Diaconate

A deacon is a clergyman who assists the bishop and priests. He is ordained, not to the priesthood but to service. He has a three-fold role of service:

   • Charity in which he is of service to the community.
   • Word in which he proclaims the Gospel and preaches.
   • Liturgy in which he assists at Mass, is an ordinary minister of the Eucharist and baptism, witnesses marriages, leads the community in prayer, especially funeral services and the Liturgy of the Hours.

A candidate for the permanent diaconate, married or unmarried, may be ordained when he has completed at least his thirty-fifth year, and, if married, then with the consent of his wife.

Deacons minister in many different settings from the traditional parish to prisons, hospitals, convalescent homes, juvenile detention centers, shelters for the homeless or the abused, soup kitchens, police departments, and the workplace. Regardless of where a deacon finds himself, it is there that he serves.

However, a married Deacon is not always alone in his various ministries. For most married deacons, their wives are an essential part of their ministry. Wives are involved from the beginning of the formation process. This formation process is a period of time spent in formal education, spiritual direction, and practical ministry. Through all of this, wives attend many of the sessions, attend retreats, and are present to support their husbands throughout the program.