What do deacons do?

[Brendan]

Detroit Sue:

I saw your birth certificate in the Museum of Natural History in heiroglyphics!

Yea Yea, and your mother wears caligae

( In case any of you are wondering, Sue and I know each other. Her hubby is the deacon at my parent’s parish, the one I grew up in)

 

[Brendan]

Deacon Tony560:

TJD- In our diocese the cost is split: one third candidate,one third diocese, one third parish that deacon is from. Out of our 30 deacons, only a few have paying diocese positions. The diocese is pondering a new requirement of knowledge of Spanish. Hispanics already are in the majority of those who go to Mass and receive the Sacraments, in many parishes here. Always love to hear folks discuss the much misunderstood deacon. Our bishop feels that in the not too distant future, deacons will outnumber priests in our diocese.

Here in Detroit, the Archdiocese pays for all but the first year of education. And it is also traditional that the candidate’s parish cover the costs of the books and retreats.

Our formation is a 5-6 year program. To be accepted, there must be a history of involvement with the Church (for me it was as a presenting team for Marriage Encounter retreats)

There is a one year applicant phase, where you take classes (at your own expense) while your application is evaluated

There is a one year Aspirantcy phase after you have been accepted into the program that involves more classes, lots of Spiritual Direction and discernment. (that’s where I’m at)

The next 3-4 years are Candidacy phase, you are installed by the bishop as a Candidate to Holy Orders, more class work and go through Lector and Acolyte installations as well.

There is a series of summer service internships, where you experience ministry roles in parish ministry, and ministry to the sick, to prisons and to the poor.

here is the academic program for deacons in Detroit,

Link Here

Like Deacon Tony, few deacons have paying positions within the Church. The few exceptions are those who administer the development program and those that are parish administrators.

In the Archdiocese of Detroit, if a parish does not have a full time priest assigned to it, a deacon is assigned as a paid parish administrator. A lay person, or non ordained religious is never hired to administer a parish, only clergy.

I’m pretty sure that might be a few deacons who work in a paid position on a parish staff (DRE or such) or perhaps in one of the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese (as a religion teacher), but I don’t know any personally.

 

[deaconswife]

Gee, I guess that is one of the advantages of living in a smaller diocese, we did not have to pay for any education, the diocese picked up the tab for all of it.

 

[Deacon2006]

puzzleannie:

Deacons, like religious sisters or brothers, can also apply for paid positions with the diocese, parish, Catholic social service agency, school or other institution and work a regular full or part-time job with salary and benefits. Such as catechetical leader (DRE), teacher, administrator etc.

I have heard of a few who do that but it usually is at the displeasure of their bishop. In most dioceses, deacons are not to earn their living from direct or associated religious means, it tends to defeat the purpose of bring making present the sacramental church to the world through their witness of their everyday life when they that life is simplly being another diocesan employee. Many considering a deaconal vocation would be far better off getting a MRE or a Mdiv and applying for a job than becoming a deacon with the thought of seeking a change in career.

God Bless

 

[puzzleannie]

Deacon2006:

I have heard of a few who do that but it usually is at the displeasure of their bishop. In most dioceses, deacons are not to earn their living from direct or associated religious means, it tends to defeat the purpose of bring making present the sacramental church to the world through their witness of their everyday life when they that life is simplly being another diocesan employee. Many considering a deaconal vocation would be far better off getting a MRE or a Mdiv and applying for a job than becoming a deacon with the thought of seeking a change in career.

God Bless

in some dioceses, it is preferred for the ordained or consecrated religious to take administrative jobs in the diocese, or in a parish such as pastoral associate where there is no priest, DRE, school principal or other job involved in setting policy for the diocese or Christian education, and the hiring of lay people for such positions is seen as a compromise.

 

[Deacon_Tony560]

Deacon2006:

I have heard of a few who do that but it usually is at the displeasure of their bishop. In most dioceses, deacons are not to earn their living from direct or associated religious means, it tends to defeat the purpose of bring making present the sacramental church to the world through their witness of their everyday life when they that life is simplly being another diocesan employee. Many considering a deaconal vocation would be far better off getting a MRE or a Mdiv and applying for a job than becoming a deacon with the thought of seeking a change in career.

God Bless

Part of our application process was showing that we had sufficient income to care for our families and insurance Etc.

 

[Brendan]

puzzleannie:

in some dioceses, it is preferred for the ordained or consecrated religious to take administrative jobs in the diocese,

Yep, as I mentioned above, in Detroit, if a priest is not assigned full time to a parish, a deacon (and only a deacon) is assigned as the parish administrator.

The job is not available to the laity or non-ordained religious.

 

[ChristFollower]

To answer the thread’s question:

25 to life if convicted.

 

[Servant1]

ChristFollower:

To answer the thread’s question:

25 to life if convicted.

I’m ASSUMING you’re making an attenpt at humor rather than trying to make a statement, as the thread’s question had NOTHING to do with doing time.

 

[Deacon2006]

ChristFollower:

To answer the thread’s question:

25 to life if convicted.

I smiled when I read your post. My diocesean corridnator said essentially the same thing when I asked if they would be concerned about my age. He said “I like to get deacons ordained young so I know we got you for about 30 years”.

God Bless