Year of Inquiry for permanent diaconate to begin in January

By Deacon Ronnie Hathorne
For The Catholic Week
The Archdiocese of Mobile is seeking qualified men to enter into a three-month inquiry period administered by the Office of Permanent Diaconate. 
The period will be for both English speaking cohorts and Hispanic cohorts and include three inquiry-discernment sessions and an application workshop. Each will be three hours and take place on Saturday mornings for English speaking cohorts and Sunday afternoons for Spanish-speaking cohorts. 
The Year of Inquiry will begin on the third Saturday of January throughout the archdiocese.
It is intended for men who have a vocation into the Permanent Diaconate. The first personal indication of a possible vocation to the diaconate often begins with the inquirer seeking information. Therefore, the inquirer usually enters into dialogue with his parish pastor, who may eventually submit the inquirer for nomination to enter into the inquiry period.
The inquirer may also contact the Office of Permanent Diaconate directly. The inquirer should ensure that he meets the “General Criteria for Deacon Applicant” at mobarch.org.
Nominees and spouses will be invited to attend the required inquiry-discernment sessions, which lead to a formal application and interview process. The pastor’s endorsement and the wife’s consent are mandatory.
An advisory board with clergy and Catholic men and women will review each application and make a recommendation to Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, who makes the final decision whether to admit an inquirer/applicant into the Aspirant path. 
It is anticipated the process will require eight-to-10 months. The first formation class for the year of Aspirancy is scheduled to begin in August 2022.