Can a Catholic revert become a deacon?

  • Thread starter Thread starter loumeland
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Cool! What a coincidence! I am in SC and will be ordained in February to the diaconate!

As far as I know, there is no provision like that for the Charleston diocese. I just checked the website and they list that you have to be a practicing Catholic, for a convert, you have to have been a Catholic for at least 5 years, but that’s it.

It’s a great program and you need to contact Deacon Andre at the Diaconate office. The next class will be applying in 2018 for discernment beginning in early 2019. There is a class just beginning discernment this January but if you are not in that one already, then you will have to wait to apply until 2018…

If you want to talk more about it, PM here and I can tell you a whole bunch more!
 
Charybdis said:
Cool! What a coincidence! I am in SC and will be ordained in February to the diaconate!

As far as I know, there is no provision like that for the Charleston diocese. I just checked the website and they list that you have to be a practicing Catholic, for a convert, you have to have been a Catholic for at least 5 years, but that’s it.

It’s a great program and you need to contact Deacon Andre at the Diaconate office. The next class will be applying in 2018 for discernment beginning in early 2019. There is a class just beginning discernment this January but if you are not in that one already, then you will have to wait to apply until 2018…

If you want to talk more about it, PM here and I can tell you a whole bunch more!
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Thanks for the info!

BTW- I am 28, and I understand you have to be at least 35 to be in the diaconate. Does this mean I have to be 35 before I apply for the discernment session?
 
loumeland said:
Thanks for the info!

BTW- I am 28, and I understand you have to be at least 35 to be in the diaconate. Does this mean I have to be 35 before I apply for the discernment session?
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It means you have to speak to the Vocations director of your diocese.

It will depend on the ordination date itself. One must be 35 to be ordained a (permanent) deacon, but need not be 35 to enter into formation. Each diocese has its own policy on age (although the 35 as a minimum is universal). Some will accept applicants who are under 35 if they will turn 35 before the scheduled ordination, some will not.

Contact the vocations director for deacons, for your diocese. Charybdis offered to help you find the contact information. That’s your starting point. People on the internet can only give you general information, and you run a high risk of getting the wrong information.

You should address your questions to the people who actually have the answers.
 
loumeland said:
According to the Diocese of St. Louis site, a candidate for the diaconate “cannot have been Catholic, formally joined another Church and returned to Catholicism.” archstl.org/diaconateoffice/page/requirements-ordination

Does this requirement apply to all dioceses? Does this mean that Catholic reverts have no hope of serving as deacons? I grew up Catholic and received communion and confirmation, but we never went to church. I was poorly catechized, and as a result, I left the Church in my pre-teenage years and came back 14 years later.

Could anyone that knows for sure shed some light here?
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Your story is very similar to that of my husband, and he is on track to be ordained a deacon in April of 2015. I would speak to the vocations director and they can clarify what the mean by this.
 
loumeland said:
According to the Diocese of St. Louis site, a candidate for the diaconate “cannot have been Catholic, formally joined another Church and returned to Catholicism.” archstl.org/diaconateoffice/page/requirements-ordination

Does this requirement apply to all dioceses? Does this mean that Catholic reverts have no hope of serving as deacons? I grew up Catholic and received communion and confirmation, but we never went to church. I was poorly catechized, and as a result, I left the Church in my pre-teenage years and came back 14 years later.

Could anyone that knows for sure shed some light here?
Click to expand...
Just curious- were you ever able to clarify this with your diocese?
 
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