The deacon and the Extraordinary Form

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bardegaulois

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A few days ago, I started seriously considering whether I might not be called to the permanent diaconate (I am nearly 40 and unmarried and work in higher education). My home diocese was uninterested in my application to the priesthood when I was a younger man, and I could never see myself living religious vows. Hearing (and serving) the Extraordinary Form of the Mass has become a huge part of my spiritual life, and it is largely from my service here that my consideration of the diaconate stems. About a year ago, I inquired among friends about the instituted ministries of lector and acolyte (and thus “straw” subdeacon), but found out from them that the bishop is uninterested in instituting anyone other than seminarians and diaconal candidates. So I dropped it for a while.

So, why not just become a deacon? So I found myself thinking after Mass this past Sunday. My impetus, as you may guess, is liturgical: it is very difficult to get three priests (or two priests and a deacon; or a priest and two deacons; or a priest, a deacon, and an instituted acolyte) together for the purpose of a Solemn Mass, so why should I not do what I can to make it easier? One could easily charge, though, that my liturgical focus does not take into account the pastoral duties of a deacon, but I am most interested in gauging your responses.

Thank you.
 
Please read all of this.
Why not:
No vocation to the diaconate
-Big big why not
You are not married
-You would not be allowed to marry after you are ordained

Why
-Ministry of service word and sacrament a wonderful gift to the Church
-A blessing to God’s people

If God has called you to be a deacon you will be tremendously blessed. If there is no call you will spend your life trying to be a square peg in a round hole. Pray for discernment.
 
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Yes, I’m very aware that orders would preclude marriage, but I’ve frankly never been eager to marry, and what little desire was there to do so in the first place diminishes even more with age. I am also aware that unmarried deacons who are not widowers are quite the minority, to the point that many bishops might even, rightly or wrongly, see the diaconate as a married man’s ministry and refuse to accept a bachelor into formation. The revival of the order in a rather tumultuous period in Church history is bound to lead to some confusion and even contrary advice.

My consideration of the diaconate stems from my liturgical service and my work as an educator, and thus my petition goes forth whether the grace granted in the Sacrament of Holy Orders would not bring the services I already perform to a perfection more pleasing to God. That is, after all, what the end of all of our vocations is, isn’t it?
 
Most of what Deacons do, at least in dioceses I know about, is service, not liturgy. I know that, in our diocese, someone whose primary interest is liturgy would probably not be accepted for training. I think you need to be aware of that…
 
You need to speak with some deacons about what their job involves. In our diocese deacons have a diocesan service assignment along with their parish assignment.The diocesan assignments include jail ministry hospital ministry marriage tribunal crisi pregnancy centers a medical clinic migrant ministry and more. Their parish assignment will involve catechesis or service or both as well as serving at the altar.
A deacon is called to service,the altar and preaching the word.
Many years are involved in formation and much discernment. May God be with you on this journey.
 
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My experience is the same as everyone else’s - that deacons do a LOT of pastoral work and in fact they may be selected primarily for their ability to do that. Many priests either don’t have the time, or in some cases are just not good at pastoral work. A deacon who was only interested in serving at Mass, and for that matter serving at a particular kind of Mass, probably wouldn’t be viewed as a good candidate and probably wouldn’t be happy with the tasks he was expected to do.

I agree that if your primary interest is in serving the EF Liturgy, you should maybe reach out to the FSSP or ICKSP to get their thoughts.
 
Ecclesia Dei communities like the FSSP do not generally ordain permanent deacons. Men from parishes administered by the Fraternity have become deacons, but they become deacons within the diocese in which their parish is.
 
But it is not entirely up to them, or to the parish, where they serve. A diocese might decide they need someone, say, in prison ministry, or at a hospital for the mentally ill. There might be little or no liturgical role.

Seriously, if you are primarily interested in liturgy, pursue priesthood, or maybe become a brother in a community that would support such a vocation.

The point is, if you are not accepted by a diocese or an order to become either a priest or a deacon, then you do not actually have a vocation, according to Church teaching. A vocation is mutually discerned, and must be accepted, not just decided by the person who thinks he or she has a vocation.
 
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