WELLINGTON | The Diocese of Palm Beach’s Office of Permanent Deacon Formation is offering two informational meetings for men who are active in parish life and feel they may be called to the diaconate. Their wives are encouraged to attend.
The first of the meetings was July 20 at St. Therese de Lisieux Parish in Wellington, and the second will be Wednesday, July 27 at 7 p.m., at St. Mark the Evangelist Parish, 1924 Zephyr Ave., in Fort Pierce.
The permanent diaconate was restored as a Catholic ministry by Pope Paul VI in 1967, and the first deacons in the United States were ordained in 1971. Deacons are ordained by the church for what the Second Vatican Council saw as service to the word, altar and charity.
The process of becoming a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Palm Beach begins with discernment of God’s call through prayer and reflection. The next step is to discuss your interest and questions with a spiritual director, then a pastor.
Currently, the formation process entails five years of study, prayer, human and pastoral preparation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach.
For more information or to register for an informational meeting, contact Deacon Pete Delvalle at pdelvalle@diocesepb.org or Consuelo Gutierrez at cgutierrez@diocesepb.org.
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