Multiple Deacons

[Titus]

At our parish there is the possibility that a second permanent deacon will be ordained soon, and I was wondering what the rules were regarding two assisting at the same mass, particularly for special masses like Easter Vigil or Midnight Mass (which they would both attend anyway). Does anyone know?

 

[CatholicNick]

In the Old Rite there was a Sub-Deacon and a Deacon at a Solemn Mass - each had different roles.

The Novus Ordo suppressed the Sub-Diaconate - therefore im not sure what a second Deacon could do in it.

 

[kaygee]

The second deacon is an Ordinary Minister he could replace an EMHC and purify the vessels.

 

[puzzleannie]

a deacon candidate who came from your parish will not necessarily serve in your parish, he is ordained with the understanding that he will be placed wherever the bishop feels there is most need.

 

[AJV]

At our parish there is the possibility that a second permanent deacon will be ordained soon, and I was wondering what the rules were regarding two assisting at the same mass, particularly for special masses like Easter Vigil or Midnight Mass (which they would both attend anyway). Does anyone know?

I think they would share the roles between them. For example, one would proclaim the Gospel and the other assist the priest during the Preparation of Gifts and the Eucharistic Prayer (for example, pouring the water and the wine into the chalice, or lifting the chalice at the Doxology (“Through Him, with Him…”)

CatholicNick:

In the Old Rite there was a Sub-Deacon and a Deacon at a Solemn Mass - each had different roles.

The Novus Ordo suppressed the Sub-Diaconate - therefore im not sure what a second Deacon could do in it.

Slipping into my role as a pendant: the NO did not actually suppress the role of subdeacon. In the 1970 IGMR there was a section dealing with the roles of the subdeacon, but after 1972, when the subdiaconate was suppresed, it was amended to include acolytes and lectors.

 

[CatholicNick]

Slipping into my role as a pendant: the NO did not actually suppress the role of subdeacon. In the 1970 IGMR there was a section dealing with the roles of the subdeacon, but after 1972, when the subdiaconate was suppresed, it was amended to include acolytes and lectors.

Thanks for correcting me AJV.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

The OP’s question is a little confusing to me. If they are both deacons then, as has been noted, one is the Deacon of the Word and the other the Deacon of the Altar. The Deacon of the Word does all the diaconal actions up to the reception of the gifts (if form C is used he leads the penitential rite, proclaims the Gospel and could preach). At the offertory procession the Deacon of the Altar becomes the “lead deacon” and takes care of the preparation of the chalice, invites people to share the sign of peace, and does the dismissal.

If the one man is not yet ordained, he simply functions as either a lector or an acolyte (usually the latter) assisting the deacon much as a subdeacon would have assisted the deacon prior to the suppression of the subdiaconate in the West (in the East we still have subdeacons).

Deacon Ed

 

[John_Lilburne]

Certainly multiple deacons are allowed, even encouraged.

From the Ceremonial of Bishops: “26 At a liturgical celebration presided over by the bishop there should be at least three deacons, one to proclaim the gospel reading and to minister at the altar, and two to assist the bishop. If more than three deacons are present, they should divide the ministries accordingly, [footnote 34 See GIRM, no. 71: DOL 208, no. 1461] and at least one of them should be charged with assisting the active participation of the faithful.”
(Ceremonial of Bishops, Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9, page 24).

The footnote 34 above is referrring to the 1975 General Instruction of the Roman Missal, with different numbers to the 2002 GIRM. “DOL” means the book Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979, Liturgical Press, Minnesota, 1982, ISBN 0-8146-1281-4 where this GIRM can be found.

Some references to multiple deacons in the 2002 GIRM which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“109. If there are several persons present who are able to exercise the same ministry, nothing forbids their distributing among themselves and performing different parts of the same ministry or duty. For example, one deacon may be assigned to take the sung parts, another to serve at the altar; if there are several readings, it is well to distribute them among a number of lectors. The same applies for the other ministries. …”

“179 … If several deacons are present, one of them may place incense in the thurible for the consecration and incense the host and the chalice as they are shown to the people.”

“182. … when the distribution is completed, he immediately and reverently consumes at the altar all of the Blood of Christ that remains, assisted if necessary by other deacons and priests.”

“240. While the Agnus Dei is sung or said, the deacons or some of the concelebrants may help the principal celebrant break the hosts for Communion, both of the concelebrants and of the people.”

 

[Cobbfmly]

Our parish has 2 2/3 priests (one of the priests spends 1/3 of his time at a parish in a nearby city) and 4 permanent deacons.

Typically only one deacon serves at a mass. However, we have had two deacons at a mass. The most recent was the funeral mass for a family (both parents and all 3 children) from our parish. The auxilary Bishop persided and our pastor, 2 deacons and 8 alter servers (the oldest deceased child was an alter server) assisted.

Beth

 

[ciero]

a deacon candidate who came from your parish will not necessarily serve in your parish, he is ordained with the understanding that he will be placed wherever the bishop feels there is most need.

Although this is the case with priests, permenant deacons are ordained for a particular parish…this does NOT mean thta a deacon can not be moved from one parish to another it is usualy done only if a Deacon moves from one place of residence to another.

 

[Corki]

Although this is the case with priests, permenant deacons are ordained for a particular parish…this does NOT mean thta a deacon can not be moved from one parish to another it is usualy done only if a Deacon moves from one place of residence to another.

While I think that is the most usual scenario, it isn’t always the case. Our Bishop announced recently that the newer classes of permanent deacons would include some who would be assigned to parishes with need or to other non-parish ministries rather than to a particular parish.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Although this is the case with priests, permenant deacons are ordained for a particular parish…this does NOT mean thta a deacon can not be moved from one parish to another it is usualy done only if a Deacon moves from one place of residence to another.

This is a common misconception. Deacons, like priests, are ordained to serve at the bishop’s direction. Normally this will be in a parish setting and normally it will be the parish that sponsored him since that parish has paid part of his formation costs.

However, it is up to the bishop to choose where to assign any of his clergy. In the case of permanent deacons, a decision to assign a man to a different parish will usually include dialog with the man, his wife (assuming he’s married – and over 90% of our deacons are married), and the personnel board.

Deacon Ed

 

[decn2b]

My parish has two deacons and they both are present up on the Altar at all 3 Masses.
God willing if I make it through to ordination I will go wherever I am assigned. I am definately NOT expecting to be assigned to my home parish since it already has two wonderful deacons.

 

[Brendan]

My parish has two deacons and they both are present up on the Altar at all 3 Masses.
God willing if I make it through to ordination I will go wherever I am assigned. I am definately NOT expecting to be assigned to my home parish since it already has two wonderful deacons.

Pretty much the same here, I’ll go where I’m assigned.

On the plus side, in our Archdiocecse, great efforts are made to assign a deacon within the same Vicariate in which he lives, as to reduce the travel time required to perform his duties.

 

[MusicMan]

If you have multiple deacons in a parish, it also makes good sense to assign them to serve at separate Masses, in an attempt to have a deacon present at each Mass.

When it comes to the Easter Vigil, one of the deacon’s duties is to chant the Exultet. If you have one who can sing or chant well, make sure this duty is assigned to him.