Diaconate to have 'profound effect' on local Church

By WCR Staff
Edmonton

The future looks bright for deacons in the Edmonton Archdiocese. The now one-and-a-half-year old diaconate formation program currently has 12 men in formation who could be ordained in 2008.

Another 19 are applying to begin formation in September. If everything goes without a hitch, they could be ordained in 2010.

That means that in four-and-a-half years the archdiocese could have up to 30 deacons working in parishes.

Having so many deacons around will have a "profound effect" on the life of the parish and the archdiocese, said Ron Woytiuk, director of the diaconate program.

In addition to enhancing the liturgical life of the parish, the deacons will enhance ministries currently in place and create new ones.

"These people come from careers of various sources and various backgrounds so they'll bring skills that will be new to the parishes and I think what you'll see is ministries that don't exist will kind of be incorporated into parish life," Woytiuk said.

"I'm excited for the parishes and the communities that these deacons will be serving in because I certainly spend lots of time with them and I see the skills set that they would bring to their particular parish.

"I know when I have spoken to pastors in these parishes they are very excited because they know the kinds of ministries that these people have been involved in in the past, the kind of history they have.

"They are excited in that they will have the assistance of these people perhaps in an added dimension from what was in existence in the past."

Those currently in formation are between 40 and 60 years of age, have a variety of careers and occupations and all of them are married. Deacons receive no remuneration and aspirants are told so during orientation.

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