Deacon candidates, wives attend retreat at Conception Abbey
The men of the diaconate formation class of 2025 recently completed their canonical retreat anticipating their ordination to the Order of Deacons.
The retreat was held from Feb. 13-17 at the Benedictine Abbey in Conception.
The beauty of having the retreat at the abbey is praying with the Benedictine monks and living life in their spiritual rhythm. The group came together with the monks to pray Morning Prayer (Lauds), Evening Prayer (Vespers), Night Prayer (Compline) and daily Holy Mass. On Saturday, all of the retreatants were offered the opportunity to go to seek God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The men were joined by their wives for the retreat.
Father Daniel Merz, diocesan vicar for permanent deacons, led the retreat and walked everyone through the Rite of Ordination. He also provided insights into the life and ministry of deacons.
Deacon John and Carol Schwartze and Deacon Mike and Lisa Berendzen also attended the retreat with the candidates and their wives. Deacon Schwartze, the Director of Diaconate Formation, provided the opening session on Thursday evening with a look back at the candidates’ early days in formation and the growth they have shown over the past four and a half years of formation.
He also walked them through the remaining steps that are required leading up to ordination on June 7 of this year.
Two times during the retreat, the wives had a separate activity. The first one was a tour of the monastery of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, which is about 5 minutes from Conception Abbey. The women were treated to a tour of the Romanesque Adoration Chapel, which was consecrated in 1911. They also toured the Relic Chapel, which holds over 550 first- and second-class relics of saints.
The second solo session was led by Karen Ceckowski of the Conception Retreat Center, who offered a talk entitled, “Praying with Icons.”
While the retreat was deeply spiritual in nature, it also offered the couples plenty of “sacred leisure” to reconnect and catch up with each other. On Friday evening, the Guest Center hosted a catered reception for the retreatants to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
During the last session, the men came forward and proclaimed and signed their Oath of Fidelity and their Profession of Faith, which is a required step prior to ordination.
God willing, these men will be ordained as deacons for the Church at the Cathedral of St. Joseph by Bishop W. Shawn McKnight on June 7.
