Permanent Diaconate

A deacon is a member of an order of ordained ministry with its roots in the earliest days of the Church. The New Testament relates that the apostles prayed and laid hands on certain men to designate them for special service to meet the needs of the faith community (Acts 6:1-6). “Deacon” comes from the Greek word diakonos, meaning “servant.” Strengthened by sacramental grace, in union with the bishop and his priests, deacons are called to serve the people of God in the three-fold ministry of liturgy, word, and charity.

Service has always been at the heart of the Church’s ministry. At the Last Supper, in washing the feet of his apostles, Jesus said, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (Jn. 13:15). While all Christians, by virtue of their Baptism, are called to serve others, Pope St. John Paul II said, “The service of the deacon is the Church’s service sacramentalized.” Furthermore, he said, the diaconate is not just one ministry among others, but it is truly meant to be a driving force for the entire service of the Church.

A deacon has liturgical duties, which he performs primarily in church. In addition, his diaconal service can be expressed in a wide range of non-liturgical ways.

• Liturgically, deacons assist the priest at Mass, where they proclaim the Gospel, preach on occasion, and serve as ordinary ministers of the Eucharist. Deacons also may be called upon to celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism; witness marriages; preside at funerals and burial services; lead the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic adoration, and benediction; offer blessings in the name of the Church; and administer sacramentals.
• Outside of church, deacons might be found providing pastoral care to people in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care institutions; jails and prisons; food pantries and soup kitchens. They might be called upon to work with immigrants, youths and young adults, those in special need, or those on the fringes of society. An important facet of diaconal ministry is to share the faith by evangelizing as well as teaching in RCIA, religious education, and sacramental preparation programs. Some deacons also have administrative duties in the Church.

While both priests and deacons are in ordained ministries, and they share some liturgical functions, their primary roles in the Church are distinct. Above all else, priests stand in persona Christi—in the person of Christ—to consecrate the Eucharist in the celebration of the Mass and to share the compassionate mercy and healing of God in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick. Deacons never perform these sacred functions. In the words of the Second Vatican Council, deacons are ordained “not unto the priesthood, but unto a ministry of service.”

At ordination, deacons promise obedience to the diocesan bishop and his successors. Deacons, like priests, receive their assignments from the bishop, who may appoint them to any pastoral ministry throughout the diocese.

In our diocese, deacons are rooted in a parish for liturgical service; however, depending on relative needs and other factors, the parish to which a deacon is assigned may or may not be his home parish. If a deacon is not assigned to his home parish, consideration is given to keeping him relatively close to home.

Each deacon is assigned to some aspect of service and charity, which may coincide with his parish assignment. In those cases, the deacon’s ministry is focused on the parish and its various programs and initiatives. Sometimes, however, a deacon is assigned to pastoral work involving outside institutions, agencies, or programs. Consequently, a deacon might be assigned to a particular parish for liturgical service and, at the same time, to engage in some other aspect of ministry outside of the parish.