Deacons will serve in areas of need, such as ministry to prisoners and to migrants, says director
The B.C. Catholic
The southern interior is preparing to carry out Catholic outreach throughout the community with the introduction of a new permanent diaconate program.
“Our primary reason for pursuing the diaconate program is that there are a number of services in our diocese that lack manpower or are not properly attended to,” said Father Bart van Roijen, the director of the permanent diaconate program.
“We would like to ordain deacons in hopes they will be in charge of specific areas of the diocese” such as evangelizing migrant workers and aiding prison ministry.
The Diocese of Nelson is very spread out, covering more than 120,000 square kilometres. “The deacons will have responsibilities within their own parishes, but our main intent is to make sure we have a specific ministry of service that is under the tutelage of the bishop and is coordinated and assigned by him.”
Because of the size of the diocese, Father van Roijen hopes deacons will provide support to each specific ministry. The ministry each deacon is assigned to “may cover more than one parish, (but) we wouldn’t expect a deacon in the Okanagan to administer in the East Kootenays.”
“The challenge of geography is there, but many of these ministries are defined by a particular reason,” he said. “We’re trying to work towards empowering the laity through the establishment of new ministries, as well as putting special focus on ministries where people can be trained and receive further education.”
Father van Roijen said he prays that the program will “enliven the diocese and spur more involvement in the very acts of mercy that we have been celebrating for the past year.”
The program will serve “to grow what we have,” said the priest. “It’s so easy for any diocese to get stuck and do the same things again and again. It’s our hope, and my hope, that it will bring new life to the diocese and reach out the arm of mercy, especially to those people who are not fully being served, or in some cases not served at all.”
“The ministry of permanent deacons has brought great blessings and has promoted evangelization in many local churches through the rest of Canada and the world,” said Bishop John Corriveau, OFM Cap, of the Nelson Diocese. “We wish to bring this evangelizing energy also to our diocesan church.”
The bishop mentioned the importance of deacons in evangelizing, stating that in early Church times, deacons would serve as an outreach to the poor and needy. “We seek persons of good repute in their local faith communities who will extend the healing presence of the Gospel to the marginalized, the poor, and the suffering.”
“Several candidates for the permanent diaconate have come forward,” Bishop Corriveau said. “We hope to begin their process of formation for ministry in the coming months.”
Interested individuals should contact Father van Roijen at htpastor@shaw.ca or 250-368-6677.
