How to become a deacon?

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At our parish, we have 4 deacons and all have families. I understand that if you are not married and become a deacon, you cannot get married after.

For becoming a deacon (as a married man), what one must study?

Just out of curiosity. šŸ˜ƒ
Thanks!
 
If you go to usccb.org/deacon/ youā€™ll find the USCCB Committee on the Diaconate. The page includes the National Directory for the Formation, Life and Ministry of Permanent Deacons in the United States which ā€œpresents the latest teaching of the bishops of the United States on the ordained ministry of Deacons. It includes a doctrinal overview of the sacramentality of the diaconate, insights into the ministry and life of deacons, and particular law related to the diaconate in the United States. It also provides extensive direction on the comprehensive formation of candidates for ordination as well as ongoing formation of deacons following ordination.ā€ The document can be purchased or read online. There are other documents as well.

Best wishes.
 
I am just starting the process of applying to become a deacon. My advice would be to contact your diocese. They will have someone in charge of the permanent diaconate. What to study and how long varies from diocese to diocese. In my diocese the process takes roughly 5 years, but once again that will vary.

One thing I found out was that if you are married and then ordained a decon and your wife were to die, you cannot remarry.

Hopes this helps.
 
Im sorry to resurrect this tread but I have a question about the diaconate

Iā€™ve read that in order to qualify for the permanent diaconate you must be at least 35 years of age. Now my question is: is this absolutely necessary? Ex: Suppose a young man (in lets say his early 20s) feels called to the permanent diaconate (not the priesthood), must he wait until he is 35 to become a deacon?
 
Podo2005 said:
Im sorry to resurrect this tread but I have a question about the diaconate

Iā€™ve read that in order to qualify for the permanent diaconate you must be at least 35 years of age. Now my question is: is this absolutely necessary? Ex: Suppose a young man (in lets say his early 20s) feels called to the permanent diaconate (not the priesthood), must he wait until he is 35 to become a deacon?
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From canon law:

Can. 1031 Ā§1. The presbyterate is not to be conferred except on those who have completed the twenty-fifth year of age and possess sufficient maturity; an interval of at least six months is to be observed between the diaconate and the presbyterate. Those destined to the presbyterate are to be admitted to the order of deacon only after completing the twenty-third year of age.

Ā§2. A candidate for the permanent diaconate who is not married is not to be admitted to the diaconate until after completing at least the twenty-fifth year of age; one who is married, not until after completing at least the thirty-fifth year of age and with the consent of his wife.
 
So that would mean that a 30 year old married man could begin his studies if the program were to take 5 years correct? Arenā€™t there other requirements as well? Such as how long you have been married and whether or not you have small children? Maybe those are more on a per diocese basis. I have felt what may be a calling to the diaconate lately, and parts of my life have lined up in a way that God may be planning this for me, but itā€™s too early to tell. I mean I just got married in May! I have lots of questions, but Iā€™m restraining myself as best as I can because I want to be certain Iā€™m not dreaming this up. While I do not want to be so patient to act that I ignore the Lord, I know that if this is His will, then Iā€™m the only one who can get in the way of it.
 
mountainman99 said:
So that would mean that a 30 year old married man could begin his studies if the program were to take 5 years correct? Arenā€™t there other requirements as well? Such as how long you have been married and whether or not you have small children? Maybe those are more on a per diocese basis. I have felt what may be a calling to the diaconate lately, and parts of my life have lined up in a way that God may be planning this for me, but itā€™s too early to tell. I mean I just got married in May! I have lots of questions, but Iā€™m restraining myself as best as I can because I want to be certain Iā€™m not dreaming this up. While I do not want to be so patient to act that I ignore the Lord, I know that if this is His will, then Iā€™m the only one who can get in the way of it.
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Many dioceses will ask a man who is recently married to wait a number of years before applying to the diaconate.
 
mountainman99 said:
So that would mean that a 30 year old married man could begin his studies if the program were to take 5 years correct? Arenā€™t there other requirements as well? Such as how long you have been married and whether or not you have small children? Maybe those are more on a per diocese basis. I have felt what may be a calling to the diaconate lately, and parts of my life have lined up in a way that God may be planning this for me, but itā€™s too early to tell. I mean I just got married in May! I have lots of questions, but Iā€™m restraining myself as best as I can because I want to be certain Iā€™m not dreaming this up. While I do not want to be so patient to act that I ignore the Lord, I know that if this is His will, then Iā€™m the only one who can get in the way of it.
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In our Massachusetts diocese, a man must have been married for 10 years in order to be considered for admission into the diaconate formation program. May be different elsewhere; the concern is that candidates be in strong, stable marriages, and certainly both the formation program and diaconate service makes demands that require a mature marital relationship in order to handle some of the stresses and shifting priorities.

Small children - again, in our diocese - are a related issue. Candidates here pretty much have to have children no younger than high school in order to be considered - again, the thought being that young children should be the priority of BOTH parents during their younger, formative years. That said, I am aware of other dioceses where candidates with small children are fine, so it may be our diocese with that particular bias.

You may find, even within the norms established by the National Directory, a fair amount of variation in terms of candidacy. Another example would be that some dioceses wonā€™t take a man who has had an annullment; others will.
 
mountainman99 said:
So that would mean that a 30 year old married man could begin his studies if the program were to take 5 years correct? Arenā€™t there other requirements as well? Such as how long you have been married and whether or not you have small children? Maybe those are more on a per diocese basis. I have felt what may be a calling to the diaconate lately, and parts of my life have lined up in a way that God may be planning this for me, but itā€™s too early to tell. I mean I just got married in May! I have lots of questions, but Iā€™m restraining myself as best as I can because I want to be certain Iā€™m not dreaming this up. While I do not want to be so patient to act that I ignore the Lord, I know that if this is His will, then Iā€™m the only one who can get in the way of it.
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I am in formation and scheduled to be ordained one year from now, December 11th, 2010. We have completed four years, one to go. I can assure you from my experience thus far, if you have been recently married this is not a good idea just yet.

My wife and I have been married 22 years, I am 43 years old and it has definitely added pressure to our lives. We are stronger now than ever, but I donā€™t think newlyweds should get themselves into such a rigorous schedule of school work. It literally is school in all sense of the word, book work, homework, tests, and retreats. We are finishing up clinical pastoral training this month where we are assigned to ministries, I had a nursing home some have prison or hospital ministry. Fours hours a week in ministry, 8 hour Saturday (two Saturdays a month) class with studies and visit reports, plus New testament 2.5 hrs, Cannon Law2.5 hrs., Spirituality 2 hrs., and donā€™t forget Homiletics 3 hrs. (one Friday and Saturday a month),. That was our schedule this semester. So on top of the regular family and fulltime work schedule, you have this. There are no regrets though I will admit.

They repeatedly remind us our first vocation is marriage and parenting, we have three kids; two boys 17 & 14 and a girl 15. Our entire family has benefited from the formation process.

If you are just married then I am sure you are open to kids, one of my classmates and his wife just had a baby, and there has been talk of asking him to drop out. The emphasis for a family man needs to be family first, simply put; a divorced deacon will probably no longer work as a deacon. That is a constant reminder we get from our deaconate leader.

To answer your first question, yes a man of 30 could begin if his diocese allows it, but he will not be able to ordain until 35, same goes for an unmarried man in the US. The US Bishops hold married or unmarried to the same age requirement. The 25 year old requirement in the CCL does not supersede the more stringent rule of an individual Church. If I can find this document I will post it.

God bless you in your faith journey,
Gary
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
From canon law:

Can. 1031 Ā§1. The presbyterate is not to be conferred except on those who have completed the twenty-fifth year of age and possess sufficient maturity; an interval of at least six months is to be observed between the diaconate and the presbyterate. Those destined to the presbyterate are to be admitted to the order of deacon only after completing the twenty-third year of age.

Ā§2. A candidate for the permanent diaconate who is not married is not to be admitted to the diaconate until after completing at least the twenty-fifth year of age; one who is married, not until after completing at least the thirty-fifth year of age and with the consent of his wife.
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Ā§3. Bishopsā€™ Conferences may issue a regulation which requires a later age for the priesthood and for the permanent diaconate.

Us Bishops have done this, the unmarried age is the same, 35, as married for ordination. Formation can begin before this however.
 
Lapey said:
Us Bishops have done this, the unmarried age is the same, 35, as married for ordination. Formation can begin before this however.
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I didnā€™t know thatā€¦thanks for the info!
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
From canon law:
Can. 1031 Ā§1. The presbyterate is not to be conferred except on those who have completed the twenty-fifth year of age and possess sufficient maturity; an interval of at least six months is to be observed between the diaconate and the presbyterate. Those destined to the presbyterate are to be admitted to the order of deacon only after completing the twenty-third year of age.

Ā§2. A candidate for the permanent diaconate who is not married is not to be admitted to the diaconate until after completing at least the twenty-fifth year of age; one who is married, not until after completing at least the thirty-fifth year of age and with the consent of his wife.
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Thanks alot SuscipeMeDomine

God bless
 
Lapey said:
Ā§3. Bishopsā€™ Conferences may issue a regulation which requires a later age for the priesthood and for the permanent diaconate.

Us Bishops have done this, the unmarried age is the same, 35, as married for ordination. Formation can begin before this however.
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For clarity, you are just talking permanent diaconate here, right? You arenā€™t saying that seminarians canā€™t be ordained to the transitional diaconate in the US until they are 35, are you? Iā€™ve had priests that Iā€™m pretty sure werenā€™t older than thatā€¦
 
Sorry, Iā€™m kind of picking through here and seeing conflicting info. Iā€™m 27, and interested in becoming a deacon, and some posts are saying I can, others say itā€™s still 35 though Iā€™m unmarried. Any clarification would be appreciated.
 
INLarry said:
Sorry, Iā€™m kind of picking through here and seeing conflicting info. Iā€™m 27, and interested in becoming a deacon, and some posts are saying I can, others say itā€™s still 35 though Iā€™m unmarried. Any clarification would be appreciated.
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At least in theory, an unmarried man can be ordained a deacon at the age of 25.
 
Maybe a silly question but is it possible to remain in a working position in oneā€™s secular life while also being a deacon?
 
Not only is it possible, I believe itā€™s expected. Deacons are not supported financially by the Church, so they must earn their own income somehow.
 
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