To proclaim the Word — serve at the altar — care for the sick — visit the imprisoned. We have among us an unsung group of heroes who serve so quietly and faithfully that unless you know them personally, you’re likely to miss them. These servants are our permanent deacons. I have been blessed to know and serve alongside many deacons throughout my years as a priest and bishop. They are “ministers of Christ and the stewards of God’s mysteries,” called to embody Christ’s own spirit of service and love.
In 1991, when I had just been ordained a transitional deacon, I was blessed to work alongside Deacon Terry and his wife, Cathy, in my first assignment at Ss. Faith, Hope and Charity Catholic Parish in Winnetka, Illinois. Deacon Terry embodied the three elements of the diaconate: Word, liturgy and charity. They accompanied me throughout the six years I was at that parish, which helped shape my priesthood and my understanding of parish life. What I learned from them as a newly ordained priest was invaluable to my ministry. I wonder how many deacons throughout time have had the same impact on the people around them.
The history of deacons dates back to apostolic times. If we look at the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6:1-7), the Twelve make an important decision to “select seven reputable men” whom they would appoint to serve at table. They recognized the need for special helpers to assist in the passing on of the faith. Of course, the word “deacon” was not used, but they set aside these men — consecrated them — to serve as ministers of the Word, liturgy and charity. And so, we see the origin of the diaconate.
Let me be blunt about one point: Deacons are members of the clergy, not afterthoughts or glorified altar boys. Under the papacy of Paul VI, the permanent diaconate was reinstated. Deacons are ordained and strengthened by sacramental grace. They are servants of all, serving the Church in many roles — evangelizers, teachers, sanctifiers, witnesses, guides — all for the sake of the Gospel. As St. John Paul II affirmed in his address to the deacons of the United States in 1987, “This is at the very heart of the diaconate to which you have been called: to be a servant of the mysteries of Christ and, at one and the same time, to be a servant of your brothers and sisters. That these two dimensions are inseparably joined together in one reality shows the important nature of the ministry which is yours by ordination.”
These men are often balancing family responsibilities, full-time employment and diaconal formation. Many deacons have sacrificed so much that is not apparent to us when we see them assisting at Mass. They enter a period of discernment and then make a commitment to three or four years of formation on top of their personal commitments, which is not only commendable but, in many cases, heroic.
My own experience gave me an early appreciation for deacons, and as archbishop, it is my duty to recognize and affirm the gift our deacons are to this local church.
Please pray for the 11 men featured in this edition of the Herald. I invite you to join me Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. at St. Monica Parish in Whitefish Bay for the ordination of these men to the permanent diaconate. Then please keep them — and all clergy — in your prayers as they take up the mantle of service to the Church.
