PA 883 DE Pastoral
Care of Marriage and Family for Deacons
This course is designed to focus on the pastoral aspects
of ministry with families, with particular emphasis
on the unique contributions which can be made by deacons
in parish settings. Drawing from the disciplines of
pastoral theology, pastoral counseling, moral theology
and reproductive medicine, this course emphasizes
the critical importance of a family perspective in
ministering to married couples and families as they
seek to become “domestic church.” This
course integrates learning from Church documents,
current research, and practical pastoral experiences,
in order to adequately respond to the issues faced
by today’s families. A vision for pastoral care
of families is developed by focusing on church teachings,
the dignity of marriage, the marital embrace and the
family; the formation of families to be the first
communities of evangelization; and the crises families
encounter and the need for a sensitive pastoral response.
This course considers topics including marriage and
family spirituality, as well as domestic violence,
and will provide an introduction to natural family
planning. Particular attention will be given to those
areas where a deacon’s personal family experience
might be helpful or illuminative in providing pastoral
care to those in need.
MO 841 DE Medical and
Health Care Morality for the Diaconate
This course studies the theology of the human body,
personhood, and human dignity in protecting life from
beginning to end and in treating illness. Subjects
to be considered include killing and life taking,
as well as the principles of double effect; totality,
material/formal cooperation, and common good as applied
to medical issues. Other topics discussed include
ordinary/extraordinary means, especially in death
and dying and surgical interventions; sexual questions
about sterilization, contraception, and in-vitro fertilization;
kinds of abortion, pregnancy and delivery; doctor-patient
relations of consent, confidentiality, medication,
competence and institutions and professionalism, as
frequently encountered in hospital mergers and their
relation to a pluralistic culture.
This course will be of particular interest to deacons
involved in hospital, nursing home, ministry to the
aging, or other similar settings.
HM 951 DE Hispanic
Pastoral Ministry for Deacons
This course addresses the issue of pastoral work with
the ever-growing community of Hispanic Catholics in
North America. In this course, Deacons will develop
general knowledge of the culture of Hispanic people
and their relationship with religion, providing the
learner with additional insight as to the way Hispanics
perceive and practice their faith. As part of the
course, the deacon will be exposed to particular devotions
and religious practices beloved by the various Hispanic
communities in North America. This course will also
consider some specific pastoral practices with emphasis
on the advantage they offer for a deeper understanding
of evangelization of the Hispanic Church in the United
States. This course is particularly recommended for
those deacons ministering in those settings experiencing
rapid change from pan-European parish culture to a
focused Hispanic setting. The language of instruction
is English, but some optional readings are provided
in their original Spanish texts.
SP 611 DE The
Spirituality of the Deacon
With particular emphasis on the formation and ministry
of permanent deacons in the United States, this course
correlates the sources, principles and practices of
sound spirituality with the fundamental truths of
Catholic faith, with the reality of human nature as
redeemed and graced, and with practical aspects of
spirituality in diaconal ministry. It highlights development
of sound spirituality in the context of the Church
and emphasizes the need for, and spiritual benefits
of, ongoing integration of spiritual reading, personal
prayer, private devotion, liturgical worship, and
pastoral practice throughout a deacon’s ministry
to the faithful.
PA 868 DE Pastoral
Counseling for the Deacon
This course presents basic counseling theory, processes
and skill development, focused on assessment, listening,
and goal setting. This course briefly outlines various
emotional/mental disorders which may assist the non-professional
counselor to make appropriate assessment and professional
referral. This course is specifically designed for
those deacons in pastoral settings who have come from
other disciplines, and aims to introduce students
to a variety of tools, strategies, and methodologies.
Special emphasis will be placed upon helping the deacon
recognize some common issues and problems which they
are likely to encounter. Personal counseling styles
will be addressed as a means of enabling each participant
to understand his or her own strengths and weaknesses
in a pastoral care setting. This course will permit
the deacon to identify the critical differences between
pastoral care and professional counseling, particularly
as it relates to the nature and limits of the pastoral
counseling task. This course will also assist the
deacon to understand the elements of the counseling
process and gain experience of elementary counseling
interventions through practice and role-play, and
to help learners to understand their own personal
style of relating and its influence on the counseling
process. This course will also introduce deacons to
a wide range of helpful resources relating to pastoral
care and counseling.
PA 931 DE Hospital
Ministry for the Deacon
This course is designed to introduce participants
to the role of the hospital chaplain. The job of the
hospital chaplain is discussed in relation to the
six major roles performed by the hospital chaplain.
Basic responsibilities and day-to-day tasks are discussed
in detail.
Modules of study include how to visit the sick; death,
bereavement, and end of life issues; cross-cultural
chaplaincy; hospice and palliative care; behavioral
care, crisis ministry, and professionalism.
Participants are required to visit a hospital, work
with a chaplain, complete assigned tasks relating
to clinical visits, read assignments, complete reflection
papers, and participate in objective assessment. Recommendations
are made on how to become a professional chaplain
and resources for further study are given. This course
is appropriate for any Deacon, regardless of current
parish assignments. The novice will gain much insight
for future pastoral care, and the veteran will share
his experiences and have an opportunity to reflect
on how closely reality and theory have met
Distance Learning Program for the Diaconate
The Pontifical College Josephinum
7625 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43235
1-877-9DEACON (toll free)
1-877-933-2266
deacons@pcj.edu
