Keeping Faith

The word "deacon" is derived from the Greek word for "servant," and since apostolic times, deacons have served, ministering to the needs of the church. In Acts 6:1-7, the text traditionally associated with the origin of the diaconate, the apostles commissioned the community to select the first deacons to help them handle the expanding church's pastoral demands. In the Epistle to the Philippians (cf. Phil 1:1) St. Paul refers to deacons as part of the community, and he mentions them again in the first Epistle to Timothy (cf. 1 Tim 3:8-13), when he discusses the characteristics that all good deacons should have in order to succeed in their ministry.

From these beginnings, the diaconate in the West developed and thrived until the fifth century, but then declined steadily. Eventually, the only people who were ordained to the diaconate were candidates for the priesthood, since this became a mandatory and transitional step for all those who wanted to become priests.

This form of the diaconate, called the transitional diaconate, is a church practice that has endured to this day.

Although the Council of Trent (1545-63) acknowledged the original place of the diaconate within the ecclesial hierarchy, nothing was done to restore it as a permanent and proper ministry in the church until the second Vatican Council (1962-65). Upon evaluating the needs of the faithful, the bishops at Vatican II made it clear that the ministry of service that deacons had once provided in ancient times should be brought back into the life of the church as a valid and separate order. In this manner, men who were already heavily engaged in diaconal ministries could receive the graces of ordination, and the church could more easily supply pastoral assistance to those places where the need was great and few priests were available. In light of their recommendations, Pope Paul VI officially restored the permanent diaconate to the Western Church on June 8, 1967.

The permanent diaconate returned to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1973, and permanent deacons have been part of the Catholic community ever since. Many of you may know of some deacons here in the archdiocese, and perhaps they are even present in your own parish today.

But how much do you know about the diaconate itself? Do you know what deacons are called to do? If your children asked you to tell them about deacons, what would you say?

Deacon John A. Ebel, associate director of the diaconate and certificate lay ministry programs at Saint Francis Seminary, recently discussed the role of the deacon with Catholic Herald Parenting.

Q. Are deacons ordained, and how are they different from bishops and priests?

A. Like bishops and priests, deacons are ordained through the sacrament of Holy Orders and hold a particular office within the church as clergymen. While the issue is rather complicated, deacons are different from priests because of the way in which they represent the mission of Christ through ordination, since diaconal ministry is mainly concerned with service and not with the ministerial priesthood of Christ. For this reason, deacons are not allowed to celebrate Mass, hear confessions, anoint the sick, etc. since these particular gifts, which are associated with the priesthood, are not given to them at ordination.

Q. Can deacons be married?

A. Candidates for the permanent diaconate can be married, but they must have been married for several years and have a solid relationship before they apply to the program.

Unmarried men can also go through the diaconate process, but are not permitted to marry and must commit themselves to lifelong celibacy.

Q. What role does the spouse of the deacon have?

A. Before any married man is allowed to enter the diaconate, his wife must first agree to every phase of the process, since he cannot become a deacon without her consent. The wife of a candidate for the diaconate should understand and approve of the commitment the two of them will have to make if her husband is going to be ordained a deacon. Hence, the church makes sure these women have opportunities to learn what this life will be like beforehand so that both spouses can make an informed decision.

Q. What does it take to become a deacon?

A. In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, married or single men from all walks of life who are practicing Catholics in good standing with the church and between the ages of 32 and 60 are potential candidates for the diaconate program.

Candidates must be faithful to the teachings of the church; they should have leadership potential and speaking ability; they need to have demonstrated a commitment to service in their parishes and in the community; they must be in strong marriages or committed to celibacy; and they should have a steady income. Since deacons do not receive any monetary compensation for the services they provide, they must be able to support themselves and their families (if applicable).

Regarding the diaconate program itself, all candidates are required to attend classes every other weekend for four years, and they must fulfill certain requirements along the way. (For instance, they must provide letters of recommendation, pass psychological tests, and gain practical experience in ministry within society and the parish system.) The process is extensive and meticulous because the decision to be ordained a deacon is a life-long commitment, and not one to be taken lightly. While a person may feel called to this way of life, he says, the decision is ultimately made by God and the church, and the formation that an individual receives throughout the course of the diaconate program is designed to test and ensure that the vocation is a true one. Candidates can be asked to leave the program at any time, and ordination is never guaranteed. If, however, a candidate completes the program and all parties involved agree to it, he is then ordained by the bishop.

Q. What happens after ordination?

A. After ordination, deacons are assigned to work in a parish within the diocese. Their first assignments are almost always at their home parishes, which usually sponsor and support them as they go through the diaconate program. Once a deacon has been assigned to a parish, he then makes a covenant with that parish, which is signed by the pastor, the deacon, the parish council president, and the deacon's wife. If any member present refuses to sign it, then no covenant can be enacted.

Q. What sorts of things do deacons do?

A. Deacons are ordained to serve the church and others (especially the bishop) through ministries of the Word, liturgy, and charity. They are called to preach and teach the Gospels from the pulpit and in the classroom and they are required to be living witnesses of the message of the Gospels to the people around them. They are called to serve the community by assisting the bishop or the priest at the altar, by saying the Prayer of the Faithful and presenting the gifts during Mass and by being ordinary ministers of communion, and by presiding at baptisms, marriages, funerals, and similar liturgical functions. Deacons serve the needs of the faithful and the marginalized members of society as part of their vocation. Through these ministries, deacons reflect Christ's own mission of service and represent the call of all members of the church to serve as well.

Q. Does your child have a vocation to the diaconate?

A. Your child may have a vocation to the diaconate, if he is type of person who "wins the penny-drive at school" and likes helping others. If he takes his Catholic faith seriously, has some leadership abilities, and interacts well with other people, consider mentioning this possibility to him.

(Chambers is director of religious education at St. Aloysius Parish, West Allis. Historical information cited in the article was obtained from the "Joint Declaration and Introduction to the Basic Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons," put out by the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Congregation for the Clergy)