National Directory

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CANDIDATE STAGE OF DIACONAL FORMATION

of theology, but also its application in pastoral practice. He gives and receives feedback, thus demonstrating his competency in such areas as communication and his ability to work constructively within a group. In addition, his pastoral worldview is exposed and assessed, and his “pastoral intuition” is honored and challenged. The goal of this com prehensive and integrative seminar is always to project how the can didate will live a diaconal lifestyle and ministry. In this way it serves as a comprehensive assessment of the deacon’s practical intellectual readiness for ministry. 235. Interviews should be scheduled regularly with candidates and their families, their pastors and pastoral supervisors, members of the fac ulty, and mentors. The director of formation and those who collab orate with him should gather at regularly scheduled times to stay informed about a candidate’s progress. They should address concerns and become collectively aware of their common collaborative role in assisting, counseling, and assessing the candidate. This responsibility should be regarded as their most important task. Due care must be taken, however, to preserve the confidentiality of spiritual direction in these proceedings. 236. The responsibility of the team of formators culminates in the prepa ration of a yearly written report on each candidate. This report, which is to be presented to the diocesan bishop, provides a synthesis of the candidate’s achievements and limitations, particularly in reference to his human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral readiness for contin uation in the formation process and, ultimately, for nomination to ordination. 27 This written assessment should include an estimation of an unmarried candidate’s capacity to lead a perpetual chaste and cel ibate life. For a married candidate, it should present an appraisal of his family’s stability and capacity to support his vocation, especially Vocational Assessment