Unmarried permanent deacons

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Anyone know any? Just curious about what types of occupations they have, why they decided to be deacons, etc.
 
I know several who are widowers. As far as I know they are all retired.
 
I know one who entered the Diaconate program as a widower. He was two grown children and is a teacher.
 
I almost wonder whether any dioceses would be particularly open to recruiting and/or accepting as candidates unmarried (and by this I mean “single” - and maybe younger - not widowed) men to become permanent deacons.

I agree that I’d like to hear about some who followed this path.
 
This is interesting. I know of one priest who is a widower and former permanent deacon. I hadn’t thought about a single permanent deacon remaining a deacon. I assumed that someone who is single would be called to the priesthood.

Can a widower permanent deacon remarry? Can a single permanent deacon marry? What about a married priest whose wife dies?
 
rlg94086 said:
I hadn’t thought about a single permanent deacon remaining a deacon. I assumed that someone who is single would be called to the priesthood.
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Why would it necessarily be the case? The diaconate is a distinct vocation. So shouldn’t there also be single men who choose (or I suppose I should say “respond to”) that particular call, too? Ought the permanent diaconate only be thought of as a “married man’s vocation?” Or even an “older man’s vocation?” (If a man can be ordained a priest by his mid 20s, and firstly to the transitional diaconate in the process, why not the permanent diaconate, also?)

In religious life, there are many men called to the brotherhood, but not the priesthood. In holy orders, might there not be more men called to the diaconate (perhaps dedicatedly so as their full time call) but not the priesthood?
 
I’ve been listening to a recording of the late Fr. John Hardon S.J on “Introduction and Overview of Sacraments and Prayer Part 1” from his talks on Fundamental Sacramental Theology (Spring 1992) available here: therealpresence.org/archives/MP3/0004/0004001.mp3

In this teaching, he expresses his belief that at the time (1992) America had more permanent Deacons than the rest of the world combined, and his estimates that over 8000 are married men. He expresses his belief that this is a strategy of the enemy to destroy celibacy in the priesthood, since married men are not celibate, and they are not allowed to become priests, and that the biggest push comes from these deacons. Fr. Hardon believed that this is an orchestrated effort to destroy the priesthood.

Any thoughts?
 
dan said:
Anyone know any? Just curious about what types of occupations they have, why they decided to be deacons, etc.
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He is a Franciscan Brother. At one point during his long vocation as a Brother and a Deacon he felt pressured to become a priest because vocations were so short. He went to go speak to a Bishop that he had worked for. He only got the words I am feeling pressure to do this because… and the Bishop cut him off. He told him that before he had come to work for him (in the function as the deacon of the Bishop) he really had no use for permanent deacons. After that he had a new respect. He realized that this level Ordination is his calling. I will not get in to the rest of us his story but the point is it is not a job with a promotion level it is a calling to be confirmed by the Church. The Deacon is the Right hand of the Presbyter at the altar - sometimes that is the calling of certain individuals.
 
kozlosap said:
There’s a conspiracy theory around every corner;)
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Yeah, but for the fact that we are talking about Fr. John Hardon, not some nut job, but a man who served the Vatican, one of the greatest catechists the Church has ever known, and was instrumental in the drafting of the CCC, and is on his way to beatification. This is just the short list of who Fr. John Hardon was. For him to teach his classes about his concerns is not to be taken lightly,nor flippantly dismissed.
 
dan said:
Anyone know any? Just curious about what types of occupations they have, why they decided to be deacons, etc.
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With about a year left in our formation, one of my classmates lost his wife to cancer. He was ordained with the rest of our class this past Saturday. He is a lawyer and a child court judge, non elected of corse as a member of the clergy is not allowed to hold or run for public office.

There was much discussion between him, our deacon leader and the bishop however. He took a vow of celabacy just as a transitional deacon or priets would.
 
rlg94086 said:
This is interesting. I know of one priest who is a widower and former permanent deacon. I hadn’t thought about a single permanent deacon remaining a deacon. I assumed that someone who is single would be called to the priesthood.
  1. Can a widower permanent deacon remarry?
  2. Can a single permanent deacon marry?
  3. What about a married priest whose wife dies?
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  1. only with dispensation from Rome, not often granted unless small children are involved.
  2. same as #1.
  3. married priest? only ones I am aware of are converts from the Episcapal or Anglican Churches, I think? Anybody have info on this? I would think in these rare cases, they would fall under the same guidlines as a permanent deacon, not without dispensation from Rome.
 
We have one in our cathedral, and there are more in other parishes. They all have been through seminary, but have not been ordained for some reason.
As far as I know, they have no jobs - I think they have lots to do in their parishes.
 
asnate said:
We have one in our cathedral, and there are more in other parishes. They all have been through seminary, but have not been ordained for some reason.
As far as I know, they have no jobs - I think they have lots to do in their parishes.
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If I misunderstood you, I am sorry; but if they are deacons, they are ordained.
 
sorry, should have been more precise - they have received ordination for diaconate, but no priestly ordination.
 
Lapey said:
  1. married priest? only ones I am aware of are converts from the Episcapal or Anglican Churches, I think? Anybody have info on this? I would think in these rare cases, they would fall under the same guidlines as a permanent deacon, not without dispensation from Rome.
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There are also eastern right catholic priests who can be married when they are ordained. I haven’t heard of a remarriage dispensation for priests, my guess would be no they can not remarry (ie a dispensation would not be granted in the roman rite).
 
I know an unmarried deacon. He simply loved his job and didn’t feel called to be a priest and live that lifestyle.
 
Secular Deacons can be, and are, of virtually all adult age groups. Many are retired, but certainly not all of them. In our Diocese, we have just begun our first class of Permanent Deacon Candidates, and about half of those men are still working full-time.

They will continue to work, just as they have in the past. Their fields range from College Professors to Bricklayers, Cooks to Physicians, and a bit of everything in between.

In our Parish, our Candidate is our youth minister…
 
In my class a permanent deacon was elevated to the priesthood by his bishop when he became widowed about a year after his ordination.

Pax
 
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