Martin Frain from St. Peter’s, Doncaster, and John Gilliver, from Bl. English Martyrs, Askern, will be ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Ralph at St. Marie’s Cathedral on 21 September 2024, at 11:00 am, having completed four years of formation.
Third year student Ken Agwuh, from St. Paul’s, Cantley, and second year student Peter Holland, from Sacred Heart, Hillsborough, will be instituted by Bishop Ralph into the stable ministries of Acolyte and Lector respectively on 23 November 2024, at 6:00 pm, at St. Paul’s, Cantley.
Please pray for them as they continue to prepare to serve in the Diocese. All are welcome these two celebrations.
Two new candidates have been accepted into formation for the Diocese Hallam, starting their formation this September. Formation for our diaconal students is delivered through a Northern Dioceses Formation Partnership, involving the seven dioceses in the North of England and Wrexham.
The name deacon comes from the New Testament Greek word ‘diákonon’, which means ‘servant messenger’. This means a deacon is called to serve, like Christ, who came to serve, and not to be served. Therefore, the Diaconal Ministry is a sacramental ministry of service with three main functions:
The Ministry of Charity -especially to those in need in the Church and the wider community
The Ministry of the Word -proclaiming the Gospel as Christ’s messenger
The Ministry of the Altar -a distinct service at table in the liturgy
The Deacon has his roots in scripture and St Paul outlines the qualifications of the Deacon in his first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 3:8-12). From the earliest days of the Church the Lord has called forward people to serve as ministers of the Word, of the Altar, and of Charity as Deacons. We pray that the presence of the Holy Spirit is felt by those discerning their call to the diaconate, and that they are guided towards making the right decision. We also pray for those preparing to receive the ministry of the diaconate, acolyte and lector.
If you require further information about the Permanent Diaconate in Hallam, please speak to your Parish Priest, (the Parish Deacon, if there is one), or contact the Assistant Director of Deacons responsible for Formation, Deacon Tony Strike, on e-mail: [email protected]
