seconds to answer. This is a healthy development in the assessment of all candidates for ordained ministry and one that should be welcomed. A report was then submitted to the diocesan authorities. Thankfully, confirmation was to follow swiftly that we were all to join what is formally known as the Permanent Diaconate Formation Programme in September, 2008. Nine dioceses, based mainly in the south of the country, participate in this three year programme which takes place mainly at St. John’s Seminary, Wonersh and which has between forty and fifty students, participating at any one time. Almost invariably, students are married.
 

My first year coincided with the introduction of some radical changes to the academic part of this programme, which also includes, as one might expect, pastoral and spiritual dimensions. The academic side now involves a foundation degree in Pastoral Ministry over the first two years leading to a BA in Theology which will not be completed until the end of January 2012. (The conferring institution is St. Mary’s University College, Twickenham which we hope will soon be declared the first Catholic University in this country since the Reformation and which was one of the venues for the Holy Father’s recent visit.) These studies are a heavy commitment, particularly for those with demanding jobs and with young children, in some cases very young children and is one reason, but not the only one, for an attrition rate of about 10% each year. There can be tensions in family life during this time. Wives of students carry a significant additional burden; indeed, I would go so far as to say that without their commitment, the programme would not be viable. I am particularly grateful to Pauline for the support she has always given, although she will not thank me for going into print on this. Personally, I have greatly enjoyed the academic studies, having been introduced to a number of subjects only lightly touched upon, previously, but, because of the particular focus on these studies, the pastoral dimension, despite the name of the foundation degree, has received much less attention. One can only do so much in the time available.
 

Over this last year, I have had the privilege of being Dean of Students with the remit for managing the practicalities of the formation days held in Wonersh, although, inevitably, this leads to becoming involved in a number of other things besides. The role has provided an excellent opportunity for appreciating what service means in a community setting.
 

Although I have learnt a great deal from the academic studies, I feel my greatest progress has been made in my prayer life, essential to any ordained ministry. One of my early tasks was to choose a Spiritual Director, someone to be seen on a reasonably, frequent basis to provide guidance in this area. I had already decided that my Spiritual Director should be a woman, not simply as a counter-balance to the overwhelming male presence within the programme itself, but so as to benefit from a woman’s experience and insight to prayer life.
 

Since my retirement I have welcomed the change to a less pressured life. My career had involved operating at both a professional level, advising corporate clients and at senior management level in running a division of my employer, a task that included managing a number of offices. Providing the important results were good, then one was given a good deal of latitude and control. However, that situation is well removed from that of trying to develop a prayer life. This requires a different discipline from that found in the business world, where in the case of challenging business targets, one systematically plans, executes, delivers and appraises. Monitoring takes place against a business plan, with interim and final results measured against defined targets, to ensure the project is being effectively managed. I learnt, perhaps only too slowly, that if development is to take place in one’s prayer life, then control needs to be surrendered. It is not a question of managing a well defined process in a professional way so as to avoid surprising and disappointing results, but one of being patient, trusting, of listening to the heart, not forcing the issue, seeing what emerges, and trying to understand the direction that this is leading one. Although, I have found this difficult, my Spiritual Director, a Franciscan Sister, has helped me, considerably. For example, when it comes to scripture, she has on more than one occasion, told me how important it is to let the word descend from the mind and resonate in the heart, and to think what this may mean for the life I am leading, in other words, to ask myself where might the Holy Spirit be leading me? Initially, this question was one of a number that were particularly pertinent with regard to the permanent diaconate itself. Is this what God wants for me? How and when does one find out? And yet over time these questions have receded and no longer hold any potency – a remarkable transformation, when one thinks about it.  I am reasonably certain that this would not have happened without the spiritual direction I have received, and for which I will always be grateful.
 

There are many people one should thank for helping on this journey, one that really began a long time ago. Formation is a continuous process, one which requires us never to be satisfied with where we are; we can always make further progress in the Christian life and, as my experience confirms, that, when we do, the results can be rather surprising. As one journey ends another now begins. I approach this, hopefully, in a spirit of humility, but with a degree of confidence, borne out of the realisation, that this is what God wants me to do. I would ask that you pray for me, in the confident hope that I will be a much better deacon as a result.  

God bless,
Paul Gately.

Paul Gately’s personal account of his journey to the Diaconate

Some time towards the end of 2007, and unknown to me, Fr. Tom approached Pauline, my wife, to ask her if she had any objections to his approaching me on the subject of the diaconate. Had Pauline not given her consent to proceed then that would simply have been the end of the matter and I would not now be a deacon. Fr. Tom’s subsequent discussion with myself then led to my applying, formally, to enter the formation programme for the Permanent Diaconate, which involved a one day assessment at St. Cuthman’s in Coolham, where I first met the three other men from our diocese who would accompany me, as students of the programme, every step of the way from there through to ordination this year. We have become very close and have been a wonderful support to one another and will, no doubt, continue to be so.

Following Coolham, we each had to attend to an assessment over two days at the St. Luke’s Centre, near Manchester, run by the bishop’s of England & Wales. Here we underwent a very thorough examination by a number of individuals including a psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, spiritual director and a ‘computer’ which threw hundreds of questions at us, each of which we had only a few