What is the responsibility of a Deacon?

[Genesis315]

Yes, since I am entering into formation in the fall I am slighyly biased that the church need them.

The church has had deacons for 2000 years. In fact every priest you know is a deacon too.

St. Stephen (the one in the bible) was the first mentioned deacon.

St. Ephrem, St. Lawrence, and St. Francis are some other famous deacons and amazing saints

 

[vocatio]

Deacons (diakonoi) are the assistants of the bishops and are responsible for teaching and administering certain Church tasks, such as the distribution of food (Acts 6:1–6).

Thanks to Catholic Answers

I don’t recall the dates but Deacons used to be called Father. That was the ordinary title that an ordinary deacon was addressed. St. Francis is sometimes refered to as Father Francis. I read that the Eastern Orthodox Deacons are called Father. That may vary across the board. But they are. I “proved” it to my RCIA instructor who graduated from Franciscan University in Theological Studies and Ave Maria University with a graduate in Pastoral / Theological Studies. He’s very orthodox in teaching what the Church really teaches, which is a rare blessing. Our Bishop snatched him after finding him. He’s 12 years my junior. Our Bishop is new to our Diocese. So now our Adult Faith Formation Director is promoted to be over all of the Diocese Adult Faith Formation Directors and more. Pretty cool. God sent him at the right time in our life. My wife and son were received into the Church this Easter Vigil. The entire family is Catholic now. And to top that off, my dear wife is open to me becoming a deacon. I will be writing about our experience. She’s the daughter of an Elder/Bishop in another faith. And her 2 oldest brothers are preachers.

Many people as well as cradle Catholics do not realize that a Deacon is Ordained. Like a priest, he is required to serve in the mass when present. (I said this poorly so forgive) They receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. Very few men have been allowed to be ordained as Priests. But if happens more frequently than you realize. About 20% of the Catholic Church clergy are married. It is the discipline of the Latin (Western) Catholic Church to ordain single men. But we have a parish that used to be Episcopal. The entire parish converted to Catholicism and the priest is married. The priest faces the altar, back to the congregation so I’ve heard and seen pictures. I believe they say the TLM. Pretty cool. Oh and to finish, the Byzantine (eastern) Catholic Church allows married men to seek the priesthood in their tradition. They are in communion with the Latin Church. There are rare occasions that a priest can remarry. But it usually surrounds young children needing a mother.

I am seeking a vocation to the diaconate. One of our 2 Franciscan Friars opened the door for me after I told him about how bad I felt about walking away from the priesthood. At his recommendation I am going through catechesis for becoming an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (not Eucharist - that is left to the Deacons, Priests and Bishops). I really want to minister to the sick and maybe even prison ministry. I spent a year at the seminary in formation a long while back. It’s a long story. But I’ll leave that for a better time and place. I’ve always felt the calling. My wife’s conversion opened the door for me to discern a vocation to the diaconate leading to the sacrament of Holy Orders. Google it. It’s pretty cool and all Catholics really need to learn this and understand it. It’s part of the ancient Church tradition. And I hope it always stays around. We love our deacon.

One last thing. Pray for my oldest son. He’s young, but he says he wants to be a priest, a Franciscan Friar to be exact. He’d make a good one for many reasons I can’t go into now. As the Bishop of the Domestic church, I read scripture to our children, pray with them and bless them every night. My wife and I read the Liturgy of the Hours and I say the Divine Office. It’s a daily routine. Everyone should do this with their children.

 

[lak611]

ok…well, he did. I don’t want to cause a problem…I’ll see if he does this again at the next mass…maybe it was in error this time? I am new to this parish, so this is my first seeing this.

If it happens again–what would you do? anything?

A deacon is not a layman. He is ordained.

 

[Brendan]

A deacon is not a layperson…they are ordained.

Yes, I know.

And my point still stands… Laypeople cannot hold the chalice at the Minor Elevation

 

[Brendan]

Are you referring only to ordination to the priesthood, or is ordination of married men to the diaconate also discouraged?

Ordination to the Priesthood. Married men may be Ordained to the Diaconate.

 

[THurifer2]

My wife and son were received into the Church this Easter Vigil. The entire family is Catholic now. And to top that off, my dear wife is open to me becoming a deacon.

.

Great about your wife…you may have to wait on the diaconate. My diocese requires a person to wait 10 years after “converting” to the Catholic church before starting the process. SInce the wife is part of that process the rule is extended to the wife.

I say keep praying and pray that there will be few Extraordinary circumstances that you are needed as an EMHC.

 

[vocatio]

Unless the new Bishop changes the waiting period, we won’t have to wait that long. I talked to the vocations office to find out all of that kind of information and if memory serves me right I may be able to continue on with formation. But I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. I plan to keep myself plenty busy up to that point anyway.

I am schedule for EMHC training next week. Our parish needs several “Mass Captains”. I plan on helping out in RCIA. My wife is getting certified to teach and may end up teaching in our parish. That’s ironic. The Diocese allows non-Catholics to teach our children in Catholic schools, but deacon’s wives wait 10 years after having converted to the faith after a lengthy training period
and lots of opportunity to bail. Interesting though I just had.

Anyway, our Diocese cycles every 5 years I believe or something like that. Either way I’m willing to wait a few cycles if necessary. I want to work on a graduate degree in Pastoral Ministry and Theology anyway at a local or distance learning program. This will give me a chance to complete that process.

No body’s in a rush here. In ten years, my youngest will be 12. And that’s probably a good thing. Unless a miracle happens, she’s probably the last unless we adopt.

 

[THurifer2]

No body’s in a rush here. In ten years, my youngest will be 12. And that’s probably a good thing. Unless a miracle happens, she’s probably the last unless we adopt.

I have very small children and my diaconae director told me that children do not hinder the formation or candidacy. In fact he says that they WELCOME deacons with small children…young parents can relate to them too!

 

[Aramis]

I have very small children and my diaconae director told me that children do not hinder the formation or candidacy. In fact he says that they WELCOME deacons with small children…young parents can relate to them too!

I was 12 at my father’s Ordination. It was hard on me. My experiences, as well as the children of my father’s class of deacons, have been listened to, and have been used to make the transition easier on the “younger” classes of deacons.

It’s still a transition, and it does change people’s perception not just of the would-be deacon, but his wife and children.

Looking back, my trials 22-24 years ago were worthy, both for me and the Church, and I fully support my father’s ordination. If you’d asked me 20 years ago, I would not have been so positive about the permanent diaconate. It is an important return to Tradition. One which was not without its flaws, and one with is still growing.

 

[Brendan]

I was 12 at my father’s Ordination. It was hard on me. My experiences, as well as the children of my father’s class of deacons, have been listened to, and have been used to make the transition easier on the “younger” classes of deacons.

One of the things that I do ( I have 5 children, the oldest is 8) is to involve them in the ministry work I do.

Right now, we visit a nursing home on Sundays. They are the real ministers in that work, nothing quite brightens an old person’s day than a visit by small children with hand crayoned cards.

Later, when they are older, we might spent some evenings boxing up food for the hungry, or baby clothes for young mothers.

The point there is that the transition to deacon won’t seem that different. Ministry is something that Dad has ALWAYS done, and done with them.

 

[HenryV]

Who needs 'em they are only half-priests anyway.
Laymen can do almost everything they do.

We need more priests.

Not more permanent deacons and EMEs.

 

[THurifer2]

I was 12 at my father’s Ordination. It was hard on me. My experiences, as well as the children of my father’s class of deacons,.

I am confused here. what could have been hard on you. There a millions of chldren of pastors across the globe. Deacons aren’t even pastors.

My main concern is our parish family. Most of our good friends are members of our Parish. I am pretty convinced that I will not be assigned to my own Parish. I do feel that it would be slightly awkward to give a Homily to our family friends. But only the first time.

 

[Aramis]

I am confused here. what could have been hard on you. There a millions of chldren of pastors across the globe. Deacons aren’t even pastors.

My main concern is our parish family. Most of our good friends are members of our Parish. I am pretty convinced that I will not be assigned to my own Parish. I do feel that it would be slightly awkward to give a Homily to our family friends. But only the first time.

well, let’s see

1. All of a sudden, Nuns stopped asking if I had a vocation, but instead asking to which order. And getting in my face about it, too. I understand why. I still don’t approve of that change.
2. NEVER sitting next to my father at mass again. (Except when traveling outside the diocese.) Even when not the deacon of the word nor the deacon of the chalice, he’s expected to vest and sit in choir.
3. Parishioners views of me changed. Behaviors which had been previously unnoticed were made a huge deal of. Be they good or bad.
4. Dad’s time at the church went from 2 nights per week plus a weekend a month to 4 nights a week and EVERY weekend.
5. constant complaints about the Church being made to me, in hopes I’d discuss them with Dad, and he’d take them to the Archbishop. Especially about the priests.
6. the constant expectation that I would be involved in any ministry he was that wasn’t age nor ordination restricted.
7. ridicule by protestants for “lying about my father” (Most couldn’t believe that there were married men in the Catholic clergy.)
8. often inappropriately timed calls to the house, expecting that:
   a) he’d be home at 3 in the afternoon
   b) I was able to answer questions on his behalf
   c) he would put his family last after their own. (he didn’t.)
9. Losing a chunk of Mom’s time. Mom had to go through almost all the classes, and participate in a parish ministry. So I lost 2-3 nights a week of Mom, too.

There was one night, mom was at a ministry training, followed by a class she was taking at the University, Dad in his office at the cathedral, and I, at age 14, sitting and waiting to be picked up from an Explorer Post meeting… both were so tired, that I finally woke them up an hour later than I was supposed to be picked up… they were both so tired they’d forgotten where I was, and that I needed to be picked up. (It was more than 10 miles to home, and no one was left but myself and the Captain. I almost wound up sleeping at the fire station. I was a Fire Department Explorer, and would have been welcome… but I’d not have made it to school on time.)

Many nights at home, alone, because they were at the church. For an only child, that is particularly hard, especially since it was a radical change.

With no siblings, the loss of parental time was QUITE a shock.

 

[Brendan]

Aramis,

Your experience sounds a LOT like my experiences growing up.

Except my father is a physcian.

So every Tues and Thurs from before I was born untill he retired, my father worked evening hours at his office.

At least one weekend each month, Dad was ‘on call’, which meant he was responsible for making rounds at the hospital(s).

He was OB\Family Practice, so there were many, many nights where Dad got middle of the night phone calls to go deliver babys.

And I too got phone calls where I was expected to be able to answer questions.

Family Vacations were rare, as Doctors don’t have paid vacations. If you aren’t working, you aren’t gatting paid. Summers were usually spent in Ireland (where my mom is from) while Dad stayed home in Detroit and worked.

On the plus side, that was all I knew growing up. You had the disadvantage of that happening all at once for you.

Growing up in such an environment taught me a lot about care for my fellow man. I saw first hand the efforts Dad went to, to make people healthy.

And he involved us too. Those ‘on call’ hospital visits. Dad would occasionaly bring us along. He would let us know that “Mrs. so and so in 112-B didn’t have any family int he area and it would be nice for us to visit with her”. And we would do so while Dad made the rounds.

 

[BobP123]

Who needs 'em they are only half-priests anyway.
Laymen can do almost everything they do.

We need more priests.

Not more permanent deacons and EMEs.

Don’t be so hard on them. They can be used in the Traditional Latin Rite as well. And they wouldn’t seem like fifth wheels at the altar either.

 

[lak611]

Who needs 'em they are only half-priests anyway.
Laymen can do almost everything they do.

We need more priests.

Not more permanent deacons and EMEs.

Laypeople cannot do most of what deacons do. Laypeople cannot be the official Church witness to a marriage. Laypeople cannot read the gospel or give the homily. And if you dislike EMHC’s, they would not be necessary if there were more deacons because a deacon is an Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

 

[FrCorey]

From The Liturgical Ministry of Deacons, By: Michael Kwatera:

Eight (8) duties of a deacon,
a) To assist the bishop and priest during liturgical services in regard to all those matters assigned to the deacon by the liturgical books for the various rites.
b) To administer baptism solemnly
c) To reserve the eucharist and to give communion to himself and others; to bring viaticum to the dying; to give benediction with the monstrance or ciborium
d) To assist in marriages in the name of the Church, when no priest is available, and with the bishop’s or pastor’s delegation, to impart the nuptial blessing
e) To administer sacramentals and preside at funerals and burial rites
f) To read the books of scripture to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the congregation
g) To preside ad offices of worship and at prayer services when no priest is available.
h) To lead celebration of the word, especially in places where there is a lack of priests.

 

[THurifer2]

well, let’s see

1. All of a sudden, Nuns stopped asking if I had a vocation, but instead asking to which order. And getting in my face about it, too. I understand why. I still don’t approve of that change.

I am relieved that my Family life already evolves around my parish. If I am up at the Church chances are the Kids are too. At least 3-4 nights a week.

 

[ThuribleGuy45]

I am relieved that my Family life already evolves around my parish. If I am up at the Church chances are the Kids are too. At least 3-4 nights a week.

Not trying to get pesonal here, but just wondering if this kind of public display of temper, shouting, and free-floating sarcasm should give you or your instructors pause regarding any possible call to the diaconate.

 

[THurifer2]

Not trying to get pesonal here, but just wondering if this kind of public display of temper, shouting, and free-floating sarcasm should give you or your instructors pause regarding any possible call to the diaconate.

Likely the same Pause that Jesus Christ did when considering blinding the temper shouting, free-floating sacastic and all too murderous Saul as he trotted down the Damascus Road.

Sometimes the “old” me flares up from time to time. Apologies have already been given “behind the scenes” to Aramis.