Institute helps director form deacons

By Renee Webb, Globe editor
May 8, 2008

The director of deacon formation for the Diocese of Sioux City was among about 40 participants in the very first Directors' Institute. Sponsored by the National Association of Diaconate Directors (NADD), the new institute is designed to form those who form deacons.

David Lopez, Ph.D., received a Director's Institute Certificate and gained valuable knowledge by participating in the institute.

"It was a year-long program of formation for deacon directors, specifically for new deacon directors," he said. "It started at the annual convention of the NADD last year in June of 2007 in Los Angeles with a one-day workshop."

Week-long workshop

Last June, Lopez participated in a week-long workshop at the Pontifical College Josephinum, a national seminary in Columbus, Ohio. The workshop consisted of a series of presentations, hands-on training, prayer and reflection.

The first day centered on inquiry and application.

"What are we looking for in those who apply to the diaconate? What qualities are we looking for? How do we talk to people about that and encourage the people who have those qualities to apply?" said Lopez.

Another day focused on aspirancy, the first stage of formation. They looked at what they hope to accomplish in aspirancy and what things to do or avoid during that phase of formation.

The subjects of two other days were candidacy and post-ordination formation.

"It was a wonderful experience," said Lopez. "We built community and I got to know a large number of my peers in other dioceses who are not in our region that I would never have had an opportunity to meet if not for this."

He now has a network of people whom he can call upon to discuss challenges or new ways to look at things.

"We have a shared idea of what we are trying to accomplish," said Lopez.

The sessions drew information from the 2004 National Directory on Diaconate Formation, which is still being implemented in many dioceses.

Project

The next phase of the institute consisted of a project, which he completed from June of 2007 to April of 2008. Lopez created a Formation Handbook for Permanent Deacons in the Diocese of Sioux City, which in a sense serves as a tool to further implement material from the National Directory here in the diocese.

Theology of the diaconate, the history of the diaconate in the Diocese of Sioux City, the nature and purpose of formation for the diaconate and stages of the formation are all included in the new handbook.

"I focused on evaluation as a primary goal in creating this handbook," noted Lopez. "How do we figure out whether the formation program is working or not in each case?"

Because much of the formation is an interior or spiritual formation, assessing that development cannot be tested in the same way as academics can, he explained

"You can test whether or not they know the doctrine, but there are many people who know the doctrine of the church but they are not called to the diaconate," said Lopez. "We need to work very hard to figure out practical ways [of how] we can judge whether someone is being formed interiorly in a way that matches what the diaconate is supposed to be for."

Ultimately, he noted, improving ways to evaluate will help form the men better.

Lopez's new handbook is presently being reviewed by Bishop R. Walker Nickless for approval. Once the handbook is ready, he would like to see that all pastors, deacons and men entering the formation process for the diaconate receive a copy.

The conclusion of the Directors Institute was a day-long workshop held April 20 at this year's national convention.

"Everyone presented their project," said Lopez. "We received our certificates and had a banquet."

Through the institute, he noted, he learned how to be a better deacon director.