Permanent diaconate

[Deacon_Tony560]

The primary ministery of the deacon is to the poor and to be where the church is not. The deacon has found himself, however, doing more Sacramental duties at his church, due to priest shortages. Smaller parish communities can use one deacon while larger ones with many outreach ministeries: prison, soup kitchen, immigration assistance Etc. can use more.

God bless and thanks for your interest in the Permanent Diaconate
Deacon Tony

 

[JGC]

Deacon Tony560:

The primary ministery of the deacon is to the poor and to be where the church is not. The deacon has found himself, however, doing more Sacramental duties at his church, due to priest shortages. Smaller parish communities can use one deacon while larger ones with many outreach ministeries: prison, soup kitchen, immigration assistance Etc. can use more.

Is this what most deacons do or do most simply ‘take the pressure off the priest’ - weddings, funerals, homevisits etc?

 

[Brendan]

DetroitSue":

The Permanent Diaconate is alive and thriving in our archdiocese. My husband was ordained last October 4 (feast of St. Francis) with 11 other men. There are 13 to be ordained this year. Currently our archdiocese has 144 permanent deacons

I’ll second that! There are 20 men in my deaconate ‘class’ and I know of 2 others in my parish and another 2 in my KofC Council that are actively discerning their call.

 

[Brendan]

JGC:

Is this what most deacons do or do most simply ‘take the pressure off the priest’ - weddings, funerals, homevisits etc?

Deacon’s have their own role and their own ministry, seperate from the priesthood. It is a role of service, to the poor, to the needy,the imprisoned, to the homebound. Historically, visiting the homebound and bringing the Eucharist to them and to the sick. It might be said that when a priest performs these functions, he is actually acting in his capacity as a deacon.

Most diocese nowaday’s have need of service that deacons can provide in the Sacremental area.

With the shortage of priests, deacons are often called upon to offer service at Baptism, Funerals and Weddings. While deacons are proper ministers or witnesses to those functions, they act in that capacity only in the absence of the priest.

If the priest is required elsewhere to perform functions unique to his ministry (confession, admistration of the Sacrement of the Sick) or in recognition of human frailties (the priest needs some time off), the deacon may properly offer such Sacramental service to the faithful.

Such occurances happen with greater frequency as of late.

 

[JGC]

Brendan, thanks for your reply.

Off thread (sorry guys) but I had the great fortune to work at Camp Sancta Maria upstate from you at Gaylord for a summer as a counsellor.

A formative experience. And I got to see a Detroit Tigers game!

 

[SMHW]

In my parish we have 5 permanant deacons (although one is more or less retired) and two men who just completed a year of discernment and I believe will probably go forward and eventually be ordained. I’m pretty sure we have more than any other parish in the arch-diocese. (Our pastor has been told that he should not expect to be assigned an associate priest any time in the forseeable future.)

I don’t know how program is set up in other dioceses, but in Los Angeles, the wives are required to undergo the same training as the men. So while they will not be ordained, they will be well equipped to help out in parish ministry. Because of the heavy commitment needed by both spouses, most men who seek ordination do not have young children. But I heard of one case where a woman gave birth during the final months before her husband was ordained and still managed to complete all her homework assignments.

When I was in college (in the late 70’s/early 80’s) I had a friend from San Diego who was married by his father (a permanent deacon) during a Mass celebrated by his uncle (a priest.)

 

[Brendan]

I don’t know how program is set up in other dioceses, but in Los Angeles, the wives are required to undergo the same training as the men

Here in Detroit, the wives are ‘highly encouraged’ to take the same classes with their hubbies plus the formation days and weekend retreats.

The Archdiocese will pay any ‘deacon tract’ classes the ladies would care to attend.

It isn’t a requirement per se, as his Eminence recognizes there are work\home\family issues that might prevent that; but it is preferred that the wives avail themselves of at least the basic classes prior to their husband’s ordination, or shortly thereafter.

 

[Guy]

I am beginning my third year of the deacon formation program for our diocese. We are the very first class for our diocese. Our bishop was in the past very hesitant to begin a program due to bad experiences with the deacon programs in the Archdiocese of Detroit during the 1970’s. He felt that a lot of deacons ordained there turned out to be “glorified altar boys” who participated in the liturgy but did not have any ministry outside of the liturgy. With this class, our bishop wants his deacons to be first and foremost active in the community at large in ministries of social action like soup kitchens, prison and hospotal ministries, marriage prep and counseling and the like. He wants our ministry of social action to flow into our liturgical ministry.

 

[Trad_Catholic]

Deacon Ed:

You write: Actually, it appears that they had a type of ordination with the laying on of hands as found in both the Apostolic Constitutions and the Didascalia Apostolorum. This “ordination” would correspond to the “ordination” to the minor orders found in the Latin Church prior to the Second Vatican Council. That is, it was not a sacramental ordination but it was a setting apart.

I don’t think that is compatible with the Church’s teaching on the role of women… and I certainly don’t see how one could equate what women did in the first century with Minor Orders… Minor Orders are just that: orders. Women cannot receive orders.

 

[Detroit_Sue]

JGC:

A formative experience. And I got to see a Detroit Tigers game!

That’s not exactly something people brag about around here.

Gaylord is beautiful!

Brendan, I pray for all the candidates and those discerning their vocation every day. It is such an awesome and wonderful responsibility!

My favorite class (Only went to a few) was the Liturgy Lab. Fr. Kasza - He’s terrific!! Usually, if I went to the seminary with my husband, I hung out in that incredible periodical library on the main floor.

 

[Poisson]

JGC:

Does your parish have one? Are they a good idea? Have you ever met one? Ever felt called to this ministry? Should women be admitted to this ministry? Any deacons with any thoughts on their ministry?

No, yes, yes, yes, no and n/a.
Our former bishop opposed them for a long time but shortly before he retired he initiated a formation program for the permanent diaconate. I think the pressure to ordain some was becoming greater than the pressure not to. I applied for the program but withdrew because I didn’t think it would be good for me to do that with young children. I’ll wait till they get older and God willing I will re-apply.

CatholicAviator:

Yes, I’ve met deacons. Holy men, on fire for the Lord. For example, Deacon Dr. Bob McDonald.

Actually Deacon McDonald is the only deacon I have ever met, he lives near my parents in Central Ontario. I do know several now in formation.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

Trad_Catholic:

I don’t think that is compatible with the Church’s teaching on the role of women… and I certainly don’t see how one could equate what women did in the first century with Minor Orders… Minor Orders are just that: orders. Women cannot receive orders.

Well, all I can do is point to the documentation. Minor orders are not “orders” in that there is no sacrament. They are, in effect, ministries. The men who received them do not receive a sacrament but a blessing. This is what these women did – but the Church did call it an ordination. This is the same term that was used for Minor Orders. Also, realize that the Church’s teaching on women comes from 2,000 years of existence. It was slowly developed over the course of the first 500 years, and was not firmly in place at the time these women were “ordained.”

Deacon Ed

 

[Brendan]

deaconswife:

Most of the men in the program had children who were either teens or out of the house. Our children are now 21 and 18 and my husband is not sorry he waited until later to pursue becoming a deacon, they grow up so fast (really) and he is glad he had those years to spend with them.

I’ve noticed that in my class. I have 4 kids ages 6, 4, 1 1/2 and one due in Jan.

Only 1 other guy in a class of 20 had small kids.

On the other hand, lots of the guys had babysitting aged daughters.

Each set brings advantages and disadvantages. I’ll probably have a longer ministry and, in general, I feel it would be a good example for my kids to see my service.

Sue, Yea that Cardinal Szoka Library ROCKS!! I was like a kid in a candy store the first time I walked into it. I think several Catholic publishers noted a sharp decline in sales the day I got borrowing privs there

 

[Michael_Mayo]

Our diocese does not have a Permanent Diaconate program.
Our bishops thinks married men need to focus on their vocation of marraige.