Deacons
There is much that a man can do as an ordained deacon in today’s Catholic Church. Now, following the Second Vatican Council, men - married or single - can, with the grace given in the sacrament of ordination, serve under their bishop and alongside the parish priest in encouraging, facilitating and enabling the Church community to develop its own skills and aptitudes in building the family of God’s Church. As these men do not go on to the priesthood they are called ‘Permanent Deacons’.
A deacon’s ministry
• Visiting the sick and lonely, the bereaved, families and schools, taking communion to the housebound
• Proclaiming the Gospel and preaching at Mass, teaching within the community and also celebrating the sacraments of baptism and marriage, taking funerals and leading public liturgies.
The deacon in the community
Over 500 men throughout England and Wales, and more than 26,000 worldwide, carry out the task of serving their local Catholic Communities. Some deacons are working full time and therefore help when they can in the evenings and at weekends. Others may be semi or early retired and are able to give much more of their time. In addition to parish duties, a deacon may have abilities to help in more specialised areas such as hospitals or prisons chaplaincy. The ongoing support of the deacon’s family lies at the heart of a fruitful and fulfilling ministry. Ensuring that the whole family have together considered the impact of their husband/father’s vocation on their lives is also an important part of the discernment process.
What next?
The candidate for the diaconate spends three years on a part time course held at a seminary or in a diocesan centre. He has a Tutor and a Spiritual Director; his Pastoral Director is usually his parish priest. Discerning the real nature of vocation takes a lot of thought, prayer, discussion and time.
If you feel that you may be called to this ministry your parish priest should be your first stop. From there you should contact your diocesan director for the permanent diaconate who can give you more detail to help you make the right decision.
Who can apply to join the diaconate?
Unmarried men over 25 who feel a call to service of the Church and the World who also feel called to a celibate life.
Married men over 35. Most of these candidates will be in the world of work and will continue there after ordination.
Indeed it is the role of the permanent deacon to have one foot in the sanctuary and the other in the workplace.
The men will have demonstrated the necessary maturity for a life-long commitment.
They will be prepared to embark on a three-year course of formation.
They will be already working collaboratively with priests and lay-people in the local church in works of service and exercising some leadership roles.
Above all, they will be men of faith and prayer with a desire to serve others for the sake of God’s Kingdom.
More info here:
“The restoration of the diaconate in our times as a ministry in its own right is a reminder to us not only of our unbroken link to the ancient Church, but also of the indispensable connection between the proclamation of the Gospel and the exercise of charity in Christ’s name. As ordained ministers, deacons play an important role in parish life in many dioceses, but above all, through their ordination they are associated with their bishop in a special way because they share in his own three-fold ministry of teaching, sanctifying and guiding the People of God.”
Fr. Paul Embery
Director, National Office for Vocation