Formation for Your Diocese’s Deacons

Ongoing formation and education are essential for permanent deacons in today’s Catholic Church. Every parish community faces constant change: merging parishes, shifting demographics, fewer young adults involved in parish life, community issues affecting those in the pews, and many more.

How can your diocese’s permanent deacons be ready to navigate the changes and help those to whom they minister?

Saint Meinrad’s Permanent Deacon Formation Program offers a range of workshop and retreat topics to help deacons grow in their ministry. Our excellent faculty can offer sessions that range in length from several hours to a full weekend.

To get started, review the list of topics and then contact us about scheduling a formation session in your diocese. 

Formation Topics

*Topics with an asterisk can be expanded into a full weekend of formation.

Scripture

The Gospel of Matthew*

The Gospel of Mark*

The Gospel of Luke*

The Gospel of John*

Book of Revelation*

Book of Psalms*

Book of the Prophet Isaiah*

Finding Meaning in Scripture*

Pauline Letters*

Women in Scripture*

The Beatitudes

 

Church Teachings

Catholic Social Teaching

What It Means to be Pro-Life

Lumen Gentium: Dogmatic Constitution on the Church

Gaudium et Spes: Pastoral Constitution on the Modern World

Dei Verbum: Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation

Humanae Vitae: Encyclical on Family Life

Evangelium Vitae: Encyclical on Bioethics

Dignity of the Human Person

Theology of the Body*

The Four Parts of the Catechism

Pope Francis’ The Joy of the Gospel*

The Holy Trinity*

Healing and Reconciliation*

Moral Relativism

Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

Understanding the Liturgical Season

Blessings of the Eucharist

Current topics in Moral Theology*

Understanding the Catholic Mass

Ecumenism

 

Understanding the Diaconate / Roles

The Deacon as Servant

Building a Relationship with Your Pastor

The Relationship between Bishop and Deacon

Involving Your Wife in Your Ministry

The Deacon is a Cleric

 

Prayer and Spirituality

The Creed

Deepening Your Prayer Life*

Spirituality of Deacons*

The Rule of St. Benedict*

Universal Call to Holiness

Our Call to Conversion

Finding the Sacred in Everyday Life

Praying with Images

Introduction to Icons

Benedictine Spirituality*

Holding onto Faith in Tough Times*

Finding Peace in the Chaos of Ministry*

 

Mary / Saints

The Role of Mary in the Church*

St. Pope John Paul II

Saints as Role Models*

 

Evangelization

General Discussion on Evangelization

Evangelii Gaudium: Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelization

Using Social Media to Evangelize

God Needs Storytellers: Proclaiming the Gospel Every Day*

 

Skills-based Workshops

Understanding Spiritual Direction

Pastoral Skills*

Theological Reflection

Homiletics Refresher Course*

Pastoral Care and Counseling*

Wedding Preparation

Specific Ministries: Prison Ministry; Hospitals / Nursing Homes; Homeless Population / Shelters

 

Meeting the Needs of Specific People

Meeting the Needs of Elderly Parishioners

Supporting Survivors of Trauma

Supporting Caregivers

Supporting Those Battling Depression

 

Other

Encouraging Vocations

Religious Orders

In addition, any Saint Meinrad course the permanent deacons took during their formation can be offered as a “refresher” course to your ordained deacons.

If you don’t see a topic you would like to offer your diocese, let us know and we will do our best to meet your needs.

Costs

Please contact us for specific costs of the one-day workshop and weekend workshop or retreat. We can also offer a complete ongoing formation program for dioceses through an annual or multi-year subscription.

In addition, the diocese is responsible for the presenter’s travel expenses, room and board.

Contact Us

812-357-6791

pdf@saintmeinrad.edu