Retooled diaconate program moves forward

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
When the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released the National Directory for the Formation – Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons in 2022, the diocese started reorganizing the Office of the Diaconate.
 
Father Brent Lingle, pastor of Storm Lake St. Mary Parish and president of St. Mary School, was named director of the office. Deacon David Penton of Divine Mercy Parish in Algona was hired as full-time coordinator of formation. Once the deacon started his duties in September 2024, the retooling to meet the standards of the directory began.
 
As the directory specified, a deacon formation handbook and handbook for the ordained deacons have been created with some minor edits to complete before promulgation by Bishop-elect John Keehner in May.
 
“I’m excited how fast it came together,” Deacon Penton said. “I don’t want to take a whole bunch of credit for it because I’ve collaborated with different dioceses and archdioceses from around our region.”
 
Father Lingle and Deacon Penton asked for a canon law perspective on the documents from Father David Esquiliano, diocesan judicial vicar, regarding wording of policies and any canonical issues.
 
Streamlining
 
The creation of the handbooks will streamline the documents and process for all involved in the ministry and activities of the Office of the Diaconate.
 
“It’s nice to have everything regarding the formation program in one document concerning the deacon community and the life of deacons we’ve never had before,” the priest explained. “It’s just been bits and pieces here of policies or procedures and that will be organized, available and comprehensive.”
 

Father Brent Lingle

The application is very different from what the diocese used in the past. The coordinator said when he applied for the diaconate several years ago, the application was 12 pages and applicants had to handwrite their responses.

The new application is now 83 pages and more comprehensive. Father Lingle added that the new application forms are completely electronic with fillable fields, eliminating the need to decipher handwriting. Also, the applicant’s pastor will have a greater role in the application process than in the past.
 
Father Lingle explained he’s received feedback from pastors who were not aware one of their parishioners had applied to the diaconate or not aware of the applicant’s progress. This changed under the new directory as the USCCB provided very specific guidelines for the application and the formation handbook.
 
“The pastors are the first line of recruitment and selection of candidates. The new directory has a lot more emphasis on the pastor in the process,” the priest said. “He will always be involved in the first level of things through ordination.”
 
“We want the pastors to be really involved in formation and the discernment of the men entering the program. We want the application to come from the pastors and we’ll send the application for the pastors to distribute to (the men applying),” Deacon Penton added.
 
The two pointed out that the formation handbook will also serve as a guiding document for men from the time they are accepted into formation.
 
The deacon handbook for the men already ordained as permanent deacons will include guidelines and rules, Father Lingle explained, but there are no major changes.
 
“It won’t be a huge shift in the life of the clergy in the diaconate. It isn’t new – we’ve just never had it compiled into one place,” he said. “There’s a few policy shifts such as how we deal with retirement and ministry and we’ll ease everybody into those.”
 
The handbook should serve as a resource for the permanent deacons. As an example, if deacons have a question about the diaconate, most likely the answer is contained in the book, the priest said. An area that will be stressed is ongoing education for deacons.

 The national directory is well-worn from study by Deacon Penton.“The national directory and the things coming from Rome show the focus is continuous formation doesn’t stop when you are ordained,” Father Lingle said, noting the fall formation day theme will be on the ongoing education. 

The Office of the Diaconate will look to the Josephinum Institute for continuing formation and education, the same group that provides the intellectual component for the men currently in formation.
 
“We are plugging into that opportunity to tailor their continuous formation in areas that interest them. Or if a deacon is struggling in an area, we’re going to recommend or ask him to do some continuing formation in those areas such as preaching,” the director said.
 
New recruits
When the new directory was published and the diocese started to reorganize the Office of Diaconate, the recruitment of men to apply for the program was paused until the work could be completed. Men already accepted into the program have been continuing with their formation. The two are hopeful to start up the application process once again in late spring or early summer.
 
“Once the bishop promulgates the documents – especially the application and handbook, we will be ready to start advertising and take applications,” Deacon Penton said, noting the first release of the handbook would be to the pastors.
 
The coordinator said he plans to attend deanery meetings this spring and summer to share information and then schedule inquiry nights around the diocese. Men who are interested will be directed back to their pastor to start a conversation. The Office of the Diaconate will limit the number of applicants in the cohort.
 
“We are capping the first cohort at 10. We want to make sure we have a handle on what we’re doing and make sure we don’t get carried away,” said Deacon Penton, noting the office will likely skip a year or two before recruiting the next cohort.
 
Both the program director and coordinator said they are pleased with the progress completed so far.
 
“I’m really excited where we are and to see the progress. I’m excited for this time in our diocese to have Bishop (Walker) Nickless involved in the process and in a few short weeks, having Bishop Keehner involved,” Deacon Penton said, “It’s an exciting time in the church to witness history being made and collaboration. It’s enlightening.”

 

Ordination of permanent deacons in 2023./File photo

The deacon said when he first received the national directory in book form, he thought it was small enough that it would not take long to comprehend. In the end, he has pored over the contents numerous times, adding sticky notes and now some pages are falling out from frequent use.
 
“I think the book is three times the size it originally was and I have pages falling out. I have never immersed myself in a text like that,” he said. “To be honest, I’m sure I don’t go anywhere without the book.”
 
The diaconate director credits the diligent “boots on the ground” work of Deacon Penton since he started in the coordinator position to get the office where it is today.
 
“This has been kind of a monumental work – taking the entire program, pausing and rebuilding from the ground up – making sure we are living and doing what the directory proposes,” Father Lingle said. “To see it come to fruition and begin a new cohort – we know we are going to have a good, solid formation program.”