Archbishop Edward Gilbert will meet with the nominees for the permanent deacon programme on Saturday, December 16, at St Charles Borromeo Parish Hall, Tunapuna. The programme, the first for the Archdiocese, will begin in January 2007.

The Archbishop as Chair of the programme will meet informally with the 20 nominees and their wives to share information about the start of training, its goals, the academic schedule for the first semester, and to provide a forum to answer any questions the participants may have about the course.

Based on the recommendations of the Synod and positive responses from 16 parishes to a questionnaire on the feasibility of the plan, the Archbishop set out the general norms for the three-year programme of academic, pastoral and spiritual formation and invited nominees.