A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three degrees, or orders, of ordained ministry in the Church: bishops, priests and deacons.

Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign of Christ, who came “to serve and not to be served.” The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, through his sacramental ordination and ministry, serves as a visible sign of Christ’s call to service.

All ordained ministers in the Church are called to serve through the ministries of Word, Sacrament and Charity, although bishops, priests and deacons exercise these ministries in different ways.

Ministry of the Word
Deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach and teach in the name of the Church.

Ministry of Sacrament
Deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages and assist with wake and funeral services.

Ministry of Charity
Deacons help identify the needs of others and work to connect those in need with the resources of the Church. They also seek to address injustices and inequities that contribute to those needs.

Whatever specific ministry a deacon performs, it flows from his sacramental identity. The ministry of a deacon is not simply about what he does, but about who he is as an ordained servant of the Church.

 

For many years, ordained ministers traditionally moved from one degree of Holy Orders to another, culminating in ordination to the priesthood.

The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), however, restored the diaconate as a permanent order of ministry in the Latin Church. Men preparing for priesthood are still ordained deacons before being ordained priests. These are known as transitional deacons.

Other men are ordained to the diaconate with the intention of serving permanently as deacons. These are known as permanent deacons.

Yes. The Church permits qualified married men to be ordained to the permanent diaconate. The restoration of the permanent diaconate following the Second Vatican Council continued the Church’s ancient tradition of ordaining married men to ministry.

A deacon is ordained for service to the diocesan Church. Deacons are assigned by the bishop to ministries according to the needs of the diocese and the gifts and abilities of the deacon.

Most often, a deacon serves within a parish community. When assigned to a parish, the deacon ministers under the direction of the pastor and in collaboration with the other clergy and faithful of the parish.

A deacon’s assignment may change according to the needs of the diocese, the direction of the bishop and other circumstances.