Priests from the dioceses of Elphin, Ardagh, Clonmacnoise and Achonry met in the Shannon West Hotel in Roosky in County Roscommon recently for a daylong conference entitled Revisiting the Permanent Diaconate. The conference featured a number of speakers including Scotland‘s Director of Studies for the Permanent Diaconate Deacon Tony Schmitz from the Aberdeen Diocese, Ms Morag Ferguson, whose husband serves as a Permanent Deacon in the Scottish Diocese of Motherwell, and Fr Micheál Duignan, the Elphin Diocese Director of the Permanent Diaconate.
Deacon Tony's presentation centred on the theological underpinnings of the diaconate, the ministry of the Permanent Deacons in various parts of the world today and issues relating to the selection and formation of candidates for the permanent diaconate.
Ms Ferguson spoke on what it is like to be the wife of a permanent deacon. Her husband, John, was ordained in 2002.
Elphin diocese currently has eight students studying to become permanent deacons. The course of study takes three years and one of the students is due to complete his studies next year.
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