Demystifying the Diaconate

Deacons serve a vital but commonly misunderstood role in the Church

By Christina Gray

I asked several Mass-going Catholics to tell me what a deacon does. One person nailed it. Most responses, however, revealed a foggy, false or only partially accurate understanding of the role: “A deacon is a layman that performs some of the jobs of a parish priest.” “Deacons bring the sacraments to homebound parishioners.” Even this: “The deacon is a sort of a liturgical butler for the priest.”

How is it that the outlines of the ancient office of deacon, a religious role with a foreshadowing that predates the New Testament, is still so vague or misunderstood in the minds of so many people?

In the Prayer of Ordination for deacons, the “sons of Levi” are recalled. Moses, instructed by God, established those men from the tribe of Levi who were outside of direct line of Aaron to represent the people in service to the priests and to minister in the former tabernacle of the Old Covenant (Nm 18:2-6).

Deacon Arthur Sanchez, director of the office of the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, was not surprised by the results of my random, informal poll.

“Even within the diaconate community there can still be confusion as to what a deacon ought to be or do to fully serve their parish under the pastor’s direction,” he said. Likewise, there may be many more ways priests can work with deacons to revitalize the life of their parishes.

He said there is “no easy answer to that other than to continue to educate people about the diaconate like we are doing with this story.” Let’s look back at Church history and the role of the deacon.

A role born of necessity

Deacon Sanchez said the history of the diaconate is an “ancient and rich” one that was born out of necessity.

Traditionally, the Church interpreted the selection of the “seven reputable men” in the Acts of the Apostles 6:1-6 as marking the origin of the spirit of the diaconate as a distinct ministry of Christian service. The apostles appointed these men to attend to the needs of the Greek-speaking widows of the early Church in Jerusalem.

The office of the order of deacons by the apostles arose from an early necessity of service in the Church that was too demanding for them to manage alone. The solution was to appoint seven men to assist them in their daily ministries.

One of the seven, St. Stephen, was stoned to death because of his bold preaching of the Gospel, and he is the first recognized martyr of the Church.

In a history of the diaconate, Deacon Don Warner, director of the diaconate in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, writes that “we can ascertain from texts in the New Testament that deacons in the early Church preached (St. Stephen, Acts 6-7), baptized (St. Philip, Acts 8), and served the early Church community.” With the spread of the faith in the early Church, deacons — whether they were called deacons at that time — began to have a liturgical function.

The Greek word that became the designation for the office of deacon, “diakonia,” loosely means “service,” and was grounded in Jesus who offered Himself in total service to His Father. The deacon is an icon of this servanthood in the Church.

The deacon in the early Church assisted the bishop during the sacred liturgy, handled administrative tasks and distributed alms to the poor. St. Ignatius of Antioch, in his Letter to the Trallians, wrote that a Church without the three distinct orders of bishop, priest and deacon was unthinkable:

“Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as the image of the Father, and the presbyters as the Senate of God and the Assembly of the Apostles. For without them, one cannot speak of the Church.”

As the order of deacon became more prominent throughout the early centuries of the Church, the deacon became the functional arm of the local bishop, said Deacon Warner. Deacons assisted the diocesan bishop during the sacred liturgy, exercised responsibility for the financial affairs and goods of the Church and distributed alms to the poor. He was often the logical choice to succeed the diocesan bishop upon his death, after receiving priestly and episcopal ordination.

One measure of the importance of the deacon in the early Church is the number of deacons elected pope in the early Middle Ages, according to a 2018 story on the history of the permanent diaconate by the Catholic Telegraph, a newspaper of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Of the 37 men elected pope between 432 and 684, only three are known to have been ordained to the priesthood before their election.

The diaconate began to experience a gradual decline in the West after the fifth century. Conflicts with priests over abuse of power and social changes in the Church contributed to the decline.

“One important factor was simply a failure on the part of both presbyters and deacons to understand the unique value of the diaconate as a distinct order in its own right,” according to the Telegraph article.

By the year 800, the diaconate evolved to be a transitional step toward the priesthood in the Latin Church. In Germany during the 1950s, a proposal was stirring to restore the diaconate as a permanent order within the Latin Church. On June 18, 1967, Pope Paul VI issued the apostolic letter, “Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem,” a document that re-established the permanent diaconate for the Latin Church. In May 1968, the Catholic bishops of the United States petitioned to the Holy See for permission to restore the permanent diaconate.

The importance of the modern diaconate

Deacon Sanchez said the diaconate has always met the needs of the Church in its time. With the clustering of parishes due to the shortage of priests, and staffing shortages in the Church, the ministry of the diaconate offers a lifeline to the future vitality of parish life.

He said the misconception that deacons are like “mini priests” is not only “not true,” but overlooks the broad ways the deacons can be called to serve in today’s Church.

“Our ministry at the altar is just one part of what we do,” he said. “We come from different walks of life,” he said, noting that many have managerial or business experience that can be helpful to the administrative responsibility of a parish priest.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco currently has more than 70 deacons in active ministry, mostly within parishes. Deacon Sanchez said support for the permanent diaconate is critical.

“More than 70 seems to be a lot, but it’s really not,” he said, with about 60% of them over the age of 65. “So, we really need to encourage more men who feel called to consider diaconate ministry.”

Deacons 101

‘Deacon’ means ‘servant.’

The word “deacon” comes from the Greek word “diakonos,” which translates to “servant.”

Deacons are an ordained order.

Bishops, priests and deacons are the three degrees of ordained ministers in the Catholic Church.

Deacons serve three distinct functions.

Deacons are typically assigned to serve local parishes by a diocesan bishop or archbishop. They have a threefold role of service to the word, liturgy and charity. They proclaim the Gospel during Mass, assist on the altar, preach homilies, lead prayers and conduct funeral and burial services. They also baptize new Catholics, witness marriages and distribute Communion. They also serve a broadly pastoral function in parish, hospital or prison ministries.

What deacons don’t do.

Deacons cannot consecrate bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, so they don’t celebrate the Mass — though they may assist at the altar in various ways. They do not hear confessions or anoint the sick.

Some deacons become priests.

The diaconate (the office of a deacon, or the body of deacons collectively) has two tracks – the transitional diaconate and the permanent diaconate. The difference is not in the ministerial identity and their commitment to service, but rather in how they are called to serve going forward. Transitional deacons have eventual ordination to the priesthood as the end goal. Permanent deacons do not.

Deacons often have other jobs.

Many deacons have regular “day jobs” while also serving in their parishes. Their professional experience in banking, management, administration and other careers can be a significant asset to priests in the administration of a parish. Deacons may serve part or full time; their service to a parish is unpaid. They may hold other paid positions in the Church, such as director of religious education, as one example.

Some deacons can be married.

Men aged 35 and older who are already married before beginning the formation process can be permanent deacons. Transitional deacons who are destined for the priesthood cannot be or get married. Unmarried permanent deacons cannot marry after ordination and must accept the obligation of celibacy.

Becoming a deacon takes five years.

Becoming a permanent deacon is a process consisting of five years of formation with a diocesan diaconate program followed by a lifelong commitment.

Deacons are a gift to the Church.

Deacons, rightly defined and deployed, are a gift and Godsend to the Church and the faithful, now perhaps more than ever.

Learn more about the supporting the Permanent Diaconate: sfarchdiocese.org/permanent-diaconate.

Christina Gray is the lead writer for Catholic San Francisco.