deaconjer
New Member
Diocese of[br]Camden[br]Class of '99
Posts: 0
|
Post by deaconjer on Nov 23, 2013 7:51:15 GMT -5
Like some of the post I have read, in my parish we do Baptism's during Mass on Sunday. That being said, I know that if asked to do a private Baptism there would be no problem. I know my pastor would let me do a private Baptism.
|
|
Jim Bauhs
New Member
Archdiocese of[br]St Paul and Minneapolis[br]Class of 2010
Posts: 4
|
Post by Jim Bauhs on Nov 16, 2013 21:32:41 GMT -5
I am responsible for all Baptism prep classes that we run every other month and on-demand in special cases. I am also scheduled to perform Baptisms after our 10am Mass on e first Sunday of the month We can accommodate up to 4 Baptisms due to a noon Spanish Mass. I will also do special requests, although we do do not allow "private" Baptisms. Once per month we schedule a Baptism during Mass but that is rarely chosen or performed. During the Mass the presider will normally perform the Baptism unless there is a special request for someone else.
|
|
Terry Starns
New Member
Diocese of[br]Milwaukee[br]Class of '92
Posts: 2
|
Post by Terry Starns on Nov 15, 2013 18:36:31 GMT -5
At my previous 2 parishes I prepared between 15 and 30 marriages a year and presided about half of the weddings. Now I have a duel assignment at two parishes along with 3 other deacons, the pastor and an associate. So, I am preparing 2 - 3 and presiding 1 - 2 a year.
|
|
dcnmick
New Member
Archdiocese of[br]Liverpool[br]Class of 1998
Posts: 3
|
Post by dcnmick on Nov 15, 2013 17:33:25 GMT -5
Fr presides at Nuptial Mass while I preside at marriages outside of Mass. I usually preside at two to three marriages a year. My wife and I coordinate marriage preparation. I will be planning our next preparation meeting to coincide with National Marriage week here in the UK. I hope to persuade as many couples as possible to renew their vows at Mass that weekend.
|
|
jerryroersma
New Member
Diocese of[br]Grand Rapids, MI[br]Class of 2006
Posts: 3
|
Post by jerryroersma on Nov 15, 2013 17:07:18 GMT -5
Seven years, seven marriages. Usually mixed marriages unless the couple request me.
|
|
dcnpat
New Member
Diocese of Winona, MN[br]Ordained 2003
Posts: 0
|
Post by dcnpat on Nov 15, 2013 14:14:17 GMT -5
On average, over the past 8 years I've been here at the parish, I do about 8-9 wedding "practices" per year on the Friday evenings before the weddings. I've presided at less then 1 wedding a year since coming here, and the 5 weddings at which I've presided, all but 1 were in July while the pastor is on vacation. Only for those ceremonies at which I presided have I also done the marriage prep. I've presided at many more funerals, both in the church and at the funeral homes, and always assist at funeral masses if not on vacation myself.
|
|
jerrylozon
New Member
Diocese of London, Ontario Canada[br]Ordained 2007
Posts: 2
|
Post by jerrylozon on Nov 15, 2013 12:08:56 GMT -5
There are two deacons in our parish cluster and we do about 5 or 6 weddings each per year.
|
|
Bill Ladroga
New Member
Director of Formation[br]Diocese of Venice, FL Ordained 1978
Posts: 5
|
Post by Bill Ladroga on Nov 15, 2013 11:48:47 GMT -5
Although we three deacons in the parish preside at a few of the marriages without a Mass, we do most of the marriage preparations for all the marriages and prepare about 10-15 couples each every year.
|
|
|
Post by Tim Killmeyer on Nov 15, 2013 10:24:44 GMT -5
In over 14 years I've never even come close to doing 5! Many years Zero. Mostly one or two. I'm already booked for one next April. Almost always a Catholic and a non-Catholic who don't want a Mass. Tim
|
|
|
Post by Tim Killmeyer on Nov 15, 2013 10:20:38 GMT -5
Just like before only now MARRAIGES. Many of us are often called upon to help with Sacramental duties as well as taking on leadership roles in para-liturgies and other types of prayer services. These are all part of what we were ordained to do but some of our diaconal assignments lend themselves to doing more of these things than other assignments.
There are also MANY variables that can't be reflected in the POLL, like the fact that a deacon assigned to a young suburban parish "might" do more marriages than a deacon assigned to an elderly, urban parish (who "might" do more committal services). You get my drift. It might be interesting to do the same POLLs in 5 or ten years and see if percentages have changed!
Next time: committals
Tim
|
|
bigj
New Member
Diocese of[br]New Orleans[br]Class of 1985
Posts: 7
|
Post by bigj on Nov 2, 2013 8:26:33 GMT -5
Assignments certainly change from parish to parish and time period to time period. My original assignment lasted for twenty-four years. In that time I saw us go from two baptism dates a month, with many Baptisms to one Baptism date for month with an average of ten baptisms a month. Now, I am in a parish assignment with an average of less than one Baptism per month. all this is due to the mean age of parishioners. During this time the Deacons did all the Baptisms unless a parishioner requested another Cleric baptize.
Bigj
|
|
|
Post by Tim Killmeyer on Oct 31, 2013 7:08:05 GMT -5
Good for All Saints/ All Souls
Becoming Who We Are by Fr. Dwight Longnecker
COMMENTARY: ‘One of the reasons we celebrate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day one day after the other is a reminder that all souls are called to be saints.’
In ministering as a Catholic priest, I sometimes get the impression that Catholics are more interested in the minimum than the maximum.
What I mean is that too many Catholics seem to have heard that what is required to be a good Catholic is to go to Mass once a week and confession once a year. That’s it.
Therefore, they do their duty. They check the boxes. They complete the test. They reckon they’ve done just enough to stay out of hell, that God will forgive them the rest, and they’ll coast into heaven having done what’s required.
They seem, to me, like the high-school kid who was told by his teacher that his term paper needed to be five pages long with footnotes, so he turns in a mediocre effort that is five pages of mush with a few footnotes.
This isn’t what a term paper is for. The term paper is a set part of the coursework so the student will not just learn how to write a five-page paper, but also learn something in the process. The term paper was a means to an end. It was not an end in itself.
So it is with the practice of the Catholic faith. The rules and regulations of the Catholic faith — going to Mass each Sunday and confession once a year, the precepts of the Church and the Ten Commandments — these strictures and structures are a means to an end, not an end in themselves.
They are the rules for the game of sainthood. They are the map for the journey.
The game and the journey are far greater. The destination of the journey and the goal of the game is sanctity. To put it plainly: All of us are supposed to become saints.
Our hearts should burn with the words of St. Thérèse of Lisieux: “You must be a whole saint or no saint at all!”
Once we have entered into the body of Christ through baptism, our destiny is total sanctity. In the Eastern Church, they call this theosis. It means becoming transformed into the full image of Christ.
In St. Paul’s words to the Ephesians, it means “growing up into the full humanity of Jesus.” A saint is not simply a person who is more pious than anyone else. A saint is a person who has become more himself than anyone else.
A saint is an ordinary person who has been made complete and whole and has become the fully alive person God created him to be.
I get the feeling, however, that most Catholics find such an idea to be excessive or extreme. It is as if they are saying to God, “You know, I’m not such a great person. I’m not ambitious. I know you are preparing all those mansions in heaven. Well, I’ll be content with a little shed down in the lower gardens. That’s all right for me. Just as long as I squeeze through the pearly gates, I’ll be fine.”
God has much greater things prepared for us than we can ever dare to hope or imagine. He wants nothing less than our total transformation. He created us to be shining stars in the heavens — brilliant examples of his complete, creative love. He wants us to enjoy the fullness of life in Christ, and many seem content with just getting by.
One of the reasons we celebrate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day one day after the other is a reminder that all souls are called to be saints. We pray for the repose of the souls of our loved ones on All Souls’ Day, but why do we do this?
Saying that we pray “for their repose” makes it sounds passive. Are we simply praying that they will rest in peace? There is more to it than that. We are also praying that God will continue his work of grace in their lives and bring them to the full state of holiness and sanctity for which they were created.
Purgatory is not simply a place of rest. When we die, if we are not in mortal sin, we do not simply go to a retirement home in the sky. Purgatory is not a place of hammocks on the beach, where we can finally put up our feet and have a well-deserved rest.
Purgatory is the place where we finish the work we have left undone on this earth. In purgatory, our remaining weakness, cowardice, lust, greed and selfishness are burned away. Purgatory is a place of progress, not simply a place of peace.
When we pray for our loved ones on All Souls’ Day and throughout the month of November, we should be praying in an active way, not only that they will find peace, but that they will grow up into the full stature of Christ Jesus and rapidly rid themselves of every weight that holds them back — so they might become the radiant images of Christ they were created to be.
As for ourselves, there is a beautiful prayer in the funeral service: “That God might help us to use aright the time that is left to us here on earth.”
The work of becoming a saint is easier here than it is in purgatory. All of us still have plenty of work to do as we cooperate with God’s grace in the great adventure of sanctity. This work requires a courageous and joyful spirit. It requires discipline and the spirit of the warrior.
Again, we hear the call of little St. Thérèse, who said to her novices, “Sanctity: It must be won at the point of a sword!”
Father Dwight Longenecker’s latest book, The Romance of Religion, will be published in February 2014 by Thomas Nelson. Visit his blog, browse his books and be in touch at DwightLongenecker.com.
|
|
Russ O'Neill
Lector
Diocese of Youngstown Class of 2000
Posts: 189
|
Post by Russ O'Neill on Oct 24, 2013 14:46:00 GMT -5
Like many who have responded, we urge couples to have Baptisms during one of the weekend liturgies, and most do. Involving the parish is important. Because of that, Father usually does the rite. We now have 3 deacons, but it is rare that we do baptisms. In my 13 years, I have had many more marriages than baptisms.
|
|
dcnbobdavis
New Member
Diocese of[br]Paterson[br]Ordained 1995
Posts: 0
|
Post by dcnbobdavis on Oct 17, 2013 14:57:35 GMT -5
In our parish, the two deacons alternate with the pastor each month, if there are any baptisms. For example, I'm scheduled for this month, but there aren't any baptism scheduled. If the baptism is at a Mass, Father usually does it, but not necessarily. If it's a deacon's 'month', then the deacon can still do the baptism if he wishes, or might just assist the priest, perhaps doing the anointing. We're a small parish, so the number of baptisms isn't huge.
|
|
rwilliamsen
New Member
Diocese of Stockton[br]Ordained 2011
Posts: 7
|
Post by rwilliamsen on Oct 9, 2013 13:49:32 GMT -5
A well presented essay with a message that good Christian Men should be mentoring young men to become good Christian Men.
|
|
rwilliamsen
New Member
Diocese of Stockton[br]Ordained 2011
Posts: 7
|
Post by rwilliamsen on Oct 9, 2013 13:31:32 GMT -5
Not desiring to be a 'ditto head' - yet I concur with the general thread of this discussion.
Pope Frances is re-focusing our attention to the FIRST mission of the Church Jesus Christ formed 2000 years ago. It is not something new and not owned by clergy or laiety.
We are a church for the wounded and loveless. We, members of the church, do not "own" salvation. As deacons we stand on the front lines and need to exemptlify love, not condemnation.
If you have esperienced a profound conversion (God does not need to hit all of us over the head - many were smarter than me and found His love) than we need to remember that God loved us inspite of our flaws. And even after we surrendered to God the first time - we still had MANY flaws to confess and resolve.
I know that I still have flaws and am thankful that God loves me inspite of them and that He is patient with me as I try to conform my life fully to the one He desires for me. So, He has called us to serve Him and His other children.
|
|
rwilliamsen
New Member
Diocese of Stockton[br]Ordained 2011
Posts: 7
|
Post by rwilliamsen on Oct 9, 2013 12:35:10 GMT -5
In the Stockton Diocese of California there is a Deacon Board who has tackled these types of issues. A review of compensation took on the look of priestly compensation, ie. stipens for certain duites.
We receive a stipen for a funeral vigil or committal. (Not for particpating in a Funeral Mass.)
We do not receive stipens for Communion Services.
We are allowed to accept an unsolicited gift for weddings (and baptisims as is custom with those from Mexico), although I must admit that I do not feel comfortable in accepting them. I have only once received such a gift and was gracious about it.
The parish is supposed to pay for the annual mandatory Diocesan retreat ($450) and upto $150 for books or other education.
The are also to provide a set of Dalmatics. Some parishes do not feel they can aford the cost of a set of Dalmatics and so they do not.
|
|
|
Post by Deacon James [Jim] Sheil on Oct 6, 2013 19:28:37 GMT -5
When Pope Francis I said "It breaks my heart that the death of a homeless person is not news"; it spoke VOLUMES to me, in that the Church is also in on this misalignment of our priorities. I, too, can state that "it breaks my heart that the death of a prisoner is not news"! My 18 years in prison ministry has blessed me with becoming more in touch with this statement. I hope/pray that Pope Francis I's words will have an impact on the Church.
|
|
|
Post by Deacon James [Jim] Sheil on Oct 6, 2013 19:16:55 GMT -5
Most of our baptisms are after the last Mass on Sunday; since I have to be at the prison for Mass, i usually do not perform or assist at these baptisms. I might do (or assist at) 1 or 2 baptisms per year.
|
|
mmill10227
New Member
Diocese of Lansing[br]Ordained 2013
Posts: 1
|
Post by mmill10227 on Oct 5, 2013 12:15:06 GMT -5
Thanks. I really enjoyed reading that article.
|
|