Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington
Office of the Permanent Diaconate

Members of the Deacon Council:
Present: Carol Dahl, and Deacons John Sicilia (Director of Deacons; ex officio), David Dudinsky, John Ruscheinsky (chairman), Eric Meisfjord (vice-chairman/secretary), and Ken Dunlap. Absent: Jeannie Toulou, Deacons Mike Breier and Donald Whitney, and, ex officio, Bishop William S. Skylstad and Msgr. Pedro Ramirez.

The meeting began with prayer at approximately 10:06 a.m.

It was reported that the preaching workshop earlier this week, led by Father Rory Pitstick and hosted at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center, saw participation by 13 deacons and 13 priests – which number included Father Pitstick.

Death notices:

According to past practice, in the event of the death of a deacon or member of a deacon’s family, notice of that event, plus relevant information regarding services, has been distributed to the deacon community by the Office of the Permanent Diaconate. In the future, per suggestion, this information also will be distributed to the presbyterate.

Contact with deacons removed from ministry:

Has there been protocol for regular contact with deacons who have been removed, or who have removed themselves, from ministry? No, though contact does occur from the diocesan level. Should there be protocol established? No. This initiative could and should be undertaken by individual deacons themselves.

On a related communications item: Deacons are encouraged to peruse the Inland Register in regard to changing deacon ministry assignments.

Terms of deacon council members:

Of the present council, the terms of Jeannie Toulou and Deacons Don Whitney and Ken Dunlap expire this year. Deacon John Ruscheinsky will send a postal letter to all deacons, asking willingness of members to stand for election. Included with that letter will be relevant passages from the Deacon Personnel Manual in regard to duties and responsibilities required of such involvement, assuring that potential members truly understand what they’re getting themselves into – as much as possible, anyway. The slate of candidates will be assembled and voted on this spring, with the three members receiving the most votes taking up the work of the Council in time for the June meeting.

Future editions of the Minutes of this Council will include information regarding individual members’ terms of office.

Supply deacons:

Should there be such a list assembled and distributed of those deacons who are available for “on-call” ministry, similar to the situation of “supply priests” in the diocese? Judging from the significant level of response to the request for ministry reports this year, most deacons are satisfied with their present level of ministerial commitment and are seeking no new avenues at this time. We therefore rely on the “common knowledge” clause for parishes or other entities who might require the temporary services of a deacon, in whatever capacity: Ask around.

Deacons and Compliance with the Code of Conduct:

Deacons, like other diocesan personnel, are required to demonstrate annually their knowledge of the Code of Conduct, in order to be in compliance with the Code. The updating is accomplished through a test administered from the diocese’s web site. Deacon Sicilia reports that he checks compliance lists for deacons monthly. He sends out reminders as appropriate. He reminded the Council that deacons who are not compliant with the diocese’s rules in this regard will have their faculties removed.

The changing requirements of continuing education for deacons:

Yes, the requirements will be changing. No, we don’t know when those changes will take effect, or what those changes might be. Deacon Sicilia suggested that he will have more concrete information in this regard when he returns from the Board meeting of the National Association of Deacon Directors, scheduled for next April. His educated guess: There will be a specific annual hour requirement of continuing education for deacons. He noted the abundant opportunities for continuing education in this diocese, including the ongoing series of presentations specifically for deacons, the joint opportunities with the presbyterate (see Paragraph 1 of these minutes), and parish opportunities.

Continuing education/mentoring of new deacons:

Deacon Sicilia is working on this effort solo, since Father Kwiatkowski has resigned as Director of Deacon Formation. Deacon Sicilia has already met with some of the members of the new class. The meetings are not scheduled regularly but they are ongoing. (Parenthetically, he noted that he is getting good feedback about the ministry of the newest deacons from their parishes.)

Promoting rural vocations:

There is no class scheduled as yet for a new round of deacon formation. The best promotion of the diaconate comes from a deacon, but if there are no deacons present in a parish community….? Perhaps awareness begins with rural pastors, and the sort of individual contact that has proven successful in encouraging vocations to the priesthood: identifying individuals who might be worthy candidates and encouraging their interest and potential involvement – “Called by Name” for deacons.

Several members of the upcoming formation class, to be ordained later this year, will minister in some of the smaller, more rural areas of the diocese, particularly in the southern region.

(Parenthetically, the next Director of Deacon Formation will be a priest or a deacon, per the new Directory for Deacon Life, Ministry, and Formation from the USCCB.)

New business:

A list of deacon birthdays and ordination dates will be assembled and distributed to the deacon community.

It was moved and seconded that the minutes of the October meeting of the Deacon Council be approved. The minutes were approved by unanimous vote. It was the best day ever.

(Parenthetically, minutes of the Deacon Council are available on the diocese’s web site, from the Deacon page of the Clergy section, through October 2003.)

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned, with prayer, but without parentheses, at approximately 11:37 a.m.

The next meetings of the Deacon Council are scheduled for Saturday, June 10, 2006, and Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006, both at 10 a.m., both at Bishop White Seminary, 429 E. Sharp Ave. in Spokane.

Respectfully submitted,

Deacon Eric Meisfjord
Vice chairman/secretary