Forming deacons for the archdioceses of Southwark, Westminster and Cardiff, dioceses of Arundel and Brighton, Brentwood and East Anglia, and the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Catholic Deacons in England and Wales
Southern Diocese Group
Southern Diaconate
The Southern Diaconate programme, run on behalf of the diocesan authorities by the Inter Diocesan Committee
(IDC), is responsible for providing formation
for prospective deacons from the diocese that subscribe to the programme. Currently this comprises the Archdiocese of Southwark, Westminster and Cardiff, the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton, Brentwood, East Anglia and Northampton and the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.
The Programme
The programme has formed two important partnerships, with St John’s Seminary at Wonersh and with St Mary’s University, Twickenham. The seminary normally provides the accommodation and certain resources for the programme and this is where most of the formation programme usually takes place over eleven full days held on Saturdays although for the 2020/21 programme these will take place at St Mary's. The university validates the degree standard academic side of the programme and awards the degrees as well as providing many of the lecturers.
The
contact list below provides the contact details for the IDC and for the diocese not represented among the officers of the committee. Initial enquirers should contact the Director of Formation for their own diocese.
The constitution of the IDC can be found on this link:
Contact Details
Chairman
Deacon Ian Black
ianblack@rcaos.org.uk
Director of Formation, Archdiocese of Southwark
Vice Chairman
Deacon Adrian Cullen
Director of Formation, Archdiocese of Westminster
Secretary
Vacant
Bursar
Deacon John Bell johnbell2010@btinternet.com
Assistant Director of Formation, Diocese of East Anglia
Dean of Studies
Fr Ashley Beck
Dean of Pastoral Studies
Deacon Ken Carleton
Director of Formation, Diocese of Brentwood
Other Diocese Contacts
Arundel & Brighton
Deacon Tim Murrill
Cardiff
Deacon Philip Manghan
Ordinariate
Fr Michael Halsell
Recent News
Keep up to date with the latest news and information related to the diaconate.
Words of Life – Deacon pens new book
Formation Day brought forward a week
Due to the restrictions arising from the Covid-19 pandemic it has proved impractical to go ahead with the Residential Weekends held at High Leigh as part of the Formation Programme. Alternative arrangements are being made and will be shown on the Formation Programme page of the website as they organised.
Send us a message
Shared Formation Event
2024
Formation day 1
7 Sept
Formation day 2 and Aspirants day 1
21 Sept
Formation day 3 and Wives day 1
5 Oct
Formation day 4
Residential Weekend, High Leigh
Formation Day 5 and Aspirants day 2
26 Oct
8 to 10 Nov
7 Dec
2025
Formation Day 6
Formation Day 7, Aspirants day 3 and Wives Day 2
Residential Weekend, High Leigh
Formation Day 8
Formation Day 9 and Aspirants Day 4
Aspirants Retreat (Location to be confirmed)
Retreat 1st/2nd years (Location to be confirmed)
Formation Day 10
Pre-ordination retreat 3rd years, (Location to be confirmed)
Formation Day 11 (with Induction for 2025/26)
11 Jan
1 Feb
14 to 16
Feb
8 Mar
12 Apr
25 to 27 Apr
TBC
10 May
TBC
14 Jun
