Video series to explore diaconate ministry
Friday, Feb. 19, 2021
By Laura Vallejo
Intermountain Catholic
SALT LAKE CITY — Many things have happened following the lead of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan “Charting Our Mission,” which Bishop Oscar A. Solis presented in 2018. The plan, which started with a steering committee organized before Bishop Solis came to the diocese, is a five-year outline meant to help the Diocese of Salt Lake City “build vibrant parish communities and form missionary disciples always ready to proclaim the Gospel with great enthusiasm and joy,” the bishop wrote in his letter introducing the plan.
Among the things that have been undertaken to implement the Pastoral Plan is the production of four videos exploring the different aspects of the permanent diaconate.
These videos help implement one of the Pastoral Plan’s goals for vocations, said Deacon Scott Dodge, director of the diocesan Office for Deacons. The plan “called us to develop a ‘What is a Deacon?’ information seminar that rotates throughout the diocese on an annual basis,” he said.
Having the seminar in a video format was suggested by Karin Hurley, the former director of the diocese’s stewardship office. Working with Hurley’s office, Deacon Dodge created four videos for the informational seminar.
Each of the videos will look at different aspects of a deacon to provide a broad overview of the ordained ministry. The focus of one of the videos is the deacon’s ministry of liturgy and the Word. Another video will highlight the deacon’s ministry of charity. A third video will give a broad overview of the permanent diaconate; the fourth will take on frequently asked questions concerning the diaconate.
”These videos can be used together in a more comprehensive way. Eventually, we will use them in our inquiry sessions for prospective deacons,” Deacon Dodge said.
When the videos are complete, they will be posted on the diocese’s YouTube channel; once social distancing requirements allow, the videos will be available to be shown at more formal group presentations.
The videos are being produced in English; Spanish versions are planned.
“Given our present circumstances and changes in the stewardship office, we’re behind where we planned to be in producing these videos,” Deacon Dodge said.
Leadership in the stewardship office changed in December, when Hurley resigned and Shannon Lee returned to take the director’s position.
The first two videos in English have been shot; the other two are in production. No schedule has yet been set for producing the videos in Spanish.
The video project will be complete “when we have a Spanish version of ‘What Is a Deacon?,’” Deacon Dodge said.
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