This fall, at the request of Bishop Edward J. Burns, the Diocese of Dallas initiated a new ministry aimed at providing some spiritual backup for Dallas police officers, welcoming its first two volunteer police chaplains, Father Jacob Dankasa and Deacon Manny Rendon.
When the Pastoral Services Ministry was first established in the Diocese of Dallas in 1999, Deacon Charlie Stump was named its director. At the time, the diocese had one hospital chaplain and one prison chaplain. Twenty-four years later, that ministry has evolved into the Office of Catholic Social Ministry, fielding a team that includes four priests and two deacons working full-time in hospitals, one religious and one layperson working as hospital chaplains, numerous layperson and clergy volunteers, a prison ministry coordinator, an associate director for human dignity and respect for life, an associate director of disability and deaf and mental health, and more.
