Archdiocese of Denver
8
Diaconate Ministries for the Benefit of
the Ordained
Emmaus Spirituality
A
s the disciples learned so much f rom their
Savior by sharing their journey with him
on the road to Emmaus and listening to his
insights, so, too, do deacons call upon Jesus to
guide them in time of spiritual and personal
reflection. Allowing themselves to be vulnera-
ble, they share their lives with each other. They
journey together, humbly reflecting on strug-
gles, insights, and revelations about personal
faith encounters.
The encounter begins with adoration using
Lectio Divina for prayer and reflection, then
sharing the lectio experience and where God
has been with them in ministry and family
life, and struggles with the same – their desert
experiences. Deacons continue to share about
areas of potential growth in life and ministry
("What have I learned about myself today and
what can I work on this next month?"). They
finish the session by soliciting prayer requests
from each deacon until the next meeting. The
session ends by breaking bread together.
Retired Clergy Assistance
P
riests and deacons should receive respect
and reverence in life and in death. Dea-
cons are very active with helping priests and
deacons with their health care and housing
concerns. This includes visiting with the sick,
helping them relocate, and planning clergy
funeral liturgies. Periodic visits to ailing clerics
and scheduling the sacraments are routine
operations. Funeral liturgies are done with
utmost care and in keeping with the desires of
Church teachings. For clergy, it is very important
to have documented funeral plans, along with
family information, to effectively carry out funer-
al desires and to help alleviate concerns should
the cleric be in the hospital and incapacitated.
i
Deacon Greg Frank
lorgreg@msn.com
i
Deacon Rob Rinne
deacon.rinne@archden.org
Deacon Mark Wolbach
deacon.wolbach@archden.org
