DIAKONIA Newsletter

DIAKONIA

Volume VII Number 2 / July 2023

Diaconate Ordination

Bishop Mark ordained Richard Messina, Chuck WIlliams and Nelson Lowes to the Permanent Diaconate on Saturday, June 3rd at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona.

Deacon Richard Messina and his wife Michelle are members of Our Mother of Sorrows in Johnstown, PA and Deacon Richard has been appointed by Bishop Mark to begin his Diaconal Service at St. John Gualbert and St. Patrick's Church, Johnstown, PA

Deacon Chuck Williams and his wife Belinda are members of Holy Spirit in Lockhaven, PA. Deacon Charles has been appointed by Bishop Mark to begin his Diaconal Service at his home parish of Holy Spirt, Lockhaven and St. Joseph, Renovo.

Deacon Nelson Lowes and his wife Michelle are members of Our Mother of Sorrows in Johnstown, PA. Deacon Nelson has been appointed by Bishop Mark to begin Diaconal Service at Resurrection and St. Clair of Assisi Parishes, Johnstown, PA

God bless these men and their families and may the Holy Spirit shine on them as they begin serving the community of God's people.

Upcoming events text written over blue background.

Annual Deacon Picnic

Sunday, August 20, 2023

12:00 pm-?

St. Michael Pavilion, St. Michael

Rite of Candidacy

Saturday, September 16, 2023

5:00 PM

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament

Annual Dinner with Bishop Mark for Deacons and Wives

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

6:00 PM

U.S. Hotel Tavern, Hollidaysburg

Annual Marion Celebration

Sunday, October 1, 2023

3:00 PM

St. Benedict Church, Johnstown

Parish Mission

"Renewed in the Eucharist"

Fr. Frank DeSiano, Presenter

October 22-23-24, 2023

7:00 - 8:30 PM Nightly

St. Benedict Church, Johnstown

Priest to Deacon: "Being a deacon is not a REAL vocation."

From the inbox comes a note from a very concerned brother deacon. A priest recently told him that there was no real sacramental significance to being a deacon, unlike the ordinations of presbyters or bishops...Read Full Story

By Deacon William T. Ditewig, PH.D.

billditewig.blog

THE BOOK SHELF

The 7 Secrets of the Eucharist

by Vinny Flynn

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist

by Brant Pitre

The Real Presence: What does it Mean and Why Does it Matter?

by Timothy O'Malley

21 Ways to Worship: A Guide to Eucharistic Adoration

by Vinny Flynn

This is my body: A call to Eucharistic Revival

by Bishop Robert Barron

Meditations before Mass

by Romano Guardini

Divine Love Made Flesh: The Holy Eucharist and Sacrament of Charity

by Raymond Cardinal Burke

St. Paul: A Biography

by N. T. Wright

What St. Paul Really Said

by N. T. Wright

St. Therese of Lisieux

by Fr. Didier-Marie Golay

Click Here for More Books and Descriptions

Woman with hands folded in prayer_ looking up toward the Light

Prayer is Being Gazed Upon

Fr. Peter Cameron,OP-published on 6/25/2023

If you, Lord, look upon me for an instant, I am at once made strong and filled with new joy.

To pray is to be held in the loving gaze of Jesus Christ and how lost we would be without it, as The Imitation of Christ expresses so well: Left to myself, I am nothing but total weakness. Read Full Story

The Necessity of Ongoing Formation In Preaching

One of our most important tasks is to fine-tune our teaching

The Deacon-by Deacon Steve Kramer

On Jan. 24, 2023, I sat down at my computer to begin writing this article concerning the necessity for ongoing formation in preaching. Within an hour, three people emailed me a copy of the Jan. 20, 2023, address of Pope Francis to participants in the course “Living Liturgical Action Fully.” Pope Francis emphasizes a very specific point to priests, but it is quite valuable for deacons as well.

Toward the end of his address, the pope says: “Please, the homilies: They are a disaster. At times I hear someone: ‘Yes, I went to Mass in that parish … yes, a good lesson of philosophy, 40, 45 minutes.’ Eight, 10, no more! And always a thought, a sentiment and an image. Let people take something home with them. In Evangelii Gaudium I wanted to emphasize this. And I said it many times, because it is something that we do not end up understanding: The homily is not a conference, it is a sacramental.”

Read Full Story