A South Roscommon man will become one
of the first married men to officiate at Catholic church ceremonies such
as weddings in his local parish from 2012.
Willie Gacquin from Curraghboy, decided to
respond to a pastoral letter from Bishop Christopher Jones in 2008, in
which he stated his intention to restore the diaconate.
Once he completes his three years of
training, Willie can preside over services other than the Mass, such as
funerals, baptisms and weddings. He can also read the Gospel and preach
at Mass. He won’t, however, be able to hear confession or give the
sacrament of the sick.
“Deacons have one foot in the sanctity and
one foot in the world... It’s not another layer of the clergy, it’s an
opportunity, in a less formal way, to be a part of the church. I think
it’s a very positive thing for the church,” he explained to the
Westmeath Independent.
“We will be proclaiming the gospel and
possibly preaching. We could even be doing baptisms, marriages and
funerals. But we’re not filling in for a shortage of priests.”
There will also be a strong community role
for Willie as a deacon and he will be able to help out in day-to-day
parish life and matters.
“The church is looking to the future,” he
added. “There will be more emphasis on laity and less priests, but this
is in no way intended to reduce the involvement of laity in the church.”
Willie, a secondary school teacher in CBS in
Roscommon town, has always been involved in his parish, from being a
member of the parish council to reading at mass and being a Eucharistic
minister.
He said that friends, neighbours and parishioners from the
Church of St Brigid’s in Curraghboy were becoming increasingly curious
about his new role in the parish.
He said that parishioners will be fully informed of a deacon’s role before they start working.
Deacons can be married, as is Willie to
Carmel. He said that having Carmel’s support was vital and the church
was very welcoming to the wives. “It doesn’t in any way hinder the
sacrament of marriage,” he explained. “Wives are invited to come to
ceremonies.”
If a single man becomes a deacon, then he has
to take a vow of celibacy. If a married man becomes a widower, then he
too must take the vow.
The diocese of Elphin and the diocese of
Dublin are the first to introduce the initiative.
Becoming a deacon
involves academic study, as well as spiritual and academic achievement.
Wille, along with six other men from the Elphin diocese, is currently in his second year of training.
He spent a number of weekends studying in the
Emmaus Retreat Centre in Dublin.
From 2009, the three-year training
programme began and the seven men are now in their second year.
They attend St Angela’s college in Sligo for
15 weekends out of the academic year. It’s a big commitment, but in turn
the Church then knows that each man is committed.
“It’s a whole new thing, it’s very exciting,” added Willie, soon to be Deacon Gacquin.
SIC: WI/IE