August 26, 2022

Inquiry sessions for permanent diaconate set to start on Sept. 18 in Indianapolis

Criterion staff report

The archdiocesan Office of Deacon Formation is beginning a period of inquiry and discernment for those interested in the permanent diaconate.

In the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, formation for the permanent diaconate is a five-year process beginning with a year of inquiry and discernment.

The first year includes a series of monthly meetings, beginning in September and concluding in March, which are held in various locations across central and southern Indiana. The sessions are open to all those who wish to enter into discernment.

Serious applicants are expected to attend all the meetings. If they are married, it is asked that their wives also attend.

Formal application packets will be distributed in January of the discernment year to those who have actively participated in the discernment process. The applications will then be reviewed by a selection committee, and those who are selected to enter formation will begin the formal four-year process in August 2023.

The sessions will begin at 2:30 p.m. and conclude by 4:30 p.m. No pre-registration is required for these sessions.

The following is a list of the dates and locations of the sessions:

  • Sept. 18, St. Lawrence Parish, 6944 E. 46th St., in Indianapolis.
  • Oct. 16, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, 1752 Scheller Lane, in New Albany.
  • Nov. 13, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 2322 N. 13 1/2 St., in Terre Haute.
  • Dec. 11, St. Louis Parish, 13 St. Louis Place, in Batesville.
  • Jan. 15, St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, 4050 E. 38th St., in Indianapolis.
  • Feb. 12, St. Bartholomew Parish, 1306 27th St., in Columbus.
  • March 12, St. Joseph Parish, 1875 S. County Road 700 W., North Vernon.

For more information, contact the archdiocesan Office of Deacon Formation at 800-382-9836, ext. 1492, 317-236-1492, or e-mail Deacon Kerry Blandford, archdiocesan director of deacon formation, at kblandford@archindy.org. †

Local site Links: