Deacons Gather for Annual Retreat

The deacons held their annual retreat in Lubbock on August 28 – 29, 2026. The disturbance of deacons, together with seminarians from our diocese, gathered at the Texas Tech Club that Friday evening for a wonderful dinner. In thanks for the leadership and support Bishop Scott Mayer has provided for his deacons, they presented him with two bottles of Scotch: one a cask “matured” Scotch to reflect the bishop’s “maturity” and a more playful Scotch named “The Deacon” (complete with plague-mask doctor logo). On Saturday, the group convened at St. Paul’s on the Plains where they reenacted a deacon’s ordination service to discuss what is the character of a deacon. They also discussed recruitment and formation of deacons, as well as the Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal’s thought-provoking article “Exodus from Privilege: Reflections on the Diaconate in Acts.” The retreat concluded with the renewal of the deacons’ vows and Holy Eucharist. The deacons want to thank St. Paul’s on the Plains for allowing them the use of their parish hall and nave and particularly thank Deacon Becky Orem.