The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and the Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States (Ascension)

NDPD 302

National Directory for Permanent Deacons

pastors in their pastoral care of deacons and their families, especially monitoring those living and ministering outside the diocese, or deacons who may be ill or on a ministerial leave of absence. The Director of the Permanent Diaconate also complements the diocesan bishop’s presence to and care for retired deacons and their families, as well as to deacon widowers and to widows and their families. 302 At the discretion of the diocesan bishop, the Director of the Permanent Diaconate may be appointed as a liaison to diocesan departments and public agencies, as well as parishes, on diaconal matters. 303 The diocesan bishop may constitute a deacon community board to rep resent the deacons and their spouses. Members of such a board would include a suitable number of deacons and wives elected by the diaconal community and others appointed by the diocesan bishop, in accordance with the board’s statutes, as approved by the diocesan bishop. The stat utes should govern everything that relates to the purposes and opera tion of the board. A responsibility of the community board could be the preparation of a deacon personnel handbook, specifying appropriate norms or policies—rights, obligations, and responsibilities—for deacons serving the diocesan Church. The diocesan bishop must approve this text and promulgate any appropriate norms or policies. This board also could assist the diocesan bishop and Director of the Permanent Diacon ate in planning, coordinating, and evaluating the post-ordination educa tional and spiritual formation program. The diocesan bishop or a cleric designated as the diocesan bishop’s delegate in his absence serves as the board’s president. 24 VIII. POST-ORDINATION ADVISORY STRUCTURES Deacon Community Board

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DMLPD, no. 80.

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