The Office of Deacons assists the bishop in care, guidance, and support of deacons through communication and personal contact. It promotes deacons’ spiritual, intellectual, and ministerial development and helps promote harmonious deacon-pastor relationships. The Office of Deacons also assists the bishop in the assignment of deacons.
The permanent deacon brings a unique pastoral presence to the parish community. He is an ordained minister whose ministry is “service sacramentalized” through the proclamation of the Gospel, through his participation in liturgy, and through his dedication to ministries of charity and justice.
The deacon is described as “the bishop’s ear, mouth, heart and soul” (Didascalia Apostolorum II, 44, 4 Funk. Didascalia et Constitutiones Apostolorum I. p. 138).
The deacon is at the disposal of the bishop in order that he may serve the whole people of God and take care of the sick and the poor; he is correctly and rightly called “the one who shows love for orphans, for the devout and for the widowed, one who is fervent in spirit, one who shows love for what is good” (Ad Pascendum, Deacon’s Ministry: Flannery, Vatican II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents I. Revised Edition 1992. P. 434).
deacon.formation@cc.cdom.org
(901)-373-1245
The Acts of the Apostles describes how, in the first century, the Church was faced with the challenge of responding to the needs of those who were at risk of being marginalized, either through culture or through material poverty. Keeping in mind the example of Jesus, the Apostles selected and ordained a number of men specifically for this service.
For a number of centuries, deacons ministered in close cooperation with the bishops of the Church, assisting at the Eucharist, preaching the Gospel, and exercising a ministry of charity.
Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Orders, is probably one of the best known deacons, though many tend to assume that he was a priest. Gradually, in the Western Church, the functions of deacons were absorbed into the ministry of the priest, and the diaconate became a transitional order, for those on the way to the priesthood. The diaconate continued to exist as a permanent ministry in the Eastern Churches, including those in full communion with Rome.
The Second Vatican Council envisioned a renewal of ministry, both lay and ordained, in the Church. The Council’s Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, explains that the lay faithful, by virtue of their Baptism, are commissioned to an active apostolate and insists that “every opportunity be given them so that, according to their abilities and the needs of the times, that they may zealously participate in the saving work of the Church.”
The Second Vatican Council also proposed the restoration of the diaconate as a “distinct ministry of service” to be exercised “in communion with the bishop and his group of priests”. Many of the functions which deacons perform can also be carried out by members of the lay faithful. The restoration of the diaconate is not intended in any sense to change that situation. The idea is that some men who already exercise these functions would be “strengthened with the grace of diaconal ordination” and in that way would be designated to be a visible public sign of Christ the Servant in the community of the Church.
The first responsibility of the deacon is to be an effective visible sign of Christ who came to serve rather than to be served. Although the ministry of the deacon may be exercised on a part-time basis, he remains at all times a deacon and he is called, in his life-style, to reflect this.
The ministry of the deacon is an expression of his being, as the documents say, an icon of Christ the servant. The areas of ministry which may be entrusted to deacons fall under three general headings; Altar, Word and Charity. They include:
i. Altar
Assisting the priest at the celebration of the Eucharist
Bringing the Eucharist to the sick at home and in hospitals.
The formation of altar servers and acolytes.
Presiding at Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
The celebration of Baptism.
Witnessing marriages that are celebrated outside of Mass (with the appropriate delegation).
Participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Presiding at funerals that take place outside the context of Mass.
ii. Word
Proclaiming the Gospel at the Liturgy.
Preaching the homily.
Participating in sacramental preparations programs.
The formation of readers.
Participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Facilitating study of and prayer with the scriptures.
iii. Charity
Facilitating the development of lay ministry.
Visiting the sick.
Visiting prisoners.
Visiting the bereaved.
Youth ministry and the facilitation of peer-ministry among young people.
Promoting awareness of the social teaching of the Church.
The promotion of justice and human rights.
The administration of Church property.
A permanent deacon is not a “lone ranger.” He receives his mission from the Bishop, and is assigned to work as a member of a team, normally under the leadership of a parish priest. He is called to minister in close cooperation with priests and with members of the lay faithful who are entrusted with various ministries.
Collaborative ministry is already a reality in many parishes, especially with the development of Parish Pastoral Councils, baptism teams, bereavement support groups, etc. Deacons are not intended to replace lay ministries. On the contrary, in many places, they play a key role in the development and coordination of lay ministry. Neither is a deacon intended to be a “mini-priest”, making up for a shortage of vocations. The Vatican Council was quite clear that, alongside the diaconate, the role of the ordained priesthood must continue to be fostered because without the priest there is no Eucharist and without the Eucharist there is no Church
Candidates for the Permanent Diaconate may be married or unmarried. The upper age limit for ordination is sixty-five years of age, which can be waived by the Bishop.
The Church is concerned that there should be no potential for conflict between the responsibilities of ordained ministry and the need of a couple in the early years of their married life to devote their time and energy to maturing in their relationship and to caring for young children. For that reason, a married man must have reached the age of thirty-five before he can be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate. He must also have the formal consent of his wife.
Unmarried candidates must have reached the age of thirty-five before they can be ordained as Permanent Deacons. In keeping with the tradition of the Church, those who are ordained as single men make a solemn promise of celibacy.
A prospective candidate for the Permanent Diaconate must:
Have a genuine sense of vocation to this calling.
Be a baptized and confirmed man who is active in the practice of his Catholic faith.
Be actively involved in the parish or charitable work and highly recommended by his parish priest and parishioners.
[If married] have been married at least five years and live in a stable and valid marriage, where both are actively engaged in parish life, enjoying the full support of his wife who will participate actively in the formation program, and be willing to remain celibate if his wife precedes him in death.
[If single] enjoy a stable, settled life, a history of healthy relationships, and be able and willing to accept celibacy, understanding the implications of this charism.
[If widowed] have had at least two years to heal from the death of his wife.
Possess the human, spiritual and intellectual capacity to participate fully in the formation program.
Possess the natural gifts for ministry, demonstrate maturity and balance, enjoy good physical and mental health with no condition which would impede ministry, and have no history of any significant compulsions or addictions.
Be free of all force or pressure in making application to diaconal formation.
Be able to sustain an adequate standard of living for himself and, in so far as it is applicable, for his family.
Be able to give the time required for study and service without detriment to his family.
Be willing to be subject to the child protection vetting procedures and Child Protection Initiatives established by the Diocese of Memphis.
Be willing to allow an independent background check, including criminal and credit history.
Not belong to any organization or engage in any work or professional activity that is, according to the norms of the Church and the prudent judgment of the Bishop, inconsistent with diaconal ministry.
Be free of all irregularities and impediments of Orders (see next paragraph).
Be an American citizen or, if a citizen of another country, be a lawful resident of the United States for a period of not less than two years.
Have you ever been hospitalized for treatment of a psychic disorder, alcoholism, or abuse? Or are you now, or have you ever been, under treatment for a psychic defect?
Have you ever left the Catholic Church to become a minister or preacher in a non-Catholic denomination?
Have you ever been formally declared by ecclesiastical authority to be “an apostate, heretic, or a schismatic”?
Have you attempted marriage while under an obligation from orders, vows, or another marriage?
Have you or your spouse been in a previous marriage (that is not annulled) or a member of a religious order?
Have you ever committed voluntary homicide?
Have you ever performed or contributed to a completed abortion?
Have you ever maliciously physically mutilated yourself or another?
Have you ever attempted suicide?
Have you ever exercised a function of Orders without permission?
The process of selection begins with pre-application Eligibility, formal Application, a Personal Interview, Home Visit Interview, Deacon Board Interview, Bishop Interview, and final selection to Aspirancy.
Before he is formally accepted as a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate, an aspirant is invited to participate in what is known as the propaedeutic period. During this period, which lasts approximately one year, he engages in a process of discernment which is intended to help him arrive at a better understanding of himself and of ministry in the Church, so as to be able to make an initial decision which is fully free and unconditioned by personal interests or external pressures of any sort.
The propaedeutic period incorporates the formal application process and, as such, it affords the Bishop the opportunity, together with his advisors, to arrive at some initial evaluation of the aspirant as a potential candidate for ordained ministry. The man accepted into the propaedeutic period must fully understand that completion of this period brings no guarantee of continuance into candidacy.