November 28, 2025 // Diocese

Deacons Gather for Fellowship, Formation

Todays Catholic

For most people, the month of November brings images of gatherings with friends and family reunions, as Thanksgiving is around the corner. However, every year, for me, there is a special gathering that always takes place before those reunions: the annual retreat for the deacons of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

This retreat, which was held at Lindenwood Retreat Center in Donaldson in mid-November, offers a chance to reconnect with those who shared the same formation cohort. For some of us, this is the only time we’ve gotten a chance to see one another since the previous year. There are always stories to share – wonders we witnessed while visiting hospitals, exposing the Blessed Sacrament for adoration, taking Communion to the sick, and simply sharing the day-to-day life of our parishes.

But this is also a time to keep silent and listen to the voice of God, Our Lord, who is always waiting to speak from the depths of our hearts – yet I often fail to stop and simply listen. There, in the silence of the afternoon, in the sound of the wind moving through the leaves, in the reflections of the sunset on the lake, or even in the stillness of my room, God waits for me. It is important for me to remember that I should never speak about God without first speaking to God.

From left, Deacon Bill Gallagher, Deacon Jim Kitchens, and Deaon Jim Fuchs pose for a photo.

As we promised on the day of our ordination, we prayed together the Divine Office – the Liturgy of the Hours – twice a day. This is the “official” prayer of the Church, second only in liturgical importance to the Eucharist. During formation, we began our days together with morning prayer and ended every evening with evening prayer. Now, we pray these alone most days, so having the chance to pray together again brought back good memories and allowed us to bond once more, just like when we were in formation.

“Our faith is so rich that there is always something new to learn.”

Besides the time spent with our brother deacons and with the Lord, the retreat always includes time for ongoing formation. Our faith is so rich that there is always something new to learn – and this year was no exception. Formation was offered by Father Hildebrand Garceau, a Norbertine priest and the rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He opened his first talk by asking, “How do you approach your people to evangelize them?” That question alone could have provided enough material for reflection for the entire retreat. His answer was simple yet profound: “You have to start where they are and find a way to bridge the gap.”

He quoted Pope Benedict XVI: “Reason does not always act alone in our search for God. Sometimes the heart has to unite with our intellect to move us.” It is important to go beyond reason, because the heart moves us to action. Father Garceau provided several examples from the history of the Church, starting with the Acts of the Apostles, where evangelizers found ways to “bridge the gap.” But he went even deeper with the example of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He introduced us to new ideas presented in the book “Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy: How God Prepared the Americas for Conversion Before the Lady Appeared” by Joseph and Monique Gonzalez.

Father Hildebrand explained how these authors shed new light on the astounding events of Our Lady’s appearance. The image on the tilma spoke to the Indigenous peoples in ways we are only now beginning to understand. Even though the Franciscan friars made heroic efforts to share the Gospel, their success was limited. But with the help of Mary – the greatest evangelizer – they achieved what is considered the single largest Christian conversion event in history: close to 10 million Indigenous conversions took place after the Blessed Mother’s apparition.

After the final talk on Sunday, everyone prepared to close the retreat. What better way to conclude those three days than by taking part in the Eucharistic sacrifice, which is the “fount and apex of the whole Christian life” (Lumen Gentium, No. 11). At this Mass, we all vested as a reminder that we are part of something greater than ourselves. The presence among us of one of the successors of the apostles, Bishop Rhoades, reminded us that we are part of the universal Church.

Driving back home after having our final meal together – this time, joined by our bishop – I must admit that a feeling of nostalgia came over me. I returned feeling that the sun was a little brighter and the road a little shorter. I had witnessed once again that the Lord still walks among us, giving us hope and guiding us. I felt uplifted and strengthened by the certainty that the Holy Spirit continues to move our Church forward.

Deacon Max Ortega serves at St. Therese Catholic Church in Fort Wayne.