What is a Permanent Deacon?

A Deacon Has a Threefold Ministry

 CHARITY

The deacon’s ministry, as Pope John Paul II has stated, “is the Church’s service sacramentalized.”   Pope John Paul II affirms both: “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 one and the same time, to be a servant of your brothers and sisters.”

 WORD

The deacon participates as an evangelizer and teacher in the Church’s mission of heralding the word . . . The deacon proclaims the Gospel.  He may preach by virtue of ordination and in accord with the requirements of Canon Law.  Other forms of the deacon’s participation in the Church’s ministry of the word include catechetical instruction; religious formation of candidates and families preparing for the reception of the sacraments; leadership roles in retreats, evangelization, and renewal programs; outreach to alienated Catholics; and counseling and spiritual direction, to the extent that he is properly trained.

 SACRAMENT

In the context of the Church’s public worship, because of its centrality in the life of the believing community, the ministry of the deacon in the threefold diakonia of the word, of the liturgy, and of charity is uniquely concentrated and integrated.  “Strengthened by sacramental grace, they are dedicated to the people of God, in conjunction with the bishop and his body of priests, in a service of the liturgy of the word and of charity.” 

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