Our ordination calls us to foster a life of holiness.
​We work to maintain our spiritual growth and health in order that we can say, “We are Diakonia, service in Christ for the world.”

News & Events

Little Portion Friary (LPF) shelter for the homeless hopes to provide Bible Study classes for their Day Center; they plan to provide services and various other resources between 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, M-F.  LPF's shelter is located at 1305 Main Street, Buffalo, NY.  The Day Care Center is a short distance down the street from their main site.  They are looking for someone to lead a one-hour, once-a-week Bible class. 
 
If anyone is interested, please email: 
Deacon Bill Hynes at deaconhynes@gmail.
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N O T R E  D A M E  R E T R E A T  H O U S E 
Many retreat opportunities are available at the Notre Dame Retreat House to get your retreat in before the end of the year, and it's only a 1+1/2 hour drive away! ​
Quotes from the Deacon and Wives Retreat at Notre Dame Retreat House
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  • When we furnish the destitute with any necessity, we render them what is theirs, not bestow on them what is ours; we pay the debt of justice rather than perform the works of mercy." - Pope St. Gregory the Great

  • St. Ambrose (c. 340-397):  "You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his....  God has ordered all things to be produced so that there should be food in common for all and that the earth should be a common possession of all.  Nature, therefore, has produced a common right for all, but greed has made it a right for a few."​

  • “When someone strips a man of his clothes, we call him a thief.  And one who might clothe the naked and does not--should not he be given the same name?  The bread in your hoard belongs to the hungry; the cloak in your wardrobe belongs to the naked; the shoes you let rot belong to the barefoot; the money in your vaults belongs to the destitute.  All you might help and do not--to all these you are doing wrong....  Though you have not killed, like you say, nor committed adultery, nor stolen, nor borne false witness, you make all of this useless unless you add the only thing which can allow you to enter the kingdom....” - St. Basil the Great
Family Assignments - Deacons

As we move forward in our Renewal, parishes will close, and others will become secondary worship sites. Some parishes will move to other families. I ask everyone to be patient. Once all the moves are completed, we will assess how many deacons each family can or needs to have (it will differ for each family, of course). As a reminder, you are assigned to a family, not a specific parish. For now, we will all stay with our assigned family, and opportunities to apply to a new family will become available. 

​Applications and requests will be sent to everyone at the beginning of the year. By this time, we hope to have a good handle on closing dates and the next steps for our clergy. 

Deacon Tim Chriswell
Director 
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The Josephinum Diaconate Institute of the Pontifical College
Josephinum offers educational programs through distance learning – in both English and Spanish – to diaconal aspirants and candidates, permanent deacons and their spouses, and lay ministers serving or preparing to serve the people of God through ministry in the Church. Its mission is to strengthen pre- and post-ordination diaconate formation nationally and worldwide.
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