
There are many aspects to a diaconal spirituality: simplicity of life, for example, and a strong, mature prayer life. Essential to this diaconal spirituality is the virtue of humility. This talk will focus on humility, lived courageously. To guide our reflection, we will make use of St. Benedict's ladder of humility, found in Chapter Seven of his Rule. The talk will suggest ways in which couragous humility can inform a diaconal perspective on the deacon's ministry and life as the Church moves into the future.
The purpose of this talk is to explore the virtue of liturgical piety as it relates to the ministry of the Diaconate. The virtue of piety is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in Isaiah 11:2-3, and it is defined as a grace that “engenders in the soul a filial respect for God, a generous love toward him, and an affectionate obedience that wants to do what he commands because it loves the one who commands.” Taking Saint Stephen the Protodeacon and Protomartyr as the model for the diaconal vocation, we will reflect on the Three Pillars of the virtue of Liturgical Piety for the ordained: 1) To Pray what the Church Prays, 2) To Do what the Church Does, and 3) To Become the Prayer.
Join Deacon Jeff Drzycimski, host of The Catholic Cafe radio program and podcast, as he walks deacons, deacon candidates as well as wives and friends of deacons through a short, inspirational talk focusing on the Blessed Mother's intercession for diaconal ministry, then leading us on a special Scriptural Rosary focused specifically on the Deacon and his role serving and assisting Mother Church in her ministry to the People of God.
A distinction is often made between interior and exterior participation in the liturgy. But Pius XII insisted that the two be linked because people are a composite of soul and body. The deacon is ordained to minister to both a person’s soul and body. Therefore, he is ordained to serve both the visible liturgy and the spiritual, mystical liturgy. How does his interior life prepare him for that?
The Second Vatican Council exhorted clerics – deacons included – to “immerse themselves in the Scriptures by constant sacred reading and diligent study” (Dei Verbum 25). As ministers of the Word, it is vital that deacons heed this exhortation – but how is one to engage in “constant sacred reading” in the midst of a busy professional, ministerial, and family life? In this talk, Dr. Stephen Fahrig draws on his own experiences with the daily interiorization of Sacred Scripture to offer deacons some practical suggestions for facilitating their own constant and fruitful encounter with the Word of God.
A distinction is often made between interior and exterior participation in the liturgy. But Pius XII insisted that the two be linked because people are a composite of soul and body. The deacon is ordained to minister to both a person’s soul and body. Therefore, he is ordained to serve both the visible liturgy and the spiritual, mystical liturgy. How does his interior life prepare him for that?
In this presentation we will explore some aspects of the ministry of the word. The ministry of the word is not confined to preaching but is also a ministry of teaching and of contemplation. Good preaching and teaching of the word is dependent on deep contemplation of the Word of God. We will reflect on one of the ways in which we contemplate the Scriptures through lectio divina. Lectio invites us to savour the word, to taste its goodness, to digest the word and ultimately to be transformed by it. In this way when we preach or teach the Word there is an authenticity that enters our own words through the grace of the Holy Spirit. If Acts 6 1-7 has anything to say about the ministry of deacons, it is to be found in verse seven, which summaries the entire episode, "The word of the Lord continued to spread and the number of disciples increased." Ministry of the Word is a central dimension of the ministry of deacon it is a ministry which aims to build up the church for mission, to create and form disciples.
One deacon writer has called the act of writing "a sacrament," a sign of God's work in the life of the writer. What does that mean for a deacon? Writing connects the heart with the hand — and can both invigorate the interior life and reflect it. This talk looks at the three ways writing benefits the deacon's spiritual life: as a form of prayer, as a form of evangelization, and as an exercise in self-discovery.
This presentation will focus on the deacon as one who lives "Shema". Shema is a Hebrew word that can be translated as; to hear, to listen, or to obey. Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 contains the basic principle of the whole Mosaic Law - that we must love God with our whole heart. This is the first and greatest commandment. We will explore how this important passage forms the deacon's preaching in light of his life within his family, workplace, and ministry.
The deacon, pulled in different directions, finds discernment of what to do next when rooted first of all in the interior life. His lifelong vocation rests upon taking care of the inner room discerning a daily vocation. But how does a deacon make that daily discernment? This presentation discusses insights and methods from the Church Fathers, Saints, and spiritual writers in the Catholic Christian tradition for an interior discernment.
The Post-Christian world sees no value in human suffering. Christians are called to bring a message of hope, which is rooted in the Good News of Jesus Christ. Deacons are called to offer the gift of their diakonia in service to women, men, and children who are sick, suffering, and dying. This talk will emphasize how suffering can be redemptive and how deacons can accompany those who suffer.
Intellectual formation is important to the life of a deacon. The deacon not only takes classes in preparation for ordination but is expected to continue his education. How can we think about this education as spiritually formative rather than just a requirement? In this session, deacons will be introduced to a theology and spirituality of study that will sustain them in their work in the Church.
We are entering into days where we, the Church, are experiencing a high level of ineffectiveness. Add to this time the tumultuous pandemic that has facilitated an even greater lack of participation in Church programs and one can see that the Church is struggling to regain footing in the lives of it’s parishioners. One can not help but see that the real conversion that we seek both in our lives and the lives of the our parishioners can only be accomplished by God.
St. Paul and Pope Francis agree...the deacon is most effective in evangelizing by entering into Small Christian Communities.
Doing ministry is fraught with challenges, but the deadliest one of all is when we substitute our ministry for our spirituality. In this video, Dr. Bob Rice discusses how to know when we are serving the household of the Lord instead of the Lord of the household.
So often, it is easy to believe that God is silent in our lives. But, perhaps God is communicating us constantly in ways that we just don't see. In this talk, we are going to explore the various (and often missed) ways that God communicates his plan for us.
This presentation from a deacon in Australia reflects on how we might prepare ourselves spiritually for each day ahead. Deacon Gary Stone served 24 years as an Army Infantry officer , and was later ordained deacon for Fulltime service as miltary and police chaplain, where he served another 24 years in uniform, with many overseas deployments . In the Australian military, soldiers on active service have a comprehensive daily morning routine set themselves for the battles ahead of them. Drawing on the example of Jesus, and using the metaphor of the Lords invitation for us to have "daily bread ", Gary has adapted this routine for his role as a deacon. Gary currently serves as chaplain for the veteran community where he leads a team of 20 veteran peer mentors, running health and wellbeing programs for wounded ill and injured veterans. Gary recorded this presentation in the course of his most recent program.
A biblical record of St. Philip the deacon, which recognizes several distinctively diaconal traits from which can be inferred timeless and timely elements of his “diaconal spirituality,” including (1) his “call” (Acts 6), dealing with Philip’s relationship to Christ and the Church, (2) “the extension of the apostles” (Acts 8), which begins to reveal Philip’s unique diaconal identity flowing from this relationship, and finally (3) “the fruit” (Acts 21), where we see how Philip’s mission crystalized in the areas of hospitality, family, and evangelization.
Syndicated Catholic talk show host, best selling Catholic author, motivational speaker, and a deacon's wife-Teresa Tomeo, will share insights from her latest book, Listening for God and help participants listen to the Lord with as St Benedict said, "the ear of the heart". Teresa will show how "remembering" what the Lord has done, including those special God moments in our lives, can help us grow stronger in the interior life, despite living in an increasingly boisterous world bombarding us with nonstop noise.
This presentation explores the spiritual dynamics among relationship, identity, and mission, showing their origin in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. Building upon this foundation, and reflecting upon personal experience, the presenter offers a perspective of diaconal configuration to Christ the Servant.
How does the interior life, the life of prayer, relate to preaching and the preacher? Join Fr. Joshua as he explores a few simple ways we preachers can be faithful in both prayer and proclamation.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Your lifetime access to the recorded content of this conference starts on Friday November 5. During the opening weekend, we have a few live events with some featured speakers. Live event replays will be posted to the conference for later viewing.
FEATURED LIVE EVENTS
Friday, November 5
1:00 PM ET: Interview with Deacon James Keating by Deacon Jeff Drzycimski
5:00 PM ET: Live Workshop with Deacon Joseph Michalak - Diaconal Spirituality and the Virtues
8:00 PM ET: Marriage in the Diaconate (Gretchen moderator) Panel Discussion with Deacon Dominic and Judith Cerrato and Deacon Dominick Pastore and Teresa Tomeo
Saturday, November 6
10:00 AM ET: Deacon Dominic Cerrato - Grounding Diaconal Spirituality in the Origins of the Order
1:00 PM ET: Interview with Deacon Larry Oney by Deacon Jeff Drzycimski
8:00 PM ET: Panel Discussion on the Spirituality of the Diaconate, by the Puscas Brothers
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