The Office of the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Madison is nearly six months into its leadership change and is forging again with its main goal — answering the question: What is the role of permanent deacons in the diocese?
Last November, Fr. Michael Radowicz, pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Madison who had been the director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate since 2013, was named presbyteral advisor to the office.
Assuming new roles were Deacon Chris Schmelzer from Cathedral Parish in Madison as the new director, and Deacon Jim Hoegemeier from All Saints Parish in Berlin and associate director of the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities, as associate director of the diaconate office.
Both Deacons Schmelzer and Hoegemeier are permanent deacons.
Deacon Schmelzer was ordained in 2018 and Deacon Hoegemeier was ordained in 2016.
Words of thanks
Both Deacons Schmelzer and Hoegemeier had words of thanks for Father Radowicz as he both helped them in their formation and lead the office the past several years.
Deacon Schmelzer gave Father Radowicz credit for starting the semi-annual gatherings.
These events gather together all of the permanent deacons in the diocese and their wives and serve as a time of formation, education, prayer, and fellowship.
Deacon Schmelzer also added that Father Radowicz was instrumental in permanent deacons wearing gray clerics while performing their duties of service in the diocese.
He’s happy that Father Radowicz will still serve in an advisory role in the office.
“He’s there whenever I need to call him,” said Deacon Schmelzer. “He is so gracious . . . so supportive and helpful”.
Deacon Hoegemeier added that “He [Father Radowicz] made [the permanent diaconate] very visible, he talked about the value of permanent deacons” to his fellow priests.
Father Radowicz added that “It’s wonderful that we continue to see the numbers of interested men growing” as permanent deacons and he sees “the grace of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of men and their wives to choose this vocation”.
In addition to advising the Office of the Permanent Diaconate, Father Radowicz is also taking on the role of diocesan archivist.
His current projects include organizing items into an electronic cataloging system and digitizing sacramental registers for preservation and to help parishes.
“It’s been a wonderful transition,” Father Radowicz said as he’s “learning about all the gems and the treasures we have down here”.
Goals for the future
Deacon Hoegemeier remarked that the permanent diaconate is “pretty new” since the Second Vatican Council.
“We’re still trying to figure out the role of permanent deacons,” he said.
This includes finding a “niche” in how they can serve the people of the Diocese of Madison.
“Ultimately, a deacon is a servant,” Deacon Hoegemeier added, noting that they serve as an intermediary “between the clergy and the laity” as well as “between the bishop and the people of God” and “between all of the people of God and the people of God in the margins”.
Deacon Schmelzer noted that there are three areas in which the office is aiming to make its goals: To support the men currently in the permanent diaconate, to support those in formation, and to support those who are discerning the call to the permanent diaconate.
“When we are exercising our ministry of deacon to serve others, there’s a great blessing in that,” said Deacon Schmelzer.
He added there is “great fulfillment, great humility, great awe, and great inspiration in serving others and seeing Christ in others up close.”
As for his new role, Deacon Schmelzer said that “It’s really quite a humbling experience” to have been appointed by Bishop Donald J. Hying Madison as director.
He added that not only has Bishop Hying showed support for the office by appointing permanent deacons as its leaders, but he’s also taken an active role in meeting with Deacons Schmelzer and Hoegemeier and Father Radowicz on discussing the future of the permanent diaconate in the diocese and following up on the progress.
“It was very proactive on his part and very supportive on his part,” said Deacon Schmelzer.
He added he’s looking forward to when more gatherings can be done “face-to-face” and the deacons of the diocese can grow together in their servant ministries.
“How blessed we are to be able to serve in this way,” said Deacon Schmelzer.
“It’s not what you do, it’s who you are, and your being is changed forever,” he said.