By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic

PLANO — Friends and family gathered at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church on Oct. 5 as Bishop Edward J. Burns celebrated a Mass for the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders for more than 40 men from parishes across the Diocese of Dallas discerning the permanent diaconate. 

“What a joy this is to have this celebration,” Bishop Burns said, addressing the diaconal candidates, their spouses, and loved ones. “We will always as a diocese rejoice in your diaconal vocation, and we will support you. We will support you in your marriage, in your families, and in your vocation.” 

Permanent deacons in the Catholic Church are ordained to a lifelong ministry of charity and service. They proclaim the Gospel, preach homilies, and assist priests at the altar during Mass. Deacons may also baptize the faithful, witness marriages, and preside at funerals. 

Once they entered the Diocese of Dallas diaconal formation program, the Rite of Candidacy is among the first formal steps toward ordination for these men. The class of 43 candidates began their diaconal formation process in September 2021. On Oct. 5, 41 candidates attended the Mass for the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders. One other candidate already has been administered the rite, while another will do so in November. 

Deacon David Banowsky, diocesan director of diaconal ministry and formation, emphasized the importance of the rite in their journey. 

“The rite is celebrated when it has been established that the intention of those aspiring to Holy Orders is supported by the necessary qualification and has achieved sufficient maturity,” said Deacon Banowsky, explaining that it marks a formal moment where the candidates’ intentions to pursue the diaconate are affirmed and supported. 

Having completed this rite, the candidates now continue with their spiritual, intellectual, pastoral, and human formation. 

“This fall, they will be assigned to practicums either in prisons, hospitals, or with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” Deacon Banowsky said. “Sometime in the spring, they will be instituted as lectors — the next step on their journey towards ordination as a permanent deacon.” 

Doug Doss, who along with his wife Della, has been a parishioner at St. Jude Catholic Church in Allen for more than two decades, was among those men answering the call to candidacy at the Mass. 

“I was initially nervous at this milestone, which surprised me,” Doss said. “Once the Mass started and Bishop Burns started speaking, I immediately felt affirmation for the journey thus far and encouragement to stay the course through ordination, God willing.” 

Doss was inspired to join the diaconal formation program through the encouragement of friends and by witnessing the example and service of existing deacons in the Church. 

“The Holy Spirit was relentlessly nudging and guiding me,” Doss said, adding that following the celebration of the Mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, he felt grateful to have received that call. “I felt an immense sense of confirmation of the call that I had received to serve the Holy Mother Church as a permanent deacon.” 

In his homily at the Mass on Oct. 5, Bishop Burns emphasized the importance of keeping focus on the Lord and preparing for the permanent diaconate. 

“You are going to form your hearts and your minds so that you are able and ready to exercise this ministry,” he said. “You will be formed as a true disciple, and through ordination, as a person and a witness of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

The bishop also expressed his gratitude for the candidates’ dedication and commitment to serving the Church. 

“I am grateful to you the candidates for the ways in which you have stepped up, the ways in which you have illustrated your commitment to the Gospel, and for the ways in which you now offer your lives in service of the Church,” Bishop Burns said. “Compelled by the love of Christ and strengthened by the inner workings of the Holy Spirit, you have come to the point of making a public declaration of your desire to devote yourself to the service of God and others in Holy Orders. We welcome this desire with joy.” 

Cutline for featured image: Bishop Edward J. Burns, center, poses with the 41 men in diaconal formation who participated in the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for the Holy Orders on Oct. 5 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Plano. (MICHAEL GRESHAM/The Texas Catholic)