As many deacons may already know, the National Association of Diaconate Directors (NADD), in conjunction with the USCCB, is organizing a congress in New Orleans in July of 2018 to mark the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent order.
Few details of the event have been available. Until now.
Yesterday, the NADD launched a website for the event, whose theme is “Christ the Servant: Yesterday, Today and Forever.” You can find the site here: Deacon2018. It is clearly still a work in progress, but some exploration uncovers a treasure trove of information. Among other things, the site has a list of speakers, workshops, resources, and details about New Orleans and hotel accommodations.
If you go to the home page, there’s a menu bar on the top right corner that can tell you more.
As the website puts it:
The National Congress of Deacons in 2018 will be a celebration for the whole Church. Deacons and their families will be joined by bishops, priests, religious and laity to mark the 50th anniversary of the renewal of the diaconate as a permanent ordained ministry of the Catholic Church.
The Congress activities include Masses, Morning and Evening Prayer, multiple daily presentations, workshops, and fellowship. National exhibitors are invited to share resources for continuing education, pilgrimage and travel, books and publications, vestments and deacon wear. Vendor registration is open now from the “vendor registration” link on the deacon2018 homepage.
The Congress will be headquartered at the Marriott New Orleans on Canal Street. Many events will be held in the Marriott utilizing the hotel’s large meeting spaces. A special room rate has been negotiated for attendees; a reservation link and other details will be announced beginning in early 2018.
The 2018 Congress is planned by NADD with support of the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Meantime, the Center for Diaconal Formation at Seton Hall University yesterday posted an announcement about some of the participants and their topics.
I’m excited and humbled to be a part of this event and looking forward to meeting new friends and re-connecting with old ones next summer. See you in New Orleans!
Photo: Wikipedia
