TRENTON, N.J. — A restructured program for deacon preparation in the Diocese of Trenton is set to be rolled out this fall, offering a shorter and more integrated formation.
Informed by feedback from those who have recently completed diaconate formation and those currently enrolled, the new program will be shortened from five to four years, with the former fifth year of practicum incorporated into the summers and throughout the academic periods. Candidates for the ordination class of 2027 will be the first in the four-year format; those further along in formation will still see some benefits from the tailored approach.
“The most important emphasis is on integration of the academic, the pastoral and the practical,” said Father Christopher Colavito, diocesan vocations director and director of deacon formation. “The academic cannot be overemphasized to the detriment of the other two, and the pastoral has to be integrated along the way.”
With the approval of Trenton Bishop David M. O’Connell, Father Colavito developed the changes and has been serving on a committee at Seton Hall University in South Orange to help revise its curriculum.
“Of the dioceses in the program through Seton Hall University, we were the only ones that had a five-year program,” he pointed out in an interview with TrentonMonitor.com, the diocese’s online news site. “And in meeting with the guys that graduated in 2023, their number one complaint was that gap between May and September … and it was overly academic and ill-focused on the purpose and intention of the diaconate in preparation for parish service.”
Besides truncating its length, there was a need to eliminate the program’s redundancy of content while adding classes that would better prepare the candidates for their unique role, Father Colavito said.
“That opened up the ability to bring in a class that’s being developed on evangelization and apologetics,” he explained. “They will also have a ‘hot topic/current issue’ course that will address specific moral issues of the moment.”
The summers will see the candidates continuing to meet weekly to integrate the coursework — learning how to apply it to the diaconal ministry and practicing things like homilies and baptisms.
Through the restructuring, Father Colavito is prioritizing a strong knowledge of the General Instruction on the Roman Missal and the candidates’ ability to approach the liturgy in ways that glorify God and edify his people at all times.
Additionally, he is working on changing the impression of the deacon’s role throughout the Catholic community.
“Their main purpose is to serve — and not just the liturgy and the priest,” he explained.
To that end, Father Colavito has encouraged the candidates to practice teaching theological concepts on the same topic to groups of various ages and backgrounds — for example, to both middle-school confirmation candidates and those enrolled in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults who might have a Protestant faith background.
“We need to expand the understanding and use of the diaconate, particularly since our guys are some of the few in the United States who earn a master’s degree. We should be using it,” he said.
Father Colavito affirms that the diaconate candidates’ spouses and pastors are two groups that need to be involved in the process as much as possible. He plans to ask the pastors of prospective candidates to attend the informational sessions planned for September and October. He also will invite the spouses to attend several of the social and non-academic meetings throughout the formation program.
Ultimately, he hopes that the program changes will provide better preparation for the candidates to serve as deacons in their parishes, in every capacity the office allows, “bringing forth their personal strengths to share with others, and to be humble enough to learn as well.”
For Father Colavito, it is about “fostering a more accurate and expansive view of what a deacon is and then living up to it.” He added, “While preaching is the most public aspect of the diaconate, we can’t limit it to that.”
