Deacon Sean Loone of Our Lady of the Wayside parish in Shirley has released his latest book.

‘Servants of the Word – The Gospel of Christ and the Call to Discipleship’ is now available to buy online with profits being donated to Father Hudson’s Care, the social care agency of the Archdiocese.

Deacon Sean says of the book: “Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a deacon and a priest? Or have you ever thought about what a deacon is called to be and do by the Church and therefore by Christ himself?

“Perhaps the best place to start is with understanding that some men are invited to be become what is known as Permanent Deacons, which means that they will never be priests because that is not their calling. This is because the diaconate is a ministry in its own right, one, which goes back to the very earliest days of the church.

“In essence the deacon is called to be a servant of Christ and his people.

“When I think of the work done by Father Hudson’s Care the one word which comes to mind for me is service because the charity exists to love and serve some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Indeed, I am humbled when I think of the work done by all those who commit themselves to working with and for those most in need of care and love but who, very often, are forgotten by everyone else.

“As a result I am dedicating my book and its profits, in the name of Christ, to the charity in support of and recognition for everything it does.”

Father Harry Curtis, Diocesan Director of the Permanent Diaconate, said of the book:
“From the opening invitation to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus through the words of Sacred Scripture – heart – through an introduction to the intellectual content – head – to the purpose of Divine Revelation – heart and head together – we are enabled to make the Sunday homily an event of gracious encounter for us and for those who choose to listen.”

The book brings to an end a series Deacon Sean has been working on for some time and follows ‘Born For Us – A Journey Into the Real Meaning of Christmas’; ‘Only In the Crucified Christ – Questions and Answers on Faith, Hope and Love,’ and ‘Sharing in the Life of God – A Journey Into the Real Meaning of Easter’.

‘Servants of the Word – The Gospel of Christ and the Call to Discipleship’ is now available to buy online 

Find out more about Father Hudson’s Care