Diplomat praises ministry of deacons
National
Holy See diplomat Archbishop Charles Balvo, the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, highlighted the important role that deacons play in the Church following his attendance at the 2025 National Deacons Conference in Adelaide.
The American bishop gave the address at the Deacon Nick Kerr Memorial Dinner and joined more than 80 attendees from around Australia at the four-day conference held at the Adelaide Hills Convention Centre in Hahndorf from February 27 to March 2.
Archbishop Balvo told The Southern Cross that after his ordination to the priesthood in 1976 he had two parish assignments before undertaking studies in Canon Law, which led to his current role.
Archbishop Charles Balvo
Both parishes had benefitted from the presence and ministry of permanent deacons, who were among the early candidates ordained for the Archdiocese of New York.
“I shared with them a number of responsibilities, such as sacramental preparation programs, and in my second parish, the deacon and his wife coordinated the parish religious education program, which enrolled more than 3500 children,” he said.
“Over the years of my diplomatic service, I have met permanent deacons, in several countries, who were committed to a variety of apostolates, including prison and hospital chaplaincies.
“Similarly, here in Australia, permanent deacons are an important part of the carrying out of the mission of the Church, of evangelisation and the works of charity.”
While he has participated in two national assemblies of deacons previously, he said this was the first time he was welcomed to take part in the whole assembly.
“In a particular way, throughout the assembly, I appreciated the spirit of service and communion that characterised the permanent deacons as well as the importance of the presence of their wives, and their devotion to family life,” he said.
One of the keynote speakers, Deacon Bill Ditewig from the Diocese of Washington DC, shared his perspective on deacons as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ in the 2025 Jubilee Year.
Dr Ditewig spoke of his participation in the Catholic Church’s previous Jubilee in 2000 when he joined 700 deacons and wives on a pilgrimage to Italy and how the sudden death of one of the participants outside a church in Florence “changed everything” for the group.
“It was a transforming moment,” the former US Navy officer said.
“When Pope Francis began writing about pilgrimage, he wrote about the patience of God, about the journey itself and being led by the Spirit.
“Along the way we have to confront our fears and our uncertainties.”
Adelaide priest Fr Michael Trainor, a New Testament scholar from the Australian Catholic University, shed light on the contextual reality of the diaconal ministry of Jesus and of Jesus’ earliest followers.
Other speakers included Deacon Tony Hoban, Diocese of Parramatta, who reflected upon his recent pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee of Deacons. He was the only Australian deacon present and was elected deputy chair of the International Diaconate Centre.
Breakout sessions included presentations on Ageing Well, Wives of Deacons, Spiritual Direction and Deacons, Deacons and Liturgy and Deacons as Pastoral Directors.
There are more than 200 permanent deacons nationwide and approximately 45,000 worldwide.
It was announced that the next National Deacons Conference will be hosted by deacons from the Archdiocese of Brisbane, together with deacons from throughout Queensland, in 2027.
