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Deacons’ formation program to be offered by St. Leo University

By Steve Neill
Of The Catholic Virginian

Candidates for the permanent diaconate of the Diocese of Richmond will begin their formation program offered through St. Leo University beginning in September.

The diocese has entered into agreement with St. Leo’s which will provide the educational formation for the diaconal program, said Deacon Robert Ewan, associate director of the diocese’s Office of the Vicar for Clergy. The university is based in St. Petersburg, FL and already conducts similar formation programs for both the Diocese of St. Petersburg and the Diocese of Savannah.

“The reason we picked this program is because St. Leo’s offers both a Master’s and a certificate program,” Deacon Ewan told The Catholic Virginian.

Those candidates who qualify can pursue a 36-hour Master’s in Theology program. Others who do not have the prerequisites to pursue the Master’s degree may work toward an 18-hour certificate in theology. Both would be pursued over a four-year period.

The St. Leo University program also was chosen because the university is willing to send professors to three different locations in the diocese rather than just have one central location in Richmond for the lectures, Deacon Ewan said.

“In many cases the lecturer would speak from one of the three locations and that would be teleconferenced to the other two sites,” he explained.

Twice a year all who are in deacon formation will be expected to come to Richmond for a retreat and for additional classes.

The formation sessions, to be held once a month, will be a combination of lecture, reading and discussion and theological reflection, Deacon Ewan said.

The deacon candidates will have on-line access to library materials at the St. Leo University campus.

Deacon Ewan told The Catholic Virginian that a panel has been interviewing deacon aspirants and their wives during the last two weeks to determine their joint commitment to the formation program. They consider it important that the wives of the men who wish to prepare for the diaconate share the same goals.

Invitations will be sent out to aspirants inviting them to apply to begin the formation program.

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