Yours is not just one ministry among others, but it is truly meant to be a "driving force" for the Church's diakonia. By your ordination you are configured to Christ in his servant role. You are also meant to be living signs of the servanthood of his Church.

These words of Pope John Paul II in his address to permanent deacons of the United States in Detroit, 1987, truly captures the heart and spirit of the renewed permanent deaconate as the Second Vatican Council intended it.

The deaconate is the Church's pre-eminent sign of the basic mission of all believers to serve others. Deacons give sacramental witness to what makes us fundamentally human; an other-centered responsibility for those in need. Deacons in their active involvement in community, in their outreach to the poor and the marginalized, and in their fostering of the Eucharistic communion of the Church, sacramentalize the Church's service. The sign of the deaconate celebrates, manifests and makes effective the service of all good people everywhere. Deacons show what effective service is, when it is done in the self-giving love of Christ.

Pope John Paul II sums this up when he tells deacons:

By the standard of this world, servanthood is despised, but by the wisdom and providence of God it is the mystery through which Christ redeems the world. And you are ministers of that mystery, heralds of that gospel.

1. Who is a Deacon?

   A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three "orders," of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops, presbyters and deacons. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came "to serve and not to be served." The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church.

2. What are these "various ministries" of the Deacon?

   As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of Sacrament, deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshalling the Church's resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs. But no matter what specific functions a deacon performs, they flow from his sacramental identity. In other words, it is not only WHAT a deacon does, but WHO a deacon is, that is important.

3. Why do some deacons become priests?

   For many years ordained ministers "ascended" from one office to another, culminating in ordination to the presbyterate, or priesthood. The Second Vatican Council (1962 - 1965), however, authorized the restoration of the diaconate as a PERMANENT order of ministry. So, while students for the priesthood are still ordained deacons( transitional) prior to their ordination as priests, there are more than 13, 000 deacons in the United States alone who minister in this Order permanently. There is no difference in the sacramental sign or the functions between these so-called "transitional" and "permanent deacons."

4. May married men be ordained deacons?

   Yes. The Second Vatican Council decreed that the diaconate, when it was restored as a permanent order in the hierarchy, could be opened to "mature married men," later clarified to mean men over the age of 35. This is in keeping with the ancient tradition of the Church, in which married men were ordained into ministry. Also in keeping with ancient practice is the expectation that while a married man may be ordained, an ordained man, if his wife should die, may not marry again without special permission.

5. Is a Deacon ordained for the Parish or the Diocese?

   Whenever a person is ordained, he is to serve the diocesan Church. Deacons are no different in this regard: they are assigned by the bishop to ministries for which the bishop perceives a great need, and for which the deacon may have special gifts or talents. Most often, this will be within a parish setting, just as most priests serve in a parish. Once assigned to the parish, the deacon and any other clergy assigned to the parish minister under the immediate supervision of the pastor. However, this assignment may be changed at the request of the deacon or the initiative of the bishop.

6. How do I find out more about becoming a Deacon?

   The best place to start is with your pastor, who can put you in touch with the Director of Deacons for your diocese. The Director will be able to outline the various requirements and processes to be followed. The director of the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Youngstown is Monsignor John A. Zuraw. Monsignor can be reached at (330) 744-8451 or jzuraw@youngstowndiocese.org

Testimonials

Thinking back 31 years ago when I was first called to serve the Church as a permanent deacon, never did I imagine that each day would be filled with so many rewarding experiences of ministries. Being open to what the Lord wants of me, I have worked with the youth of our diocese in their enthusiastic search to live a good solid Christian life, and to the elderly with their concerns to be good role models for all in the Church. As I face each day, I cannot help but look with excitement to where my Lord will send me so that I may help others fulfill the vocation to which God has called them. I feel so abundantly blessed that Christ has chosen me as an ordained deacon to serve Him and His people through the work of the Church.

My parents installed in me at an early age, the joy of serving the Lord through ministry to God's people. God has given me so many blessings in my life that I have always felt a call to share the Good News of what God can do for you. My diaconal ministry is not just something I do at Church, but that which is done out in the "real world". I thank God daily for allowing me to help others in coming to know, love and serve the Lord.

Over the past twenty years the permanent deaconate has played a major role in my life. First and foremost, it has brought me closer to my God. It is because of this relationship with our Lord that I have been blessed with many opportunities to deepen my faith, broaden my understanding, and grow in His love. I have always been a "people person" and the deaconate has opened many doors to interact with the people that I minister to, and minister with, as we all strive toward the kingdom, sharing in the Lord's love, and growing together in His mercy and kindness.