Resources
Letter of Good Standing
Letter of Good Standing (Suitability) Request for all Priests and Deacons
Letters of Suitability cannot be guaranteed unless they are submitted at least four weeks prior to the event date. Please fill out this form and submit it on this site. All blocks with asterisks* must be completed.
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Continuing Education
Deacons are required to complete continuing education each calendar year. The particular norms determining sufficiency of Continuing Deacon Formation are issued by the Archbishop in cooperation with the Director of Deacon Personnel and the Deacon Council. Hours for Continuing Deacon Formation are calculated on the basis of contact hours.
Each deacon in active ministry, regardless of age, is to complete 30 hours of continuing formation annually. Hours can be reported on a Diaconal web page. Associate Regional Coordinators will verify the hours from the deacons on a quarterly basis.
Each region meets four times a year and will provide three hours of continuing formation per session. Each deacon is required to attend at least three of these sessions during the course of a year.
Deacons are required to attend a Convocation Day with the Archbishop. These sessions include 4 hours of the annual requirement.
Credit may be claimed for each hour in formation activity which will consist of one contact hour per education hour reported.
Credit for self-study will be claimed as one hour for every 100 pages read, or one hour for every 2 hours of online video or audio.
2.4.4.5. Guidelines on how to obtain additional credits can be found in the January 2008 Continuing Diaconal Formation booklet from the Archdiocese (Revised February, 2022).
Documents
These documents are used by the Deacon during the Mass, in Communion Services, and in their ministry.
Annulments
What is often referred to as a “marriage annulment” or "declaration of nullity" in the Church is a declaration by a Church tribunal (a Catholic Church court) that a marriage thought to be valid according to Church law actually fell short of at least one of the essential elements required for a binding union. The process is concerned with the religious and spiritual aspects of marriage, not the legal, historical, or emotional aspects.
Retirement and Funeral
A deacon may request retirement status from the Archbishop for reasons of age, health, or long-term inhibiting family responsibilities. The request for retirement does not assure retirement status.
If the reason for seeking retirement involves an issue other than age, discuss the matter with the Director for Deacons, prior to issuing the letter. All decisions regarding retirement of deacons are made by the Archbishop.
a. If, because of health or long-term inhibiting family responsibilities, it is discerned that the deacon is unable to perform his diaconal duties, the Archbishop may direct the deacon to serve in a retired status.
b. The deacon should address his letter of request for retirement to the Archbishop and also submit a copy to the Director for Deacons. This request should be made three months prior to reaching his 75th birthday.
c. The retirement letter should be accompanied by a funeral planning sheet.
Funeral Planning Guide for Deacons ⤓
The retired deacon is encouraged to remain active in ministry as far as He will continue to possess the faculties of the Archdiocese unless they are explicitly revoked. The pastor of the parish in which the retired deacon serves will grant needed special delegations for each instance of sacramental ministry (e.g., weddings).
The retired deacon will be invited to remain active in his regional programs, be invited to attend any and all formational and liturgical programs, and be asked to make his annual retreat with his brother deacons. If the retired deacon continues to serve a particular parish, the pastor will be asked to meet the expenses as outlined in section 2.4.2. Otherwise, if the cost of this retreat would present a burden to the retired deacon, he should contact the Director for Deacons for assistance prior to his retreat.
The retired deacon is excused from his continuing formation requirements.