Annual Deacon Retreat

Deacon Dennis Gorsuch, St. Claire's Church, Roseville, CA leads Benediction

 

I enjoyed a needed retreat with fellowship and community prayer time with my brothers and sisters in the diaconate community.

The first day was devoted to time with the Blessed Sacrament.  This is the other "Deacon Dennis" in the Diocese of Sacramento.  Here he is blessing us with the Blessed Sacrament.  Yes, his name is Dennis like me.

I remember lunch with Deacon Dennis and a certain Deacon Carl who was proud to tell me about his father who died in the Battle of the Philippines in World War II.  Deacon Dennis Gorsuch and I would joke with each other about how great a name we have in common.

The speaker for the retreat mentioned 3 areas of healing needed today in our time of scandal.

He focused on healing for the traditional 3 vows in the Church: healing sins against poverty; healing sins of abuse of power and cover-ups (which is related to why we have a vow of obedience); and healing for sins against chastity or celibacy.

I walked away from the weekend hoping to use the same talking points one day.

I am grateful the speaker acknowledged the crisis in the Church in his talk.  For me, since it was a big elephant in the room.

If he didn't say anything about the growing scandals, I personally would have perceived him as being part of the systemic problem so was grateful he said something.

Later that weekend, the Vigano bombshell happened.  In the past, I have done my utmost to avoid using my phone on retreats, but I didn't this weekend.  Something of this magnitude could not be ignored.

I couldn't not follow what was happening.  I think any clergy or Catholic for that matter not following the Vigano case in the capacity that they are able is either in indifferent denial or deliberately complicit.  There is no middle ground.

But back to more local matters.  This is a handful of the Solano deacons group.  Deacon Bobby Peregrino was elected on the diocesan deacons' council.

And here's a random photo with some of my classmates from the Class of 2014.

Right to left: Deacon Mark Honrick; Deacon Juan Moreno; Deacon David Leatherby, Jr.; and then there's me on the left.

Deacon Leatherby is part of the Leatherby Creamery family.  You can visit any one of his branches HERE.  I enjoy their crab sandwich, along with their ice cream.

I finished this book about military chaplains during the retreat.  

I am reading the one on Fr. Emil Kapuan now.

I am grateful for my time on this retreat.