{"id":41,"date":"2018-04-17T21:36:45","date_gmt":"2018-04-17T21:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/diocese.fingweb.com\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2024-04-29T09:02:30","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T14:02:30","slug":"office-of-vocations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/our-faith\/office-of-vocations\/","title":{"rendered":"Office of Vocations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\tOffice of Vocations\n\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\"On\n\t

Contact Information<\/h3>\nRev. Luke LaFleur<\/strong>
\nDirector of Vocations<\/strong>\nP. O. Box 7417
\nAlexandria, LA 71306
\nPhone:<\/strong>\u00a0(318) 445-2401
\nEmail:<\/strong> frllafleur@diocesealex.org<\/a>\n

 <\/p>\nDeacon Richard Mitchell
\nDirector of the Permanent Diaconate
\n<\/strong>\nP.O. Box 7417
\nAlexandria, LA 71306
\nPhone:<\/strong> (318) 445-2401
\nEmail:<\/strong> dcnrmitchell@diocesealex.org\n

 <\/p>\nRev. Martin Laird<\/strong>
\nVicar for Religious
\n<\/strong>\nP.O. Box 9
\nPlaucheville, LA 71362-0009
\nPhone:<\/strong> (318) 922-3131
\nEmail:<\/strong> frmlaird@parish.diocesealex.org<\/a>\n

 <\/p>\nSister Sandra Norsworthy, OLS<\/strong>
\nVicar for Women Religious<\/strong>\n9968 Bayou des Glaises
\nMoreauville, LA 71355
\nPhone:<\/strong> (318) 985-2772
\nEmail:<\/strong> sacredheart@kricket.net<\/a>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\tOur Seminarians\n\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\tOur Deacons\n\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\tWho is a Deacon?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three groups, or “orders,” of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops, presbyters and deacons. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came “to serve and not to be served.” The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tWhat are these “various ministries” of the Deacon?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t

All ordained ministers in the Church are called to functions of Word, Sacrament, and Charity, but bishops, presbyters and deacons exercise these functions in various ways. As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of Sacrament, deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshaling the Church’s resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs. But no matter what specific functions a deacon performs, they flow from his sacramental identity. In other words, it is not only WHAT a deacon does, but WHO a deacon is, that is important.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tWhy do some deacons become priests?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t

For many years ordained ministers “ascended” from one office to another, culminating in ordination to the presbyterate, or priesthood. The Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965), however, authorized the restoration of the diaconate as a PERMANENT order of ministry. So, while students for the priesthood are still ordained deacons prior to their ordination as priests, there are more than 13,000 deacons in the United States alone who minister in this Order permanently. There is no difference in the sacramental sign or the functions between these so-called “transitional” and “permanent deacons.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tMay married men be ordained deacons?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Yes. The Second Vatican Council decreed that the diaconate, when it was restored as a permanent order in the hierarchy, could be opened to “mature married men,” later clarified to mean men over the age of 35. This is in keeping with the ancient tradition of the Church, in which married men were ordained into ministry. Also in keeping with ancient practice is the expectation that while a married man may be ordained, an ordained man, if his wife should die, may not marry again without special permission.<\/p>\n

“Celibacy Affects Every Deacon: In one way or another, celibacy affects every deacon, married or unmarried. Understanding the nature of celibacy-its value and its practice-are essential to the married deacon. Not only does this understanding strengthen and nurture his own commitment to marital chastity, but it also helps to prepare him for the possibility of living celibate chastity should his wife predecease him. This concern is particularly unique within the diaconate. Tragically, some deacons who were married at the time of ordination only begin to face the issues involvedwith celibacy upon the death of their wives. As difficult as this process is, all deacons need to appreciate the impact celibacy can have on their lives and ministry.”<\/p>\n

— National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States, par. 72.<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tHow do I find out more about becoming a Deacon?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t

The best place to start is with your pastor, who can put you in touch with the Director of the Permanent Diaconate for the diocese. The Director will be able to outline the various requirements and processes to be followed.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMen and Women Religious\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t

Brothers of the Holy Eucharist (F.S.E.)<\/strong><\/p>\nInfant Jesus Monastery
\nP.O. Box 25
\nPlaucheville, LA 71362-0025
\nPhone: (318) 922-3630\n

\n

Sisters of the Holy Family (S.S.F.)<\/strong><\/p>\nMere Henriette Convent
\n3200 Elliott St.
\nAlexandria, LA 71301
\nPhone: (318) 483-9480\nJulliette Gaudin Convent
\n3110 George’s Lane
\nAlexandria, LA 71301
\nPhone: (318) 619-8573\nSuperior: Sister Greta Jupiter, SSF
\n6901 Chef Menteur Blvd.
\nNew Orleans, LA 70126\n

\n

 <\/p>\n\t

Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows (O.L.S.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

www.ols.org<\/a><\/p>\nSt. Joseph Convent
\n440 Browns Bend Rd.
\nAlexandria, LA 71303-4146
\nPhone: (318) 443-1553\nSacred Heart Convent
\nP.O. Box 179
\nMoreauville, LA 71355
\nPhone: (318) 985-2164\nSuperior: Sister Sandra Norsworthy, OLS
\n9968 Bayou des Glaises Rd.
\nMoreauville, LA 71355\nVocations Director: Sister Fatima Aphiri, OLS
\nEmail address: vocations@ols.org\n

\n

 <\/p>\n\t

Sisters of the Secular Institute of the Two Hearts (S.I.T.H.)<\/strong><\/p>\nSuperior: Mother Agnes Frias, SITH
\nP.O. Box 1179
\nHanceville, AL 35077\n

\n

 <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"Robert\n\t

How to become a priest.<\/h2>\n

The Office of Church Vocations is commissioned to reach out to those who want to join the clergy and to minister to those who have already made the decision to join the clergy. God promises to provide shepherds and ministers to His people. It is the task of the Office of Church Vocations to encourage, support and inform the men and women in the diocesan community as they consider whether they have been called as priests, deacons, sisters, brothers, or ministers of Christ’s sacraments, His Gospel and His life.<\/p>\n

Each of us has a call – a vocation – to be holy as a married or single lay person, or as a priest, deacon, or a religious brother or sister. God offers to everyone the special graces required to fulfill their calling. Through prayer, vocation retreats, workshops and preaching in the church parishes, the Office of Church Vocations strives to strengthen parishioners’ relationships with God to ensure that they are filled with the grace necessary to fulfill their calling.<\/p>\n

Catholics who feel called to support the ministry of the Office of Church Vocations can join the Serra Club to pray for vocations and affirm the clergy and religious as they seek to submit themselves to Christ through their vocations.<\/p>\n

Prayer for Vocations<\/h3>\n

“Heavenly Father, bless your Church with an abundance of holy and zealous priests, deacons, brothers and sisters. Make us a kind and understanding family so that we will help one another discover our vocations and follow them faithfully. Form us all in the likeness of your Son so that in Him, with Him and through Him, we may love You more deeply and serve you more faithfully, always and everywhere. With Mary we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”<\/p>\n

How long does it take to study for priesthood?
\nAnswer: 8-10 years!<\/h3>\nRequirements:<\/strong>
\n4 years of college with a minor in philosophy
\n4 years of theology
\n8 total years and the student graduates with a Masters of Divinity.\nHowever, if a student has a 4-year college degree in anything, but not a minor in philosophy, he must
\ntake two years of philosophy (also called pre-theology) before taking the 4 years of theology:
\n4 years of college with a degree
\n2 years of philosophy (pre-theology)
\n4 years of theology
\n10 total years and the student graduates with a Masters of Divinity.\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Office of Vocations Contact Information Rev. Luke LaFleur Director of Vocations P. O. Box 7417 Alexandria, LA 71306 Phone:\u00a0(318) 445-2401 Email: frllafleur@diocesealex.org   Deacon Richard Mitchell Director of the Permanent…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1636,"menu_order":129,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-41","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"ticketed":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19822,"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions\/19822"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diocesealex.org\/old\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}