tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595608247665759734.post8400470926905502027..comments2023-09-27T02:46:21.569-07:00Comments on Deacons Today: Musings on Diakonia and Diaconate: Bishops and Deacons: FoundationsDeacon William T. Ditewig, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11525431509279159558noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595608247665759734.post-23744869670917857022010-09-08T04:27:56.176-07:002010-09-08T04:27:56.176-07:00I have been a deacon for some 32 years and served ...I have been a deacon for some 32 years and served under three different bishops. I had a close and comfortable relationship only with one -- the middle of the three. It may have been that he was a native of the town where I serve, or that I was a student of his in my formation, or even that he was one who not only had an "open-door" and encouraged you to seek him out, he also approached you and sought you out. I can think of a half-dozen times he asked for my personal input on something (not that he always accepted my advice, but he was always very gracious about asking.<br /><br />Deacon NorbNorberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10464878965952469636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595608247665759734.post-67955150389804231112010-09-07T20:20:22.396-07:002010-09-07T20:20:22.396-07:00Also in context of time and place...the relationsh...Also in context of time and place...the relationship of priests with the bishops isn't what it used to be (even if THAT wasn't always the best). The past years of the sex abuse crisis brought much division, mistrust and a more legal "cover my a_ _" than pastoral/father appraoch towards the priests. Deacons: keep standing in line and once the priests accept us as brother clergy perhaps the bishops might as well. Hope springs eternal.Diakonoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16896251554818257122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595608247665759734.post-60267492319127699492010-09-07T18:28:20.771-07:002010-09-07T18:28:20.771-07:00As the Church is today, I see no way deacons can h...As the Church is today, I see no way deacons can have the type immediate relationship with their bishops as depicted here.<br /> In the early Church(and still in much of Catholic Europe today,I believe) bishops serve much smaller areas making close personal relationships with deacons more possible.<br /> Here in the U.S., it seems to me, a parish deacon should work on having a close personal, co-operative relationship with his pastor such as deacons had with bishops in the far past.<br /> I probably am saying this because I have been with two pastors for a good length of time over my 30 years as a deacon and have had a strong personal and co-operative relationship with both.Deacon John M. Bresnahanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09705229739649571349noreply@blogger.com