Franciscan Center for Diaconal Studies (CDS)
Forming Men of the Church for the Sacred Order of Service
Two ways we can help your diocese . . .
Franciscan University seeks to influence the future of the diaconate and inspire a renewed vision of diaconal service within the Church. As St. Francis himself entered the diaconal vocation as a means to offer his life, so we seek to foster the formation of deacons in our modern day that incorporates men into the diaconal charism of self-offering, in faithfully creative service to the Church and sacrificial service to souls.
1. For Discerning Stages: Diaconal Candidacy Formation (DCF) Track
When the permanent diaconate was restored by the Second Vatican Council, its theology, in terms of its nature and role in the Church, was severely underdeveloped. The approach being implemented by Franciscan University's Catechetical Institute (CI) is a developed, pragmatic, spirituality-centered theology of the diaconate in continuity with the tradition. The content available from Franciscan University allows field-level workshops and BA-level and/or MA-level courses to be taken at any time during the year, enabling greater integration into existing formation programs using a variety of delivery approaches. This rich array of options, mapped onto the four dimensions of clerical formation, is provided to diocesan diaconal directors in the manner of a smorgasbord: the diocese selects what content is needed from our offerings, when it is applied in the diocese’s curriculum, and at what level or depth a given topic is needed by that diocese’s candidates. The Catechetical Institute plans to launch this track by Easter 2025.
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2. For Serving Deacons: Ongoing Diaconal Formation (ODF) Track
Responding to the new requirement to provide five years post-ordination formation, Franciscan University’s Catechetical Institute (CI) offers affordable, high-quality content, delivered through an innovative learning management system (LMS) to assist and support bishops and their diaconal directors in their responsibility for ensuring suitable ongoing growth for those called to this ordained ministry. The post-ordination formation we provided is firstly centered upon the spiritual life of the deacon with the goal of drawing him into an ever-deepening communion with Christ the Servant. This track provides sets of workshops designed to attune currently serving deacons to ministerial roles assigned to them in parish life, allowing a diocese to effectively and flexibly address the needs of deacons serving in a myriad of different parish circumstances and types of challenges. This track is currently fully available.
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We are happy to give free access to diaconal directors, and to meet with you to discuss integrating these formation offerings into your diaconal curriculum. Please email us at [email protected] for an access code.