Diocese names new director of diaconate

By JoANN AMMANN, Globe Intern
August 17, 2006

David Lopez joined the Sioux City Diocese earlier this month as the new director of the diaconate. He is coming to the diocese from Dominican College in Michigan, where he was professor in the theology department for the past eight years.

As director of the diaconate, he will be working alongside Deacon Tim Murphy, who is the director of deacon personnel.

"We have a shared director approach and share most of the responsibilities of the deacon program," said Lopez. "My particular position is director of formation. I'm primarily responsible for seeing over the program of formation and continuing formation for those who hope to be deacons and those who are already deacons."

With currently around 38 deacons in the diocese, 20 of which are still active, there are many goals for the diaconate program in the diocese. Many of the current deacons are retired from ministry. Lopez would like to see people in their 30's and 40's become deacons.

"There are a lot of goals that we hope to achieve in the next 10 to 15 years," said Lopez. "We'd like to increase the number of deacons and recruit younger deacons to the program. This is challenging because of other commitments, not just in this diocese or the country, but also all over the world. There tends to be a situation where there are people who are in their 50s whose kids are already more or less finished with school who are willing to make the time commitment to undergo the formation process to undertake the ministry that follows that."

Another goal that Lopez has is to make deacons more visible and to help people understand who they are, particularly since they are a newer part to the Catholic Church.

"There has really been just one generation present for diaconates, and it hasn't been present in great numbers, particularly in this diocese," Lopez said. "I've had deacons tell me that if they are vests and wearing robes, people will greet them, 'Hello Father', to which the deacons reply, 'I'm not a priest, I'm a deacon'. It just indicates there is a lack of understanding of something that is new and unfamiliar."

Lopez also stressed that one of their goals is to get people to understand why permanent deacons are permanent deacons and what it means to be a deacon.

"A permanent diaconate is a person who is ordained to holy orders. It's the same ordination that the transitional deacons get before they are ordained for priesthood," said Lopez. "There is one order of deacons, but the intentions to be a deacon and not go on and seek the priesthood is really what distinguishes the permanent deacons from the transitional deacons." Lopez has already met several of the deacons. However, those that he doesn't meet within the next couple weeks he will meet on Sept. 9. There will be a meeting for all deacons in held in Early.

"I'm very happy to be here. I think it's a great opportunity," said Lopez. "I'm excited to be working for the church in a direct sort of capacity and with the office of deacons. I think this is one of the things that the permanent diaconate is a distinct mark of is contemporary Catholicism."

"I think that this is really important even for people being able to support deacons and carry out ministry that is fundamentally diaconal ministry in their own way," Lopez said. "That's going to really shape the vision of the church internally, how we think about the church as well as the reputation of the church among people who are not Catholic. That's not the only factor that's involved but it is one of the important ones. I feel blessed to have this opportunity."