I will be in Chicago this week, leaving Sunday afternoon and returning Friday evening. This isn’t a vacation—I’ll be taking classes, learning about supervising deacons. Seminaries are starting a new timeline for the formation of priests. When a seminarian has finished studies, he will be ordained a deacon. He will then spend six months or more in a parish before he is ordained a priest. The bishop is sending five priests from our diocese for courses, hoping that we’ll become capable supervisors for these new deacons. It will be a couple of years, I think, before the new format kicks in, but we will be ready if a new deacon is ever sent our way. This timeline won’t affect Sam and Noah, our parish seminarians. They are scheduled for ordination as deacons in May of 2025. After another year of seminary, their priesthood ordination is scheduled in June of 2026.
With the help of Catholic Charities, we are planning to organize a support group for anyone who deals with issues of mental health. Dr. Melanie Williams will be here on Wednesday evening, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room (off of the church Gathering Space.) She will give a presentation and we’ll talk about organization. Anyone who struggles with depression, bipolar issues, or various mental illness issues is invited. We also invite family members, caregivers, and those whose lives are affected by mental issues of their loved ones.
Next weekend we will begin Catholic Schools Week. This is a week in which we focus on the ministry provided in our Catholic schools-- building on the faith in our young generation. In a culture that often doesn’t support our faith, we want to give our children every opportunity to know Christ, to be nourished by the sacraments, and to see the beauty of a life of faith. The week will end on February 1 with the Borromeo Bash, a dinner, auction and casino night designed to build community and also raise funds for the school. There are still tickets available. Go to the parish website, stcharlesfortwayne.org, and click on “Borromeo Bash.”
