OCADL (Ontario Catholic Association of Diaconate Leaders) is an association of Ontario deacons who have been specifically chosen by their (Arch)Bishops to provide liaison and support to the permanent deacons in their respective Diocese as well as to coordinate the planning and providing of services for candidates in formation for the Permanent Diaconate.
As leaders in the permanent diaconate, we join together for mutual support and growth in Christian ideals, especially in diakonia. Our motto is “We have come to serve.”
Our association is based on the Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons which specifies “the right of deacons to form associations among themselves, to promote their spiritual life, to carry out charitable and pious works, and pursue other objectives which are consonant with their sacramental consecration and mission.” (Congregation for the Clergy, Vatican City, 1998, para 11)
Currently, there are 11 Dioceses in Ontario whose Bishops and Archbishops have agreed to support OCADL with a financial donation of $300 per year. This helps us to provide support and ongoing formation activities to diaconate leaders, those deacons whose ordinary has selected or appointed them to assist him in serving the deacons and candidates, priests and lay people in his Diocese or Archdiocese, by taking on some specific diaconate leadership roles. Examples are Director of deacons, Director of formation of candidates, Bishop’s liaison to the permanent diaconate, Chair or committee member of the committee for the permanent diaconate, and so on. Each supporting Bishop is entitled to appoint up to 5 diaconate leaders in his Diocese as members of OCADL. Members of OCADL have full voting rights and are entitled to the services provided by the organization, including attendance at the annual convocation, usually held in late May or early June.
Dioceses who support OCADL annually include: Alexandria-Cornwall, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Pembroke, Peterborough, St. Catherine’s, Sault Ste-Marie, Thunder Bay, and Toronto, as well as the Military Ordinariate. The organization was founded in 2001 and, according to our feedback, is well appreciated by its members and their ordinaries. We also submit an annual report to the Ontario Council of Catholic Bishops. Our present (2010) executive is:
Deacon John Vallely was ordained as a Permanent Deacon for the Diocese of London in November, 2005. Prior to commencing his formation for the Permanent Diaconate, he received an MDiv from St Peter’s Seminary in 2001. He is assigned to Holy Family Parish for his service of Word and of Sacrament. His ministries of Charity include Chair of the Board of the London Affordable Housing Foundation, and (recently) Director of the Permanent Diaconate Formation & Study Program and Director of Permanent Deacons for the Diocese of London.
Born in Hamilton, Deacon John came to London to attend UWO – and has never left! He earned an Honours BA in Psychology, and graduated from Medicine in 1972, followed by post-graduate training in Urology. He retired from his positions as staff Urologist at St Joseph’s Health Care London and Associate Professor of Surgery (Urology) in UWO’s Faculty of Medicine at the end of 2008. Deacon John has been married to Susan since 1970 and have two adult sons: Paul lives in Vancouver and Alan and his wife, Arale, reside in Doha, Qatar – do the Vallely’s ever know how to empty the nest!
Deacon Bill and wife Ellen enjoy two daughters and four grandchildren. Ordained in 1995, he served at St. Gregory’s Parish as a Pastoral Minister until 2008 and is presently assigned to St. Mary’s Cathedral in Kingston and Director of Pastoral Care at Hotel Dieu Hospital. Additionally, Deacon Bill is the Director for the Office of the Permanent Diaconate in Kingston. He holds a BA in Political Science from University of Windsor, Masters of Divinity from Queen’s Theological College in Kingston and Doctor of Ministry from the Toronto School of Theology. His doctoral thesis explored the sacramental identity of the diaconate.
At the OCADL 2009 Convocation, May 29-31, 2009, hosted by Bishop Mulhall and the Diocese of Pembroke, Deacon Bill was elected unanimously President-Elect of OCADL. This position commences a three year sequence of executive positions, namely president-elect, president, and past-president over the period 2009-2012. We all recognize the commitment he has made to OCADL and are very appreciative!
Executives of OCADL 2009 (Deacons Dan Murphy, Bob Probert, George Neuman, John Vallely) (missing from the photo is Deacon Rick McLellan)
Our liaison to the Ontario Council of Catholic Bishops is His Excellency, Most Reverend Nicola deAngelis, Bishop of Peterborough, shown below with OCADL 2009 Past President, Dcn. Bob Probert and his wife Mary Lois.
