What is a deacon?
Deacons are members of the clergy who have been ordained into the first of the three degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders (deacon, priest, bishop).
The deacon is a living icon of Christ the Servant within the Church… a visible sign… of the Lord Christ himself. He is particularly called to service to the Word, service at the altar and service of charity.
What can deacons do?
Deacons can administer the sacraments of baptism and marriage outside of a Mass. They can preside at a funeral service and give certain blessings. When a deacon is assisting at Mass, he is specifically delegated by the Church to proclaim the Gospel, offer the Universal Prayer, set the altar, prepare the chalice with water and wine, assist the priest at the altar in certain ways, announce the Sign of Peace, and announce the dismissal. He may also carry the Book of the Gospels in procession, assist with incense, lead the Kyrie, preach and/or receive the gifts at the Offertory.
He may also offer Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and carry the monstrance in Eucharistic processions.
Two Paths of the Diaconate
Although all deacons have the same ordination, wear the same vestments and perform the same functions in the liturgy, there are two distinct paths of the diaconate.
Transitional Deacons are seminarians who are ordained to the diaconate with the intention and plan of priestly ordination, generally one year later. They are generally young adults, often still in their 20s.
Permanent Deacons are ordained to the diaconate and intend to remain deacons. Married or single men, about 35 and older, who complete the process of formation and discernment through their diocese and are approved by their bishop, may be ordained as permanent deacons.
Because transitional deacons are still full-time students and permanent deacons usually have a full time job, a family, and a ministry outside the parish walls, a deacon’s hours working within the parish are much more limited than the parish priests and staff.
Fun fact: In the Roman Rite, married permanent deacons are usually the only people who receive all seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, Reconciliation, Marriage, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick.
How can you tell a deacon apart from a priest?
During Mass, deacons and priests both wear albs (the long white robes that signify baptism – also worn by altar servers and the newly baptized), cinctures (the rope belt, which signifies purity and respect for the body) and stoles (which represent humility and authority). The stoles are worn in very different ways. Priests wear the stole around their shoulders with both ends hanging down in front. Deacons wear the stole across one shoulder with the ends attached on the other side. Deacons and priests also may wear an amice, which covers their collar and represents the helmet of salvation and a prayer of protection against the evil one. The outer vestments for each are quite distinctive, though often coordinated in materials and patterns, as well as the color of the liturgical season or feast. The deacon’s outer garment is called a dalmatic – it’s a vestment with big loose sleeves. It signifies salvation, joy and justice. The priest wears a chasuble – which has no delineated sleeves. It represents love and sacrifice.
Why do we have permanent deacons?
Permanent deacons offer an ordained presence out in the world, particularly in places where priests aren’t able to reach. Deacons are expected to work a regular job in order to support their family, but also to be present as deacons to parts of society outside the parish, including their workplace, their family and their neighborhood. They aren’t deacons only when vested and assisting at Mass; they are deacons in all they do. Permanent deacons are not paid by their parish, unless they happened to be employed by the parish in some other capacity.
Married Deacons:
Because the Church permits married men to become permanent deacons, this ministry falls within the deacon’s vocation of marriage and requires the consent of his wife. Upon ordination, the deacon and his wife make a covenant with their parish to establish a reasonable balance between his obligations to his parish, his family, his work and his outside ministry. A permanent deacon is not permitted to re-marry if his wife dies. On occasion, a permanent deacon who loses his wife chooses to enter the seminary and pursue a priestly vocation.
Deacon Saints:
Recommended Reading:
101 Questions and Answers on Deacons by William T. Ditewig
Encountering Christ the Servant: A Spirituality of the Diaconate by Deacon Dominic Cerrato
John Paul II: Meeting with the Men Ordained to the Permanent Diaconate September 19, 1987
The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States of America by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem: General Norms for Restoring the Permanent Diaconate in the Latin Church by Pope Paul VI, June 18, 1967
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