Deacon leads new council to serve peers

Four years ago, the deacons of the Albany Diocese told Bishop Howard J. Hubbard that they needed more of a sense of community among their numbers. They believed many deacons felt disconnected from the "big picture" of diocesan life.

To meet that need, Deacon Michael McDonald was recently appointed the Diocese's first Administrative Advocate for Deacons, working through the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate.

Deacon McDonald, who also serves at St. Mary's parish in Coxsackie, will oversee a newly-formed diocesan council to serve the needs of deacons and their wives. He outlined the goals and tasks for his three-year term as director.

"For a while, there was not a real sense among our deacons of a community or a forum where we could voice our concerns, share our ideas," he recalled.

Model

The new council he leads, overwhelmingly approved by the Diocese's deacons, is modeled on a similar group that serves priests of the Diocese. Deacon McDonald believes the committee will give deacons "a more unified voice at the diocesan level" to "allow communication among deacons with concerns, questions or opinions, in order to rekindle [a] sense of community."

The 13-member council includes active and retired deacons; those who work in formation (training) for the diaconate; and two deacons' wives.

Deacon McDonald noted that his own term can be renewed once: "We wanted to have a continuous flow of leadership, both in the director's position and on the council positions. This facilitates fresh ideas," he said.

Goals

The new director has two goals for his first term: to get the council spots filled and implement its mission statement. He has been working on both since November.

"The Called to be Church initiative is going to provide a vista for the diaconate community that we could not have foreseen," he noted. "It allows the opportunity for service to the community through administrative, sacramental, pastoral and spiritual assistance.

"The diaconate is a service ministry. It is the bridge between the laity and the clergy, and has been since the first century."

(Deacon McDonald and his wife, Dorothy, have been married for 35 years and have two grown sons. Originally from the Diocese of Brooklyn, they have lived in Durham for nearly 20 years. Deacon McDonald was ordained in 2002).

(01/10/08) [[In-content Ad]]