For many Catholics, the most visible answer to the question “What does a deacon do?” comes on Sunday morning.
He proclaims the Gospel. He may preach the homily. He assists the priest at the altar and helps distribute Holy Communion.
But those duties provide only part of the answer.
A permanent deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church, one of the three orders of ordained ministry: bishops, priests and deacons. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes the deacon as a sacramental sign of Christ, who came “to serve and not to be served.”
That emphasis on service is central to understanding the permanent diaconate. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee describes the deacon as a consecrated witness to service who brings the presence of Christ and the Church not only into the parish but also into family life, workplaces, schools and the wider community.
A deacon’s service generally takes three forms: the ministries of Word, Liturgy and Charity.
As a minister of the Word, a deacon proclaims the Gospel at Mass and may preach and teach. His ministry can also include catechesis, sacramental preparation, retreats and evangelization.
His liturgical ministry extends beyond Mass. A deacon can baptize, witness and bless marriages and preside at wakes, funeral rites and burial services that do not include Mass.
The distinctions between a deacon and a priest are important. A deacon cannot celebrate Mass, hear confessions or anoint the sick. The diaconate is not a lesser form of priesthood but a distinct order of ordained ministry.
Nor is a permanent deacon simply a layman who has been given additional responsibilities at his parish. Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, he is ordained for service.
That service often takes a deacon well beyond the sanctuary.
Deacons visit the sick and homebound. They serve in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and jails. They minister to people in need and help connect the Church with those who might otherwise be overlooked.
Those ministries are evident among the men preparing for ordination to the permanent diaconate in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee this September. Their anticipated ministries include jail and hospice outreach, nursing home ministry, Communion to the homebound, religious education and sacramental preparation.
Many permanent deacons are also husbands, fathers and working professionals. Deacons bring their ordained vocation into those settings as well — family, work and community.
Becoming a permanent deacon requires substantial preparation. In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, formation lasts five years — two years of aspirancy followed by three years of candidacy — and includes human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation.
The permanent diaconate has ancient roots but was restored following the Second Vatican Council after centuries in which the diaconate was generally a step toward priesthood. A permanent deacon and a transitional deacon receive the same diaconal ordination; the difference is that a transitional deacon is preparing for ordination to the priesthood, while a permanent deacon remains a deacon.
Ultimately, answering “What does a deacon do?” requires looking beyond what happens at the altar.
The same vocation that sends a deacon to proclaim the Gospel at Mass sends him back into his family, workplace, parish and community to serve.
CAN A DEACON DO THAT?
- Proclaim the Gospel at Mass? YES
This is a particular responsibility of the deacon. - Baptize? YES
- Celebrate Mass? NO
A deacon assists the bishop or priest at Mass but cannot celebrate Mass. - Consecrate the Eucharist? NO
- Witness a marriage? YES
A deacon may witness and bless marriages, when granted the appropriate faculty. - Hear confessions? NO
- Anoint the sick? NO
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is administered by a priest or bishop. - Preside at a funeral? YES
A deacon may preside at funeral rites that do not include Mass and at burial services. - Give blessings? YES
Deacons may impart blessings permitted to them by the Church’s liturgical books. - Lead a Communion service? YES
A deacon may lead an appropriate celebration in the absence of a priest. - Bring Communion to the sick and homebound? YES
- Be married? YES
Married men may be ordained permanent deacons. Generally, an unmarried man ordained a deacon, or a married deacon whose wife dies, may not subsequently marry. - Become a priest?
A permanent deacon is ordained with the intention of remaining a deacon. A transitional deacon is ordained to the diaconate as part of his preparation for priesthood. Sacramentally, both are deacons.
Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Archdiocese of Milwaukee
