Permanent Diaconate
What is a Deacon?
Some frequently asked questions on Deacons:
What does the word ‘Deacon’ mean?
The English word "deacon" comes from the Greek word diakonia, which means "servant, ambassador, messenger, go-between." In the Catholic Church, a deacon is the third degree of ordained ministry (along with that of bishop and priest) in the service of the Church.
What then is a Deacon?
Like bishop and priest, a deacon is sacramentally ordained for the service of the Church. In the laying on of hands by the bishop (descendent of the Apostles) and in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the deacon sacramentally shares in Jesus’ three-fold ministry of priest, prophet, and king. All baptized Christians share in this vocation by virtue of baptism; some Christians then have a further vocation and are called to share in Jesus’ ministry in a specific sacramental way by virtue of ordination. A deacon is not a lay person, he is clergy in service of the laity. Therefore, the deacon "is a specific sacramental sign, in the Church, of Christ the Servant" (Basic Norms for the Formation of Deacons, 5). He means something for the Church: when we see a deacon, we are meant to see an icon or true image of Jesus the Suffering Servant of all. The deacon is "ambassador" of this Image of the Living God.
This vocation is mutually discerned by the individual, by the Church as a whole, and by the bishop as successor of the Apostles.
What does a Deacon do?
His role is to "express the needs and desires of the Christian communities" and to be "a driving force for service, or diakonia, which is an essential part of the mission of the Church" (Basic Norms, 5).
Since the Deacon shares in the three-fold office of Christ, he has a three-fold ministry or mission:
- Ministry (diakonia) of the Word: The Word of God is the foundation of the deacon’s ministry. As a Servant of the Word, the deacon can proclaim the Gospels and deliver the homily in the liturgy. He also has a primary role in teaching, catechizing, and preparing people for the sacraments.
- Ministry (diakonia) of the Eucharist: The sacrificial self-gift of Christ is the heart of the deacon’s ministry. He assists the bishop or priest at the liturgy, he presents the needs and receives the gifts of the people, he distributes the Eucharist to the faithful—those present and those who are sick or unable to attend. He administers baptism, may witness marriages, presides at the funeral and burial rites, and administers sacramentals.
- Ministry (diakonia) of Charity: Willing the good for the other is the main expression of the deacon’s ministry. Charity knows no limits, and the deacon goes beyond the limits to be ambassador of love to all, especially to the spiritually and materially poor. Love for the poor, the sick, the unconverted, the suffering, the imprisoned, and the victim should characterize the deacon and mark his spirituality. The deacon spends much of his time living the Spiritual and Corporal works of mercy (see Catechism 2447), and he helps all members of the Church to do likewise. He is a servant of justice.
In the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, deacons have a dual assignment: to serve part time in a parish setting (as assigned by the Archbishop) and to serve part time in a non-parish or archdiocesan ministry such as prison, hospital, hospice, or eldercare ministry, youth ministry, AIDS ministry, and so forth.