Deacons Serving Outside of Home Parish

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SMHW

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How common is it for permanent deacons to be assigned to a parish other than the deacon’s home parish?

I’m not referring to the case of a deacon serving as a chaplain or serving more than one rite. I’m just wondering how common it is for a bishop to take a permanent deacon who is a member of one parish and assign him to serve in another.

Our parish has four men who will be ordained as permanent deacons in June. Since our parish already has three active deacons and two senior deacons, these new deacons suspect they may be assigned to other parishes. They would continue to be members of our parish.
 
It is very very very very Likely that they would be assigned elsewhere. They still remain members of their home parish.
 
In our Archdiocese (Detroit) deacons are assigned within the Vicariate in which they live, which means they generally won’t have to drive far to their service parish.

But they rarely are assigned to their home parish, especially if there is a deacon there already.

If no deacon is currently assigned to their home parish, the chances increase substantially 😉

But deacons, like any diocesan clergy, serve at the discresion of the bishop and are assigned where the bishop feels the greatest need lies.
 
My “home parish” loans a senior deacon to a neighboring parish frequently. Another deacon who was originally assigned here and still lives here has been assigned to a parish at the other end of the diocese.
Deacons, like secular priests, serve at the will of the bishop.
 
In our Archdiocese the Deacons serve the Bishop (Cardinal), not a parish. The are assigned a parish (IF they are assigned to a parish, compared to hospital chaplain, etc. etc.) based on diocese needs and their gifts. They will have a reasonable commute but actually most of the time they are needed, therefore used elsewhere nearby.
 
In our diocese, the deacons are ordained for the bishop, however, for the first 10 years of their ordination, they may remain at their home parish. If at their 10th anniversary, they reach the age of 60, they may remain at their home parish until they choose to retire, however, if they are under the age of 60, they are transferred to another parish. The only exception is if they are the only deacon at the parish they currently serve. No parish will be left without a deacon if it is possible. Big problem in our diocese, not all pastors want a deacon to serve at their parish.
 
Our parish had three men enter the deaconship. Two of them were assigned outside of our parish.
 
Can deacons have a regular job?
If so, is that job a consideration for where they are assigned?

michel
 
Deacons are told that their family comes first, their job comes second and their deaconship comes third.
 
Deacons serve outside of their parishes as needed. In my diocese, they keep the travel time to 20 minutes from their homes.

Deacons are not paid for the most part, so they do work jobs.

Order of priority for deacons is God, Family, Job and Deaconate.

Generally, they work 15 hrs per week in their assigned ministry. If you think this is easy, try doing some volunteer work in addition to your job and family responsibilities. It’s difficult just doing just a couple per week.

Jim
 
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