Extraordinary Deacon

[Nurse_Joy]

At mass tonight our deacon was with his family while a number of extraordinaty ministers were distributing communion.

It just seemed strange for an extraordinary minister to be giving an ordained person communion.

Is this normal?

 

[Struggling]

Heck, I once saw the celebrant priest get in line and recieve from an extraordinary ministery.

But…this was at a mass where a woman came up and gave the homily, no one kneeled, and the Eucharistic Prayer was largely improvised (luckily, not the words of consecration)…

Well, that’s what you get in Newchurch!

 

[jmcrae]

At mass tonight our deacon was with his family while a number of extraordinaty ministers were distributing communion.

It just seemed strange for an extraordinary minister to be giving an ordained person communion.

Is this normal?

It happens quite often. I have seen our Judicial Vicar attend Mass at our parish and not concelebrate, meaning that he most likely received Holy Communion from an EMHC.

It’s quite common for members of the clergy to take a weekend “off” now and then, and just be a regular Catholic in the pew for that Sunday.

 

[mystified]

Seriously, the GIRM says EMs are to be used when there are not enough ordained ministers (priests, deacons).

Many years ago in my old parish, an elderly priest was the celebrant. Installation of officers of the youth ministry had been arranged as part of the Mass. The visiting hard-of-hearing priest duly installed the teenagers as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. The kids asked the nun who was director of youth ministry what they should do. The good sister told them they should go ahead and function in their new positions “for this Mass only” to save embarrassing the priest, and they got it all sorted out later. At least none of them were ordained “Extraordinary Deacons”.

 

[MusicMan]

It’s possible that the Deacon in question just wanted to attend Mass with his family. I would certainly hope that he attended another Mass that weekend and participated in his ordained ministry.

A number of dioceses are ordaining deacons, but then downplaying their roles and responsibilities. As such, it’s possible that this Deacon wasn’t “assigned” to participate in his ministry that weekend and was just attending Mass – not allowed by The Powers That Be to participate in his ministry that weekend.

 

[decn2b]

asked a friend of mine (who is a deacon). He told me that if that is the deacons parish there is little reason for him to be in the pew. A few exceptions are funerals and weddings. He told me that deacons are assigned to parishes by the bishop and there is a reason why they have an assignment. A very significant part of that assignment is to assist the priest at mass.He has been in the Pew only a few times in the last couple of decades. He carries and alb (dalmatic? or is just and alb with a sash necessary?) with him wherever he goes and quite often assits at Mass outside of our parish and diocese while traveling on the road…even when he goes on Pilgimmage to shrines. He has never been told that he was not needed and has always been welcomed to assist Mass. He did tell me that if he is traveling outside of the diocese and preaching that a phone call to the chancery is customary to let the bishop of that particular diocese know he is there and assisting. With this in mind I am doubtful that he has even gone to a parish where he wasn’t at least semi-aquainted with the local priest.

 

[mercygate]

Our Deacon sometimes attends Mass from the pew alongside wife and receives the Blessed Sacrament just like the rest of us. Apparently, our diocese encourages Deacons to do this on a regular basis (weekly? monthly?) as a way of affirming their family relationships.

 

[Nurse_Joy]

I guess I assumed it was supposed to work like decn2b said.

 

[MusicMan]

I guess I assumed it was supposed to work like decn2b said.

It is. Every thing else is to explain why it might have happened. At Mass, clergy are supposed to vest and participate in their ministry.

I can understand wanting a deacon to attend Mass on a monthly basis with his family to maintain the security of that bond, however, in that instance, the deacon really should attend another Mass to assist. That’s my opinion, however. The mind of the Church is that when a deacon is at Mass, he vests and assists.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

At mass tonight our deacon was with his family while a number of extraordinaty ministers were distributing communion.

It just seemed strange for an extraordinary minister to be giving an ordained person communion.

Is this normal?

It is important to remember that because a Deacon can be married. He has a right if not an obligation to attend Mass with his family as a husband and father too.

 

[Brendan]

It’s possible that the Deacon in question just wanted to attend Mass with his family. I would certainly hope that he attended another Mass that weekend and participated in his ordained ministry.

A number of dioceses are ordaining deacons, but then downplaying their roles and responsibilities. As such, it’s possible that this Deacon wasn’t “assigned” to participate in his ministry that weekend and was just attending Mass – not allowed by The Powers That Be to participate in his ministry that weekend.

A Deacon is a permanent ministry, and thus cannot, without a direct order from his bishop, be barred from performing his Ordained Role.

I myself am studying for the Diaconate. And yes,there will be ample oppurtunity for me to attend Mass with my family. But both installation as a Acolyte and Ordination to the Diaconate carry certain responsibilities. One of those, and core to the Diaconate, is to Communicate the Faithful.

Assuming the deacon was in good health, the deacon certainly could have sat with his family (assuming another deacon was present to preach the Gospel), but no EMHC should have served in his stead.

 

[Brendan]

It is important to remember that because a Deacon can be married. He has a right if not an obligation to attend Mass with his family as a husband and father too.

Yes, but he also could have (and should have) gone up to assist in the Communication of the faithful.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

A Deacon is a permanent ministry, and thus cannot, without a direct order from his bishop, be barred from performing his Ordained Role.

I myself am studying for the Diaconate. And yes,there will be ample oppurtunity for me to attend Mass with my family. But both installation as a Acolyte and Ordination to the Diaconate carry certain responsibilities. One of those, and core to the Diaconate, is to Communicate the Faithful.

Assuming the deacon was in good health, the deacon certainly could have sat with his family (assuming another deacon was present to preach the Gospel), but no EMHC should have served in his stead.

I think we can say that he "could "have but in no way was required to assist. Even Priests while on vacation are encouraged to say Mass every day they are not required to and can sit in the congregation and attend Mass rather than celebrate or concelebrate.

 

[G_S]

One of the most difficult things about being a deacon is the fact that there are scant opportunities to sit with one’s family. My ministry even prevents me from going to the same parish my family does – although this has not always been the case. When I preach in my home parish, I have to take vacation time to do so. (I am in full-time, paid ministry elsewhere.) At weddings and funerals I am usually presiding or assisting. About once a year when we are visiting far-off family somewhere, I get to sit with my wife. This is a great trial and something to be strongly considered by any couple contemplating the diaconate.

 

[Nurse_Joy]

Advocates for married priesthood may chime in at any time…

 

[MusicMan]

Advocates for married priesthood may chime in at any time…

Without knowing G&S’s full situation, I am hesitant to concur that this is evidence against a married priesthood. His situation may be outside of the norm.

How do Diaconal assignments work? I live out in a rural area. There is a parish in my town and I belong to it. There is another parish in each of the small towns near by (there are 7 within a 20 minute drive of my home). If I were ordained a Deacon, wouldn’t the Bishop assign me to one of these 7 parishes rather than one elsewhere in the Diocese? Couldn’t my family just attend that parish?

Furthermore, I grew up in a family that is involved with lay ministry. My father ushers almost every weekend, and my mother reads far more than the typical once-a-month assignment for readers and commentators (mostly because people ask her to sub for them). I was playing somewhere for Mass almost every weekend growing up. The last time my family all sat together at Mass was last year when my daughter was baptized, and that was only because we had the baptism at a different church than any of us belonged to. I’m 30 years old. The last time my family all sat together at Mass was when I was in junior high school. I guess from my prospective, there isn’t a problem here.

 

[palmas85]

Advocates for married priesthood may chime in at any time…

I see no need for married priests other than the type that we already have. The demands of the vocation I feel are too great except for a select few. Even in the Eastern and Orthodox Rites that allow for married Priests there are severe restrictions, ie: **NO **marriage after ordination and NO married Bishops.

As an aside I have seen Deacons bring their families to Mass, stay with them until time for distribution of Holy Communion, then go and assist the Priest. and return to his family afterwards. I don’t believe that they actually have to be physically present in the Sanctuary for the entire Mass.

 

[Struggling]

At Mass, clergy are supposed to vest and participate in their ministry.

Not necessarily. There is a long history of clergy sitting simply “in choir” and not celebrating nor concelebrating. They however, had the priviledge and duty not only to sing the Ordinary (like the congregation) but the Propers as well. If they were deacons, they could also help Communicate to large crowds.

Assuming the deacon was in good health, the deacon certainly could have sat with his family (assuming another deacon was present to preach the Gospel), but no EMHC should have served in his stead.

Yes. He certainly could have simply attended mass (clergy can simply sit in choir and have no obligation to help celebrate), but he certainly should have helped distribute communion before any EMHCs. Any available ordinary ministers should be used before any EMHCs.

If there were plenty of priests/deacons (like at large important masses) his assistance may not have been needed. But if there is an ordinary minister in the house, they should be used even if they otherwise simply sat in the congregation (afterall the EMHC’s got up out of the congregation and helped)

and can sit in the congregation and attend Mass rather than celebrate or concelebrate.

Very true. They can simply attend the mass (though priests should wear a surplice when sitting in choir like that) without celebrating (as often happens at large gatherings of clergy) but as available ordinary ministers they should help distribute communion if needed, especially before any extraordinary ministers do.

 

[Struggling]

Installation of officers of the youth ministry had been arranged as part of the Mass. The visiting hard-of-hearing priest duly installed the teenagers as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. The kids asked the nun who was director of youth ministry what they should do. The good sister told them they should go ahead and function in their new positions “for this Mass only” to save embarrassing the priest, and they got it all sorted out later.

LOL!