BROOKFIELD—Over 100 diocesan deacons, along with their wives and men in formation, gathered on Saturday, April 13 for their annual Diaconate Convocation, reflecting on how they have served God and others in the past while looking ahead to a growth in discernment that Bishop Frank J. Caggiano calls a “remarkable testimony to the reflowering of this ministry.” Centering on the theme of forgiveness, this convocation, held at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish in Brookfield, featured speakers throughout the day who offered insight and spiritual guidance to allow both the men and women present to enrich their service to the diocese.
The day began with a welcome by Deacon John DiTaranto, director of the diaconate, and Mass celebrated by Bishop Caggiano. During his homily, Deacon DiTaranto engaged the congregation with a story of sitting in the middle seat during a business flight. Instead of relaxing as he had hoped, a woman beside him noticed his diaconate cross and asked for a prayer to ensure their safe travels. Though a bit frustrated, he acquiesced then wondered, “Why was I so annoyed about delivering a prayer? I love my faith, I love talking about Christ, so why did I find it such a bother to offer a simple prayer?”
The deacon realized, however, that this interaction was a “great opportunity to journey with someone else and perhaps build a relationship with Christ.” Relating his anecdote to the day’s readings, he wondered what the first deacons would have said if someone interrupted them to ask for a prayer. They would not have been annoyed with the request, he assumed. “We are asked to deal with distractions as we go about our lives serving others,” Deacon DiTaranto said. “It is what we have been called to do every moment of our lives.”
Following Mass, Bishop Caggiano addressed attendees in the parish hall, offering his gratitude for those present. “This is a great opportunity to say how profoundly grateful I am for
these men and their wives,” he said. “I thank the Lord for those coming forward and discerning the diaconate.” The numbers of men in formation continues to grow, he added, and plans are being made for a multilingual men’s conference each spring to include prayer, fraternity, and service.
The bishop then began his address on Gender Guidelines, referring to Pope Francis’ Pontificate as “the one document that summarizes everything the Holy Father has been trying to emphasize in his teachings in the last 11 years.” He described human dignity as infinite, detailing the four types of dignity as ontological, moral, social, and existential. “Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, and the value of that individual is given by God – not by anyone else and can never fully be lost,” he explained. “We have authentic freedom, but that freedom is not to do whatever you want; it’s a freedom to do what’s good, that which keeps you coherent with your dignity.”
“Male and female form the fullness of God. To destroy it is a profound offense against ontological dignity,” he continued. Some in attendance wondered how, as Catholics, to address those who question this dignity and struggle with who they are. Walk with them, he said. “We are about accompaniment. We pray for humanity and compassion. It is our obligation to have conversations when people raise these questions.”
The convocation’s theme of forgiveness commenced when Timothy Lock, a licensed clinical psychologist focusing on the Catholic population, took to the podium with excerpts from his book Choosing Forgiveness: Unleashing the Power of God’s Grace. When one is the victim of a transgression, the “Catholic response,” he said, is to immediately forgive, though that may be premature. Using spiritually can help one understand the situation. “And by grace,” Lock added, “we can enter into a deep level of forgiveness that leads us to love the very person who harmed us, to love our enemies and pray for our prosecutor. This is how we choose forgiveness.”
Lock recounted the familiar story of St. Maria Goretti, who, at age 11, forgave the assailant who stabbed and eventually killed her, showcasing how one can rely on God’s grace to forgive another. “Forgiveness is not reconciliation; it’s not something I do for me. Forgiveness is an act of love for oneself, for others, or God,” he added.
While Lock offered a theological perspective of forgiveness, another speaker later in the day offered a real life perspective. Jenny Hubbard, whose daughter Catherine died in the Sandy Hook School shooting, shared that there is no one true path toward forgiveness because each injured person’s story is different. “That’s kind of frustrating when we want a way forward in this world of forgiveness,” she admitted.
After Catherine died, Hubbard focused on habits she had before the shooting, including prayer. “I would try to wrap my head around scripture,” she said. “I heard people talking about the Lord God, he sees you. He is with you. His heart breaks with you. And I wanted to know it for myself. As I leaned into my prayer, it all changed.” When praying with a full heart, one sees that God is true to his word, Hubbard believes, and helps them become a forgiving person.
Between Lock’s and Hubbard’s presentations, attendees spent about 45 minutes in breakout sessions. Deacons and men in formation met with Fr. Patrick Baikauskas, O.P, a Dominican friar and executive at the Aquinas Institute of Theology, while their wives listened to Jan Brown, a lay Carmelite and member of Magnificat Ministry to Catholic Women.
“Our goal is to shape those who evangelize in our parishes, in our schools, in our hospitals, and wherever else the Gospel message finds a home,” Fr. Baikauskas said in his talk entitled ‘Ongoing Preaching Formation.’ “We’re trying to give pastors and other ministers the tools to actually engage these people with a loving, human-centered approach.”
In her lecture on ‘The Four Grandmothers of Jesus,’ Brown talked of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, all chosen by God to be the grandmothers of his son. “Four broken women,
some had affairs, were prostitutes, were not Jewish, and they didn’t fit in,” Brown said. “They were ordinary women who did extraordinary things.”
As Deacon DiTaranto reflected on the day and feedback from the deacons, which included comments such as “Today’s program was the best ever” and “Wonderful day and theme,” he said how grateful he is for the growth of the diaconate within the diocese. Men are drawn in, he said, and continue to ask if they are being called. This influx of deacons compliments what he said in his homily: “When we are all brought together as we are today, we produce an incredible image of Christ. Every day, each one of us goes out into the world on our own, but we remain an integral part of that image of Christ.”
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano invites everyone to the diaconate ordination of Walter Avitabile, Edward Carrillo, and Frank Mantero at St. Augustine Cathedral on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
By Emily Clark
