CHARLOTTE — Seeking to model the Church’s first deacon St. Stephen – “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5) – 18 men have entered the first phase toward possibly becoming deacons for the Diocese of Charlotte.
The 18 men were selected after an initial evaluation process of 94 men who applied to express interest in the program. Over the next two years, they will be introduced to the spirituality of being a deacon in the Church as they participate in supervised pastoral experiences focused on serving the poor and marginalized. Three additional years of prayer, reflection, study and discussion will follow – a five-year journey which culminates with a call to ordination from Bishop Peter Jugis.
Deacon Bill Schreiber, the diocese’s director of deacon formation, works with Deacon John Kopfle, director of the Permanent Diaconate program, and Deacon Dave Faunce, assistant director of formation, to shepherd this extensive formation process. His work started with background checks, psychological screenings, interviews with the applicants, and reviews of the information gathered. The 18 chosen to move forward into the first phase of formation – known as aspirancy – comprise a diverse group, reflecting each geographical region and a variety of nationalities from across the diocese, Deacon Schreiber noted.
“Assuming that everything goes well in aspirancy – that is, the men are well situated, and we have the concurrence of their wives – the men will move on to candidate formation,” Deacon Schreiber explained. “The men can’t continue without their wives saying ‘yes’ all the way through the process – even up to ordination. This is super important.”
That second phase – candidate formation – is expected to start next January and will last three years. The 18 “aspirants” will be considered individually by the bishop for possible advancement as “candidates.”
In years past, the Charlotte diocese has partnered with the Satellite Theological Education Program (STEP) through the University of Notre Dame as the basis for its candidate formation program. Now the formation program is based nearby.
“With the development of our local seminary – St. Joseph College Seminary – and access to Belmont Abbey College, we felt the necessity to bring the formation back within the diocese,” Deacon Schreiber said. “We have excellent theological resources at Belmont Abbey. We also want to partner with the seminary because, ultimately, the candidates will be ordained deacons, who will eventually be led by the priests who are (now) in the seminary.”
The men chosen as candidates will learn more about the liturgy, Scripture and moral theology – taking 18 courses from Belmont Abbey College over the course of their formation work. Then will come a series of courses to strengthen their intellectual background, including interpretation of Scripture and an in-depth, systematic background study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Courses will also include an introduction to the spiritual traditions and philosophical foundations of Church teaching, as well as Church law.
After five years of successful formation, the candidates will be considered for ordination as deacons. For this class of men, that is expected in 2027.
— Annie Ferguson
Want to learn more?
Find detailed information about the process of becoming a deacon online at www.charlottediocese.org/permanent-diaconate. Also consider speaking with a deacon at your parish and your pastor. For further inquiries, contact Deacon Bill Schreiber at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Deacon John Kopfle at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 704-370-3344.