Deacon Tony Hoban, of the Diocese of Parramatta, has been elected to the Board of the International Diaconate Centre (IDC).
The IDC has its offices in Germany and has almost 1800 members who come from 73 countries. Of these, 1100 members are from Europe (most in Germany and Austria), 187 from North America and just 23 from Oceania.
The purpose of the IDC is to study and promote the Diaconate in the Catholic Church worldwide; to collect and exchange details of practical experiences of deacons worldwide; ecumenical cooperation in the spirit of Vatican II; to maintain close relations with the Apostolic See, especially the Dicastery for Clergy; and to maintain contacts with Commissions, Bishop Conferences, national associations and institutions involved with the Permanent Diaconate worldwide. The IDC also organises international study conferences, generally every four years.
The key parts of the IDC are:
- The General Assembly: a meeting of members at least every 4 years.
- The elected Assembly of Delegates
- The elected Executive Board
The late Deacon Nick Kerr of Adelaide (for five years), and then Deacon Tony (in the past four years), have in the past been co-opted delegates, representing Oceania.
Deacon Tony, with wife Annette and Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv. Image: St Luke’s Catholic Parish.
The election of the new Board and Assembly of Delegates occurred in February during the most recent study conference in Rome, which occurred in the same week as the Jubilee for Deacons that concluded with a Mass attended by 4000 deacons in St Peter’s Basilica.
Deacon Tony said he was surprised to be selected, given the bulk of members are from Europe.
“I put my name forward for both the Board and Assembly of Delegates, not really expecting that many people would know me or vote for me,” he said.
“If you are not elected for the Board you can then be included as a candidate for election in the Assembly of Delegates. I was very surprised to be elected to the Board and so now I hold the grand title of Vice President of the IDC.
“At the formal meeting during the conference, each member elected was asked to formally accept the election to the board or delegates assembly. I borrowed from the words of Pope Francis and said it seemed like the IDC had to go to the ends of the earth to find one of its board members! But I did accept!”
Deacon Tony with children during Mass at St Luke’s Catholic Faith Community. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Deacon Tony, along with his wife Annette, was the first deacon to establish an urban Catholic faith community in Australia, at St Luke’s at Marsden Park, in the Diocese of Parramatta. He led the community for almost seven years until it became a parish at the beginning of 2025.
He is also the Chair of the National Association of Deacons (NAD) in Australia and he sees many similarities between it and the IDC.
“Both organisations seek to support deacons with newsletters and gatherings, which provide forums for an exchange of views, theology and ideas.
“Our vocation is often quite misunderstood, so it is good to be able to share our joys and challenges with fellow deacons and others who are interested in the diaconate. But while the NAD is focused on Australia, the IDC works globally,” he said.
The other IDC Board members are from America, Germany and France.
Given the ecumenical goals of the IDC, one of those elected to the Assembly of Delegates is Uniting Church Deacon Sandy Boyce from Melbourne, who will provide input from Oceania.
Further details of the International Diaconate Centre can be found here.
