God is calling each of us to serve one another in charity and love and Pope Francis speaks to this call constantly. For some there is a particular invitation to serve Christ and the Church in ordained ministry. The Permanent Diaconate, restored at Vatican II, is a ministry of service that is open to married and single men. In the words of Saint John Paul II, the ministry of the deacon "is the Church's service sacramentalized."

Deacons are ordained to the Ministry of Service in three areas: Word, Sacrament, and Charity. As a servant to the Word, deacons proclaim the gospel, instruct the faithful, and evangelize by word and deed, as did the great deacons St. Stephen and St. Francis. As a servant of the sacramental life of the church, deacons preside at baptisms, assist at the Eucharist, bring the Eucharist to the sick and suffering, witness marriages, bury the dead, and preside at Benediction. As a servant of charity, like the great deacon St. Lawrence, deacons report the needs of the community to the Church and bring its support and assistance to those in need. The deacon is called to be the "Icon of Christ the Servant" living out the life of charity for the people of God and being an "animator" for all to feed the hungry, visit the sick, and care for one another in our brokenness.

Because deacons work in the secular world and most are married men with families, they share in the worries and stresses of daily life. Permanent deacons know well the difficulties of balancing faith, family, and financial security. Through the deacon living in the world as an ordained minister, the Church knows personally the challenges, demands, fears, and anxieties of the People of God. By his vocation the deacon bridges work, family, and leisure with the life of the Church. In fact, by living and working in the secular world, the deacon seeks to model, in his person, the integration of what one believes and how one lives.

If you are discerning God's possible call to serve the Church as a minister of Charity, Word, and Sacrament as an ordained deacon in the Archdiocese of Boston, you and your wife are invited to take part in the upcoming Inquirer program. The program consists three sessions:

Session I: Who is the Deacon and am I one who is called? (Choose one of the following options for Session I.) All sessions are from 7:00-8:30 unless otherwise noted.

September 2017 Sessions

Sept. 18, 2017: St. Maria Goretti Parish, 112 Chestnut Street, Lynnfield

Sept. 18, 2017: St. Peter Church, 100 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, entrance to Parish Center and parking from Manassas Avenue

Sept. 19, 2017: Pastoral Center, 66 Brooks Drive, Braintree

Sept. 20, 2017: Good Shepherd Parish, 99 Wayland Street, Wayland

Sept. 26, 2017: St. Jerome Parish, 632 Bridge Street, Weymouth

Sept. 26, 2017: Holy Name Parish, 1689 Centre Street, West Roxbury. Lower floor of the rectory

Sept. 26, 2017: Sacred Hearts Parish, 165 South Main Street, Haverhill

Sept. 26, 2017: Immaculate Conception, 11 Prospect Street, Marlborough (Call Deacon Christopher Connelly for details)

October 2017 Sessions: Sessions are held at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Oct. 5, 2017: St. Mary Catholic Church, 176 Washington Street, East Walpole

Oct. 11, 2017: St. Joseph the Worker Parish, 1 Maquan Street, Hanson

Oct. 21, 2017: Sacred Hearts Parish, 297 Main Street., Malden at 1:00 p.m.

Additional Session I meetings are being planned to be held at the following parishes in October. Please call Deacon Christopher Connelly for more details.

St. Stephen Parish, Framingham

St. Ann Parish, Somerville

St. Michael Parish, North Andover

Christ the King Parish, Brockton

Session II: Application process, Canon Law, Formation from the wife's perspective

Tuesday Nov. 7, 2017, 7:00-8:30 p.m. (Pastoral Center, Braintree)

Session III: Discernment Day of Prayer

Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (with lunch provided). Pastoral Center, Braintree

Those who are interested in the Diaconate are encouraged to attend all three events along with their wives (if married). Please email Deacon Christopher Connelly at deacon_vocations@rcab.org to sign up or to receive more information or call the office at 617-746-5649. The next group to be admitted into formation will begin classes in September 2018.

Our Church is global and multicultural and so we actively seek men for the diaconate from our many cultural communities in the Archdiocese. Academic classes are offered in English, however we are committed to offering support for those for whom English is not the primary language. The Aspirancy Class beginning in the fall 2018 will have some classes available in Spanish.

DEACON CHRISTOPHER CONNELLY IS DIRECTOR OF FORMATION FOR THE PERMANENT DIACONATE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.