What is a Catholic Deacon? Bishop Kevin Rhoades Gives the Answer

It is a privilege to ordain you permanent deacons.  No, I didn't make a mistake.  Don't worry: you are scheduled to be ordained priests next year by Bishop Jenky!  But what happens today in the sacrament of Orders is not something transitional; it is permanent.  All the priests gathered here are still deacons, because the character and grace of the diaconate is something permanent.  Deacons are icons or images of Christ the Servant.  The configuration to Christ the Servant through diaconal ordination is permanent.  Priests are servants.  Bishops are servants.  That's why the Church requires us to be ordained deacons first.  We don't leave one Order behind when we assume a different one.  The sacramental effects of the three grades of Orders are cumulative, not exclusive.  You won't be icons of Christ the Servant for just 7 months, but for the rest of your lives. 

CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) - On the Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi) in 1996 I was ordained to the Order of Deacon in the Catholic Church. When I lay prostrate on the floor that day, in preparation for the imposition of the hands of my Bishop and the reception of the Book of the Gospels, I knew that my life would never be the same.

I sensed two phrases welling up in my heart as reactions to what was about to occur. The first was a deep "FIAT", the Latin for the "Yes" of surrendered love given by the Mother of the Lord when she was visited by the Angel. The second sounds less "spiritual" but it was equally as strong. It was "UH-OH!"

Living this vocation for seventeen years has confirmed that I was absolutely correct in both my reactions.

My ordination did indeed create a mark on my soul, just as our theology teaches. I now serve as a member of the Catholic clergy in that everything I do: evangelization, apologetics, policy activism and ecumenism, as well as in my professional life. There is really no separation between the secular and the spiritual. I am ordained to live out this vocation of ordained service in a unity of life.

When the Bishop placed the Book of the Gospels in my hands he charged me with these words, "Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. "Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach." Those three words, Believe, Teach and Practice lie at the heart of the Catholic Deacons vocation to imitate Jesus the Servant and make His ministry real and palpable in a world which hungers to be born anew. 

The call to follow Jesus as His Deacon has a rich history in the Christian Church. During the Church's first five centuries, this ministry flourished everywhere. In fact, the first Martyr of the Christian Church was Stephen, the Deacon. He lived his life, and offered his last breath, so configured to Jesus the Servant, that he was welcomed personally by the Lord into the eternal joy of heaven:

"(F)ull of the Holy Spirit, (he) gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;  and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God."  But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him.  Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.  And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."  And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7: 54-60)

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That witness of tangible love, lived by a Deacon named Stephen who was beautifully conformed to the One who had laid His life down for the Church, animated the early Christians to respond with extraordinary courage to the growing hostilities they faced. It also opened the door for an extraordinary conversion which changed human history. One of the greatest persecutors of the early Christians became one of the greatest Apostles of the nascent Church. A Rabbi named Saul, who had feverishly persecuted this band of followers of the Jewish Messiah named Jesus, was present. We read "And Saul was consenting to his death." (Acts 8:1)

As the Christian Church moved into its Second Millennium, for various reasons, the order of Deacon declined in the West as a distinct rank of clerical service, and eventually disappeared. It was relegated to a transitional order, given to candidates on their way to priestly ordination. In the Eastern Church, the role of the Ordained Deacon remained a part of the permanent rank of sacred orders without interruption from the time of the Apostles until now.

The Council of Trent (1545-63) called for the restoration of the permanent diaconate for the entire Church. But it was not until the Second Vatican Council, four centuries later, that this direction was implemented. The Council Fathers explicitly stated their purpose as threefold: to enhance the Church, to strengthen with sacred orders those men already engaged in diaconal functions, and to provide assistance to areas suffering clerical shortages.

According to "The Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons," issued jointly by the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Congregation for the Clergy, the deacon is "a sacred minister and member of the hierarchy." He is ordained to the first rank of sacred orders, not to the priesthood or the episcopacy. He is no longer a layman, but a member of the clergy.

Like other clerics, the deacon participates in the threefold ministry of Jesus Christ; the "diaconia of the liturgy, the word, and of charity." He represents "Christ the Servant" in his vocation. The deacon teaches the Word of God, sanctifies through the sacraments, and helps lead the community in its religious life.

He assists at the altar, distributes the Eucharist as an ordinary minister (not an extraordinary minister), blesses marriages, presides over funerals, proclaims the Gospel and preaches, administers viaticum to the sick, and leads Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest where it is pastorally necessary.

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Because they receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders, deacons are sent by Jesus Christ to serve God's people as His delegates. They are called to serve in His Naame and can only do so out of the depths of an interior life centered in the Eucharist, and fueled by a real, substantive life of prayer. That way of communion with the Lord proceeds into apostolic action. Like other clerics, they pray the Divine Office and are called to cultivate the habit of penance as an ordinary practice.

They are called to link their love for the Lord and His Church to a love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. In her Fiat, her Yes to the Lords call, she represents the full surrender of love to every invitation of God. Since most deacons are married and have children, they are called to demonstrate the grace of the Sacrament of Marriage and the holiness of a consecrated family life. The teaching documents affirm they are called to "give clear witness to the sanctity of marriage and family."

It is important to note that although the Order of Deacon (called the diaconate) has been opened to married men of mature age; it is also open to and encouraged as a permanent rank of orders for celibate men. The decision for marriage or celibacy is made before ordination to the order of deacon. In fact, in the Eastern Christian Churches, where both celibate and married men can also be called to the priesthood, this is also the practice.

If a married deacon loses his wife, he pledges to remain celibate. In fact, he could then consider a further call to priesthood, if the Lord so moved him and the Bishop called him. This has already been demonstrated in the lived experience of the renewed diaconate in the western Church.

According to the teaching of the Catholic Church, the married deacon and his wife "show how the obligations of family life, work and ministry can be harmonized in the Church's mission". Deacons and their wives and children can be "a great encouragement to others who are working to promote family life."

In addition to this important witness, the deacon is distinct in his secular vocation.

Often engaged in works of social justice or charity, he is a clergyman in the midst of the secular world. I often explain that the Deacon goes from the ambo (pulpit) - to the altar - into the world - precisely in order to bring the men and women of this world into the new world of the Church. The phrase "New World" and "World in the Course of Transfiguration" were terms used in early Christian writings.

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Customs have developed which reflect the deacon's role as distinct from both the priest and the lay minister. For instance, proper liturgical dress for a deacon is an alb, a cincture, a diaconal stole and a dalmatic. He is authorized to wear a cope at baptisms, weddings or while presiding over the exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

But since he usually pursues secular work, he is not encouraged to wear a clerical collar at all times, as are transitional deacons or priests. The custom pertaining to the wearing of a clerical collar differs according to local practice when the deacon is engaged in sacramental, pastoral, or liturgical service.

I have served for seventeen years as a Deacon. I am firmly convinced of the importance and value of this practice of wearing the clerical collar. Yes, it helps the Deacon in his ministry in hospitals, hospices, prisons and other places outside of the Church building where the ordained character of his ministry may not be recognized. However, it also helps the deacon - as well as the the faithful- to understand the office of Deacon as a vocation which is lived in the heart of the Church for the sake of the world.

In my own Diocese, the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, the wearing of the clerical collar is accompanied by the wearing of a distinctive sign of the Order of Deacon, a Cross, draped with the stole of a Deacon. It is worn around the neck, or as a pin on the shirt or lapel. 

Formal and popular titles can also help distinguish the deacon. Such titles are not badges of honor but crosses given to the one who holds any clerical office. They also preserve the order of service in the Body of Christ. Deacons are addressed in a way which befits their calling and vocation.

Just as we call a priest "Father," and should not presume to call him by his first name, a permanent deacon, like a transitional deacon, should be called "Deacon." In formal writing a deacon, according to custom, uses the title "Reverend Mr." reflecting in a unique way both his clerical and "secular" role.

Yet, the unique role of what is often called the permanent diaconate is still misunderstood. I believe that the use of the adjective permanent has contributed to some of the confusion. It is often misconstrued. For example, though it is heard less these days, one still hears the term "lay deacon". A Deacon is no longer a layman, he is a cleric. 

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Because of the long lack of a real witness of the Deacon as an ordained minister in the western Church, the reaction to this ministry by other clergy and some lay faithful has sometimes been hesitant and confused. The role of the deacon does not detract from the vital role of an empowered lay faithful. In fact, it should enrich it.

Deacons often have a unique role of service in recognizing, raising up and training lay leaders. They are increasingly active in assisting the growing ecclesial movements which are becoming such a resource to the missionary call of the Church in this urgent hour.

The Deacon should not be seen as some kind of threat to the irreplaceable ministry of the priest. A vibrant diaconate will enhance and expand the ministry of the priesthood. As time goes on, more and more members of the Church are coming to understand the role of this expression of Holy Orders as a gift to both the Church and the world.

I knew the grace of a call to ordained ministry. My ordination was a profound experience. It did indeed create a mark on my soul. In fact, it turned my life upside down. My ministry as a deacon is not somehow "better" than my ministry as a lay leader, but it is profoundly different.

I now serve as a member of the Catholic clergy in everything I do: evangelization, apologetics, and ecumenism - as well as in my professional life. The call to serve as a Deacon is no "weekend warrior" experience. It is a real calling and a real vocation to live in the Heart of the Church for the sake of the world.

It was no accident that the same Church Council that called for a renewed emphasis on the role of the lay faithful also re-instituted this rank of clerical service in the Western Church. All of us, whether bishops, priests, deacons, lay faithful, or consecrated religious are a part of the mission of the Church. Each of us, though all equal in the sight of God, play vitally important, but different, roles in the Body of Christ.

Bishops should encourage the vibrant exercise of the diaconate. It is for them that deacons are particularly ordained. Other than the deacon, only the Bishop is authorized to wear the dalmatic. Some still do so, underneath their chasuble. This custom symbolizes the deep relationship between a Bishop and his deacons.

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I have served the Church and her mission as both a lay leader and as a deacon. When I was called forth to holy orders, my Bishop thought that in my ministry as a layman I was already engaged in what he called "diaconal functions". He wanted to help me to discern whether the grace of orders was a part of my ongoing call to follow and serve the Lord.

He referred to my evangelistic, ecumenical, pro-life and pro-family apostolate as an example of what he called an "anonymous diaconate." He thought that this kind of work was precisely what the Council Fathers had in mind when they restored this ancient order.

He saw his role as to seek out men who were already engaged in diaconal functions and help them discern whether the grace of orders was a vocation for them. All these years later, I am not only grateful for his insight and his invitation, I think he had one of the best understandings of the Diaconate as a calling I have experienced. In my own service as a Deacon, I have seen a very mixed approach to discernment in deacon formation programs. I think his insights bear serious consideration.

In addition, I think we do a real disservice to the restored order of Deacon by not taking seriously the need for serious, rigorous and meaningful theological formation of Deacons. Where are the deacon theologians of the Third Millennium? We certainly need them. Where are the Deacon preachers and teachers who can rouse the faithful to heroic virtue and courageous apostolic action? We certainly need them.

The formation programs preparing men for ordination to the for the Diaconate across the Nation are all over the place.In addition, ongoing formation after ordination often suffers from the same deficiencies.  It is time to take a serious look at just how serious we are about this Order of Clergy as a real resource for the New Evangelization and the New Missionary Age. 

Having served as a Deacon for seventeen years, I regularly search for good teaching on the meaning, purpose and role of Deacons. After all, I am convinced that what I am living really is what the Catholic Church calls a vocation. The word comes from the Latin root for voice. To receive a vocation means to hear the Voice of the Lord and to respond to his invitation. I was called to follow Him as a Deacon. Many more have been - and will be - as the Third Christian Millennium unfolds into a new missionary age.

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Recently, I came across one of the best homilies I have ever heard concerning the theology and calling of Deacons. It was given by The Most Reverend Kevin Rhoades, the Bishop of the Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend. He presided over the Mass of Ordination to the Diaconate of six new Holy Cross Deacons. All six of these men will continue on to ordination to the priesthood. Yet, he properly reminded them of the permanency of their ordination as Deacons. You can read the entire homily here.

The Bishops teaching on the real meaning of the Order of Deacon - and its permanency - was inspiring and theologically accurate. It finally uses the term "permanent" as more than an adjective. I believe it needs to be disseminated far and wide. I hope that all who are involved in the instruction and formation of deacon candidates, as well as the ongoing formation of currently ordained Deacons, will read it, pray over it, and use it effectively.

I conclude with an excerpt from this excellent homily for my readers. Addressing the six men about to be ordained he said:

Today is a day of joy for you, your parents, your families and friends, and for your religious family, the Congregation of Holy Cross.  It is a day of rejoicing for me as a bishop and for the whole Church.  We rejoice that today God's grace of Holy Orders will make you servants in ministry to the Church.

It is a privilege to ordain you permanent deacons.  No, I didn't make a mistake.  Don't worry: you are scheduled to be ordained priests next year by Bishop Jenky!  But what happens today in the sacrament of Orders is not something transitional; it is permanent. 

All the priests gathered here are still deacons, because the character and grace of the diaconate is something permanent.  Deacons are icons or images of Christ the Servant.  The configuration to Christ the Servant through diaconal ordination is permanent.  Priests are servants.  Bishops are servants. 

That's why the Church requires us to be ordained deacons first.  We don't leave one Order behind when we assume a different one.  The sacramental effects of the three grades of Orders are cumulative, not exclusive.  You won't be icons of Christ the Servant for just 7 months, but for the rest of your lives. 

No one is admitted to the higher degrees of Holy Orders without first being configured to Christ with the indelible character of the diaconate.  When you are priests, the diaconal dimension of your ministry must also be visible. 

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What is this dimension?  It is the dimension of service, diakonia.  I remember Pope Benedict once saying to a group of priests that "every priest also continues to be a deacon and must always be aware of this dimension, for the Lord Himself became our minister, our deacon.  Recall the act of the washing of the feet, where it is explicitly shown that.the Lord acts as a deacon and wants those who follow Him to be deacons and carry out this ministry for humanity, washing the feet of those entrusted to our care."

So what happens to these six men today is important for the rest of their lives.  I invite our six candidates to think about the threefold ministry that is entrusted to them today.  First, the diakonia of the liturgy.  By ordination today, you will be made ministers of the altar.  You will prepare the altar for the Eucharistic Sacrifice and you will give the Body and Blood of the Lord to His people.  This is a beautiful service of the Church that contributes to the building up of the Body of Christ. 

It is truly an honor and a joy to be servants of the great mystery of faith, the Holy Eucharist.  The Church asks you to always treat the holy mysteries with humility and devotion, with an interior adoration of mind and affection.  And be especially eager to bring Holy Communion to the sick, the suffering, and the homebound.  Go out and find those who are hungry for the Bread of Life, those who may be forgotten in nursing homes or other institutions.  Be zealous to bring the Holy Eucharist to those who are alone and in need of company, your company as ministers of the Church, and especially the company of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

You are also ordained today to exercise the diakonia of the word.  This is the first duty of all the ordained, the first duty of priests and bishops as well.  We share a common responsibility to proclaim and explain the Gospel.  On this great Feast of the Holy Cross, we are reminded, as Saint Paul said, that we are not to proclaim ourselves.  We are to proclaim Christ crucified. 

The crucifixion was, in fact, the most profound humiliation possible.  Saint Paul said that it was a stumbling block for Jews and foolishness in the eyes of the Gentiles, but for those who have eyes to see, it is the wisdom of God.  It is the logic of God, the logic of love.  That's the Gospel, my brothers, that you are called to preach, not your own wisdom, but the wisdom of God, the wisdom of the cross. 

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We need apostolic stamina, Pope Francis says, "to endure all the difficulties inflicted by those whom (Saint) Paul describes as enemies of the Cross of Christ - those people who like to be flattered and who like to be told what they like to hear; those people who want to be told what they want the Gospel to say and not what the Gospel says." 

We pray that you will have that apostolic stamina to preach the wisdom of the Cross and to teach the truth in charity.  Through your preaching and teaching, you are called to lead people to grace, to an encounter with Christ.  To do this task well, you must be men who contemplate the Gospel with love.  You can't give what you don't have.  I urge you as preachers to first linger over the pages of the Gospel and read them with your hearts as well as your minds.  Prayer, spiritual reading, and meditation must be part of our daily routine as servants of the word of God.

You are also ordained today for the diakonia of charity.  The practice of charity has been part of the diaconal ministry from the beginning.  The first deacons in the Acts of the Apostles were ordained to serve at table, to feed the poor widows.  That ministry of charity, of course, expanded.  We can think of the great charitable ministry of holy deacons like Saint Lawrence.  This exercise of charity is an essential part of the mission of the Church.  So, I encourage you to have a special love for the poor, the sick, and the suffering. 

Go out, as Pope Francis tells us, to the edges and peripheries, to the vulnerable and forgotten.   Go out, like Jesus, who was always close to the poor and outcast.  God's heart has a special place for the poor and so must our hearts.  And think about these words of our Holy Father: "the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care. 

The great majority of the poor have a special openness to the faith; they need God and we must not fail to offer them his friendship, his blessing, his word, the celebration of the sacraments and a journey of growth and maturity in the faith" (EG 200). 

May you have a particular love and concern for the most vulnerable in our midst: unborn children, the disabled and the elderly.  And remember also that besides material poverty, there is much spiritual and cultural poverty.  The Lord calls us to continue His mission of bringing the good news to the poor, all the poor.
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Deacon Keith Fournier is Founder and Chairman of Common Good Foundation and Common Good Alliance. A married Roman Catholic Deacon of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, he and his wife Laurine have five grown children and six grandchildren, He serves as the Director of Adult Faith Formation at St. Stephen, Martyr Parish in Chesapeake, VA. He is also a human rights lawyer and public policy advocate.

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