Archdiocese of Boston to Ordain 27 Permanent Deacons

"Lawrence, Haverhill men serve first Mass as deacons tomorrow"
From the Eagle-Tribune Online
By Yadira Betances

After four years of juggling family, work and commuting 45 minutes to Boston for classes, Jesus Castillo and Julio Vargas will reap the fruits of their labor this morning.

Castillo of Lawrence and Vargas of Haverhill, are among 27 men to be ordained as permanent deacons by Cardinal Sean O'Malley at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.

They will serve at their first Masses tomorrow at their respective churches. Vargas will be at St. James Church on Winter Street in Haverhill at 11:30 a.m., and Castillo will be at St. Mary of the Assumption Church at 300 Haverhill St. in Lawrence at noon.

"I know the Lord has called me since I was a child," said Castillo, who is a lector, Eucharistic minister and teaches religious education at St. Mary. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I wanted to become a deacon to make a bigger commitment to the church."

During the presentation of the gifts, Castillo will have his first Bible, which his aunt gave him, plantains to represent his parents' agricultural background, flowers from his garden and a photograph of the late Octavio Bobadilla, who was a role model in the faith.

His road to the deaconate was not easy.

During his second year at school, Castillo's mother became ill and he had to miss several sessions to take care of her. His wife of 30 years stepped in attending classes and even taking an exam so Castillo would keep up with the schedule.

Castillo, 58, was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to Lawrence in 1987. He said his vocation was fostered at home, waking up to his mother's voice reciting the "Angelus" and later praying the Rosary with his 11 brothers and sisters. He also has three stepbrothers.

Castillo and his wife, Angela, have two children, Carlos Ramon, 28, and Maria, 22, and a grandchild, Jesus Gabriel. He is a janitor at Greater Lawrence Health Center in Lawrence. She works at Nevins Nursing Home in Methuen.

Vargas, 47, was also born in the Dominican Republic. He worked as a labor rights lawyer for 14 years in his native country before coming to Haverhill. He works at Hi-Tech in Groveland and his wife runs a day care center.

Vargas was involved in the marriage encounter program when a friend suggested he consider becoming a deacon. He was already serving as a lector, Eucharistic minister, prayer group and cursillo movement at St. James Church, and left it in the hands of God. He also hosts a Christian radio show on station 1490 Saturdays at 6 a.m.

One obstacle Vargas faced was working a 12-hour shift four days a week, which not only left him with little sleep, but made him late for school because he had to commute to Boston from Portsmouth, N.H.

On one wintry day, he got into a bad accident and again asked the Lord, "If you really need me as a deacon, lead the way.' I was afraid that if I wasn't a deacon, I would lose my faith."

Vargas said he is glad his ordination day is here.

"I told my wife to take a box of Kleenex because I'm not going to stop crying," he said. "This is like conquering an impossible dream. It's a blessing and a great day to give thanks to God."

Vargas and his wife of 23 years, Milagros have three children, Julio, Indiana and Cesar.

"El Paso diocese will ordain 15 deacons"

From El Paso Times
By María Cortés González / El Paso Times
05/09/2008

Juan Manuel Alvarez will be ordained a deacon May 31. (Courtesy of Juan Manuel Alvarez)For the first time in more than 25 years, the El Paso Catholic Diocese will be ordaining 15 deacons -- fulfilling a role in the Catholic church that dates back to the Bible.
The men, who come from a variety of backgrounds including education, engineering and law, will be ordained at a Mass on May 31 at St. Raphael Catholic Church on the East Side. Bishop Armando X. Ochoa will lead the 10 a.m. service.

The Rev. John Stowe, spokesman for the diocese, said the new deacons would be a "great blessing" to the parishes they will serve.

"They will assist with sacramental, charitable and catechetical ministries, depending on the needs of their particular parish," he said. "Deacons are able to baptize, witness weddings and conduct funeral rites, which will be a great help for many of their pastors."

Leaders in the diocese are proud of the training the deacons received. The 15 were carefully selected from a pool of about 100 applicants.

"They have gone through a thorough formation program of four years, and their wives have been part of that program as well," Stowe said.

He added, "Because it has been many years since we had an ordination to the permanent diaconate, there was a great deal of interest when the formation began four years ago. Many men are not aware of how much time the preparation takes or how much service they are expected to give; still, there were a good number of applicants for the program."

The diaconate program consisted of four years of preparation --
one year of pastoral training and three years of academic studies including moral theology, the history of the church, liturgy and the sacraments and the Old and New Testaments.
Sister Marie Vianney Bilgrien, of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, said the deacons are not necessarily being seen as the answer to the priest shortage in the Catholic church.

Instead, she said, the new deacons are bringing back an ancient tradition.

"It's actually found in Acts (of the Apostles), Chapter 6, where

Carlos E. Rubio, pictured with Norma Lujan, will be ordained a deacon and serve at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church. (Times file photo.)people began to grumble that people weren't being taken care of. And so the apostles picked seven men to feed the hungry and take care of the widows," said Bilgrien, coordinator of pastoral studies at Tepeyac Institute.
The deacons will be the "eyes and ears" of the bishop and help take care of the needs of people, she said.

Juan Manuel Alvarez, who will be ordained and serves at St. Pius X Catholic Church, said he was tentative when he first entered the program four years ago.

"When I started, it was like, 'Let's see how it goes and living day by day,' " he said.

Now he is ready to serve God by living by what Matthew said in the gospel -- to help the sick and feed the poor.

"I feel strong and I'm ready to serve God and am confident in all that I have learned," he said. "It's a great opportunity to share my faith with all people and share that responsibility that we have as Christians. We need to love one another like Jesus loves us."

Carlos E. Rubio, another deacon who serves in the Our Lady of the Valley parish, said he is ready to see his responsibilities increase. Before he entered the program, he was already heavily involved in the church in various programs, including the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

"This is a calling for me, and I feel that I have a certain responsibility to the church, which is good," he said. "We do better when we have a complete commitment to do something."

Deacon Jim Szostek, who was ordained in 1978, said it will be a balancing act for the new deacons to serve God, as well as to be husbands, fathers and professionals.

And he is the first to acknowledge he has no idea how many hours he spends at St. Pius versus his home or his business, Jolly Jim's at Bassett Center.

"It is just part of my lifestyle. I do all of those things -- being a family breadwinner, husband and vocation ministry -- all at the same time."

But he is as firm in his enjoyment of that busy life style as he is of his faith.

"It just gives true meaning to life -- and I feel that the community is like my second family," he said.

"Pro-life group launches Humanae Vitae Priests web site"

Front Royal, Va, Mar 10, 2008 / 09:47 pm (Catholic News Agency).

Human Life International has launched a web site to help priests, deacons and seminarians teach and evangelize using Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae.

The site producers plan to supply offering reflections, commentaries, homily aids and solid practical resources for priests to preach about and defend Catholic teachings concerning marital love and contraception. The site is located at http://www.humanaevitaepriests.org/

According to John Mallon, director of HumanaeVitaePriests.org, the site will examine the “disastrous aspects of widespread contraception,” including its “medical, sociological, hormonal, psychological, cultural, pastoral, spiritual, even environmental aspects.” It will feature the commentary of special guest experts.

The site includes a special supplement from the magazine Inside the Vatican’s 1998 issue commemorating the 30th anniversary of the encyclical. The free supplement, titled “A Prophecy for Our Time,” includes interviews with Human Life International founder Father Paul Marx, Priests for Life president Father Frank Pavone, Dr. Janet Smith, and Dr. Alice von Hildebrand. It also contains a pastoral letter from Archbishop Charles Chaput and an article from then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before his election to the papacy.

“Our prayer is that this project will be a positive effort to spread the light and truth of God’s plan for love, marriage and sexuality,” said Mallon.

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI TO THE PERMANENT DEACONS OF ROME

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
TO THE PERMANENT DEACONS OF ROME

Clementine Hall
Saturday, 18 February 2006

Dear Roman Deacons,

I am particularly glad to meet you today on the 25th anniversary of the re-establishment of the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Rome. I greet with affection the Cardinal Vicar, whom I thank for his words on behalf of you all. I also greet Bishop Vincenzo Apicella, until now in charge of the Diocesan Centre for the Permanent Diaconate, and Mons. Francesco Peracchi, Delegate of the Cardinal Vicar who has supervised your formation for years. I offer my most cordial welcome to each one of you and to your families.

In a famous passage from his Letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul says that Christ "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant" (2: 7). He, Christ, is the example at which to look. In the Gospel, he told his disciples he had come "not to be served but to serve" (cf. Mt 20: 28). In particular, during the Last Supper, after having once again explained to the Apostles that he was among them "as one who serves" (Lk 22: 27), he made the humble gesture of washing the feet of the Twelve, a duty of slaves, setting an example so that his disciples might imitate him in service and in mutual love.

Union with Christ, to be cultivated through prayer, sacramental life and in particular, Eucharistic adoration, is of the greatest importance to your ministry, if it is truly to testify to God's love. Indeed, as I wrote in my Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, "Love can be "commanded' because it has first been given" (n. 14).

Dear deacons, accept with joy and gratitude the love the Lord feels for you and pours out in your lives, and generously give to people what you have received as a free gift. The Church of Rome has a long tradition of service to the city's poor. In these years new forms of poverty have emerged.

Indeed, many people have lost the meaning of life and do not possess a truth upon which to build their existence; a great many young people ask to meet men and women who can listen to and advise them in life's difficulties. Beside material poverty, we also find spiritual and cultural poverty.

Our Diocese, aware that the encounter with Christ, "gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction" (ibid., n. 1) is devoting special attention to the topic of the transmission of the faith.

Dear deacons, I am grateful to you for the services you carry out with great generosity in many parish communities of Rome, dedicating yourselves in particular to the ministries of Baptism and the family. By teaching Christ's Gospel, a faculty conferred upon you by the Bishop on the day of your ordination, you help parents who ask for Baptism for their children to reflect more deeply on the mystery of the divine life that has been given to us, and that of the Church, the great family of God.

Meanwhile, you also proclaim the truth about human love to engaged couples who desire to celebrate the sacrament of marriage, explaining that "marriage based on exclusive and definitive love becomes the icon of the relationship between God and his people and vice versa" (ibid., n. 11).

Many of you work in offices, hospitals and schools: in these contexts you are called to be servants of the Truth. By proclaiming the Gospel, you will be able to convey the Word that can illumine and give meaning to human work, to the suffering of the sick, and you will help the new generations to discover the beauty of the Christian faith.

Thus you will be deacons of the liberating Truth, and you will lead the inhabitants of this city to encounter Jesus Christ.

Welcoming the Redeemer into their lives is a source of deep joy for human beings, a joy that can bring peace even in moments of trial. Therefore, be servants of the Truth in order to be messengers of the joy that God desires to give to every human being.

However, it is not enough to proclaim the faith with words alone for, as the Apostle James recalls, "faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (Jas 2: 17). Thus, it is necessary to back up the proclamation of the Gospel with a practical witness of charity, so that "for the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity... but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being" (Deus Caritas Est, n. 25).

The practice of charity has been part of the diaconal ministry from the outset: the "seven" of which the Acts of the Apostles speak were chosen "to serve at tables".

You, who belong to the Church of Rome, are the heirs of a long tradition, of which the Deacon Lawrence is a singularly fine and luminous example. Many of the poor who come knocking at the doors of parish communities to ask for the help they need to get through moments of serious difficulty often come from countries very far from Italy.

Welcome these brothers and sisters with great warmth and willingness, and do all you can to help them in their need, always remembering the Lord's words: "As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Mt 25: 40).

I express my gratitude to those of you who are employed in this silent and daily witness of charity. Indeed, through your service, the poor realize that they too belong to that great family of God's children: the Church.

Dear Roman deacons, by living and witnessing to God's infinite love, may you always be, in your ministry, at the service of building the Church as communion. In your work you are sustained by the affection and prayer of your families. Your vocation is a special grace for your family life, which in this way is called to be ever more open to the will of the Lord and to the needs of the Church. May the Lord reward the availability with which your wives and children accompany you in your service to the entire ecclesial community.

May Mary, the humble handmaid of the Lord who gave the Saviour to the world, and the Deacon Lawrence who loved the Lord to the point of giving up his life for him, always accompany you with their intercession. With these sentiments, I wholeheartedly impart to each one of you the Apostolic Blessing, which I gladly extend to all your loved ones and to everyone you meet in your ministry.

*****

Note: In the picture above, Our Holy Father is wearing a pontifical dalmatic(worn by Bishops under their chausable). The dalmatic is the vestiture proper to the Diaconate (a Bishop is always a Deacon by virtue of his ordination to the Diaconate), and is very appropriate in this element of the Holy Thursday Mass as Pope Benedict makes present the diakonia of Christ in the washing of the feet.

Permanent Deacons and the Extraordinary Form of the Mass

Fr. Zuhlsdorf and Shawn Tribe have both posted about an inquiry that was sent to the PCED (Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei) in regards to the use of Permanent Deacons in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Below are their posts respectively:

PCED clarifies service of deacons in the TLM
CATEGORY: SESSIUNCULUM — Fr. John Zuhlsdorf @ 8:09 am

Since Summorum Pontificum went into effect, questions about the older, pre-Conciliar form of Mass have, as was inevitable, begun to surface.

The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" (PCED) is, at this time, the clearing house for these questions, since the Commission has competence in all things concerning the older liturgy.

I received via e-mail a copy of a letter someone received from the PCED. A question was raised about the service of deacons for the older forms of liturgy.

Every once in a while questions pop upo about deacons ordained with the newer books and the older form of Mass, and also about the service of permanent deacons. For example, some people question if men ordained as deacons with the newer book De ordinatione, that is, who are not ordained with the older form of the Pontificale Romanum as deacons or subdeacons, can function as sacred ministers in the older Mass. In a nutshell: not ordained with old book – can’t be sacred minister.

I contend that a deacon is a deacon is a deacon. Men who were ordained with older books are no more deacons than men ordained with the newer books.

Similarly, some people think that permanent deacons are somehow a lesser sort of deacon and therefore cannot function as a sacred minister in the older form of Mass. I respond again: a deacon is a deacons is a deacon.

Now we let us see the business part of text of the response sent by the PCED forwarded to me with my emphases.

The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, just as the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei, presupposes that any deacons, transitional or permanent, may function as deacons in the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal, provided, of course, that they are familiar with the rites and can function with sufficient ease. The local Ordinary can not impede a deacon in good standing from functioning as a deacon in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite provided that the deacon is qualified.

With prayerful wishes I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Msgr. Camille Perl

First, this letter clarifies that the ability of the deacon to serve does not depend on which book was used to ordain him. Thus, men ordained with the newer book can serve as sacred ministers with the older form.

Second, it makes no difference if a man is a permanent deacon or a transitional deacon. A "transitional" deacon usually identifies a man promoted to the holy order of the diaconate as a stage before his being ordained a priest. So, these are usually seminarians in the last stages of their formation. The point here is that a permanent deacons and transitional deacons are equally deacons. This may seem like a point to simple to need clarification, but it does come up.

Third, note the statement that the "local Ordinary" (usually the local bishop) can’t "impede" a deacon in good standing from functioning as a deacon in the extraordinary form. This would have an impact on seminarian transitional deacons. The idea is this: if a deacon is in good standing, he can function as a deacon in his rite. Men ordained for the Roman Rite can function in their Roman Rite. The Roman Rite has two forms.

Bishops cannot tell their seminarian deacons who are in good standing that they can serve in the ordinary form but can’t serve in the extraordinary form. If you can serve in one, you can serve in the other, provided you know what to do.

What I find interesting about this is that during the rite of ordination of a deacon, the ordaining bishop explicitly asks someone speaking on behalf of those responsible for the formation of the deacons whether or not he knows they are worthy of ordination. That worthiness would refer not only to their reputations and moral life, but also their concrete training.

If a man is going to be ordained for the Roman Rite, should not knowledge of the older form of the Rite be included in the formation of men to be ordained deacons, transitional or permanent? If someone responsible for the training of deacons is going to answer that question about the worthiness of the men presented to the bishop for ordination, should he not know they were prepared for the celebration of the Roman Rite?

and this from Shawn Tribe on New Liturgical Movement:

One of our readers writes in with regard to a query they sent to the Ecclesia Dei Commission about permanent deacons fulfilling liturgical functions in the usus antiquior. This is a question we have seen come up from time to time on the NLM.Here is the response Msgr. Camille Perl apparently gave to this question:

The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, just as the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei, presupposes that any deacons, transitional or permanent, may function as deacons in the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal, provided, of course, that they are familiar with the rites and can function with sufficient ease.

20 Deacons Ordained for the Archdiocese of Atlanta

The picture to the right shows the 20 men who were recently ordained to the Permanent Diaconate for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The Georgia Bulletin, the Archdiocese of Atlanta newspaper, has the complete story of their ordination HERE.

A diaconate of faithful men, truly called and well formed, can and will be a tremendous asset to the life of the Church. The infusion of the new members of the clergy have the potential be a great relief to many of our Priests on the frontlines!

Note: I have created a new sidebar section of suggested reading for the Permanent Diaconate. One read of particular interest might be the Motu Proprio "SACRUM DIACONATUS ORDINEM" which restored the Permanent Diaconate in 1967.

The Catholic Deacon

By Deacon Keith Fournier
2/13/2008

From Catholic Online

A Deacon 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.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The role of what is called the "permanent” diaconate is all too often misunderstood.

The Catholic Church restored this sacred order as a permanent way of serving the Church (and not just a transitional order for men on the way to priesthood) in the Latin Rite well over 40 years ago.

This was accomplished by an act of Pope Paul VI who decided in 1967 to restore the diaconate as a permanent rank of clergy for the Church in the West.The Diaconate as an order of Clergy has been a part of the Eastern Church from apostolic times without interruprion.

In October 1968, the Holy See approved the organization of the Diaconate in America for the Roman catholic Church. In 1998, the Vatican released two important documents to dispel some of the persistent misunderstandings and confusion and to open up an understanding of deacons as both “sacred ministers” and “members of the hierarchy.”

These documents were issued on 22 February, 1998; the Feast of the Chair of Peter. This feast has long been an occasion to honor all the Church's clergy since the first century. It was an appropriate occasion to issue statements regarding the formation and work of permanent deacons, since they are such an important part of the clergy; participating in its missionary and pastoral service.

The extensive documents, "The Basic Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons" and "The Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons," were ordered and approved by Pope John Paul II. They are a part of the Church's magisterial teaching.

They were generally well received by deacons, priests, bishops and the lay faithful and have helped to promote a better understanding of the role of permanent deacons in the Church in this Third Millennium of Christianity. They also led to a growing standardization of diaconal training and increasing clarifification of the role of deacons in the liturgical, pastoral, and ministerial life of the Church.

The diaconate has a rich history.

During the Church's first five centuries, this ministry flourished everywhere. But for various reasons, the order 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.

Today, we still distinguish between transitional and those called “permanent” deacons. However, this distinction does not create two ranks of deacons, but clarifies the direction in which the deacon is headed. The "transitional" deacon is simply on his way to priestly ordination.

In the Eastern Catholic Church, however, the diaconate remained a part of the permanent rank of sacred orders without interruption from the time of the Apostles until now.It has a clearly defined place in the life of the Eastern catholic Churches.

Many Eastern Rite Catholics refer to their deacons as "Father Deacon," and they have important liturgical, charitable and pastoral roles. We can learn much from our Eastern Catholic brethren as we develop the life and ministry of deacons in the Western Church as an order of Clergy ordained not “unto the priesthood” but unto service.

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.

Among those calling for the restoration were the survivors of "The Deacons Circle," priests who suffered at the Dachau death camp during World War II. While suffering, they prayed for the renewal of the Church.

They believed the Holy Spirit was inspiring them to call for a re-institution of a permanent diaconate that could serve sacramentally and vocationally as an order of clergy in the midst of the world.

The priests who survived Dachau continued to meet and pray, and eventually they presented their discernment to the Holy Father and the leaders of the Vatican Council.

On 18 June 1967, Pope Paul VI implemented the Council's decision to re-institute a permanent diaconate for the universal Church with the apostolic letter “Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem”. He also established revised norms for the ordination of all clergy, including deacons, priests and bishops. These norms passed into the Code of Canon Law.

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, 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.

"The deacon does not celebrate the mystery; rather, he effectively represents on the one hand, the people of God, and specifically, helps them to unite their lives to the offering of Christ; while on the other, in the name of Christ himself, he helps the church to participate in the fruits of that sacrifice," according to the declaration.

Because they receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders, deacons are sent by Christ to serve God's people. They are called to do so out of the depths of an interior life centered in the Eucharist, and fueled by a life of prayer, which proceeds into action. Like other clerics, they recite the Divine Office and cultivate the habit of penance.

They also are called in these documents to link their love for the Lord and His Church to a special love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, who in her “Fiat” represents the full surrender of love to the 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. They are called to “give clear witness to the sanctity of marriage and family."

The wives of permanent deacons are called to support the ordained ministry of their husbands. As "The Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons" states, "The more they [deacon and wife] grow in mutual love, the greater their dedication to their children and the more significant their example for the Christian community"

The married deacon makes a unique contribution to the renewal of Christian marriage and family life. At a time when the Church has so strongly emphasized the role of the "Christian Family in the Modern World," of one of John Paul’s wonderful encyclicals.

The married deacon also serves as an example of married clergy in the Western Church.In the Eastern Churches, the ancient practice of calling married men, even to the order of priest, remains in tact, in most places.

The married deacon is challenged to a life of faith, fidelity and example in the married state. His example of clerical service in the married state does not detract from the prophetic and wonderful witness of consecrated celibacy; it is complementary.It is also a way of sanctification for him and witness for those whom he serves.

It is important to note that although the “permanent” 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 to be made before ordination to the order of deacon.This is the ancient 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 Church invited him. This has already been demonstrated in the lived experience of the renewed diaconate in the western Church.

The married deacon and his wife are to "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," according to these Vatican documents.

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. He goes from the altar to the world in a prophetic way, bringing Christ to those for whom He gave His life- and continues to reach out to -through Hid Body on earth, the Church.

The deacon also engages in the "New Evangelization" which the late Servant of God Pope John Paul II emphasized as an essential task for all members of the Church at this critical point in human history. Deacons do so in a unique way. They are an order of clergy in the midst of the world. They go from the altar and the ambo into the streets.

I found that my work as a lawyer and public policy advocate took on a new depth and meaning after my ordination.However, my service as a Deacon also had a profound effect on me. It has led, here in my second decade of diaconal work, to major life changes including the pursuit of a PhD in Moral Theology in my fifties. When a man says "Yes", the Lord takes it seriously.

Customs have developed which reflect the deacon's role as distinct from both priest and 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.

However, since he usually pursues secular work, he is not "obliged” to wear clerical garb 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.

Similarly, formal and popular titles help distinguish the deacon. Such titles of course, are not badges of honor, but rather "crosses" given to the one who holds any clerical office. They preserve the order of service in the Body of Christ.

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, often uses the title “Reverend Mr.” reflecting in a unique way both his clerical and “secular” role.

Because of the long lack of a real witness of a diaconate in the western Church, the reaction to this ministry by other clergy and lay faithful is sometimes hesitant or confused. Yet, as time unfolds more and more members of the Church have come to understand the role of this expression of Holy Orders as a gift to both the Church and the world.

The role of the deacon does not detract from the vital role of an empowered lay faithful. In fact, it should enrich it. And the deacon also should not be seen as a "threat" to the irreplaceable ministry of the priest.


A vibrant diaconate will enhance and expand the ministry of the priesthood.

Bishops, too, should encourage the diaconate, because it is for them that deacons are particularly ordained. Other than the deacon, only the Bishop is authorized to wear the dalmatic. This custom symbolizes the deep relationship between a Bishop and his deacons.

I have served with love, honor, and humility both as a lay leader and as a deacon. To serve the Lord and His Church is the greatest privilege of my life. My wife and children have been a source of great strength to me on this journey, and I hope our family has been a strong witness to our deep love for the Catholic Church.

When I was called forth to holy orders, my Bishop thought that in my ministry as a layman I was already engaged in "diaconal functions" and that the grace of orders was a part of my ongoing call. He referred to my pro-life work and pro-family apostolate as an example of an "anonymous diaconate."

He thought that this was precisely what the Council Fathers had in mind when they restored this ancient order. I am grateful for his insight and his invitation. I also think it is a helpful insight into how the process of discernment for this vocation should be structured.

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 as the teaching of the catholic Church on the sacrament of Orders so clearly states. My ministry as a deacon is not "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.

I do not believe that it is accidental 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 one mission of the one Church. Each of us, though all equal in the sight of God, play vitally important, but different, roles in the Body of Christ.

Let us pray for each other that we may all remain faithful to our individual vocations. Let us pray that all deacons - this order of clergy-set aside for Word, service and Sacrament-will flourish in this New Millennium of the Church.

For our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to give such a clear affirmation of the role of deacons during this first week of lent is a great gift for all of us who are called to this vocation.

May deacons take up their role as "Sacred Minister and Member of the Hierarchy." May they go forth from the altar to the world and manifest the presence of Christ the Deacon, who continues to serve all those whom He loves!

Pictures from Firmun Est

On the Importance of the Permanent Diaconate

Pope's Q-and-A Session With Roman Clergy, Part 1

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 11, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Following a Lenten tradition, Benedict XVI met Thursday with parish priests and clergy of the Diocese of Rome. During the meeting, the participants asked the Pope questions. Here is a translation of the first question and the Holy Father's answer.

* * *

[Deacon Giuseppe Corona:]

Holy Father, I would like first of all to express my gratitude and that of my brother deacons for the ministry that the Church so providentially has taken up again with the [Second Vatican] Council, a ministry that allows us to fully express our vocation. We are committed in a great variety of works that we carry out in vastly different environments: family, work, parish, society, also the missions of Africa and Latin America -- areas that you indicated for us in the audience you granted us on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the diaconate of the Diocese of Rome.

Now our numbers have grown -- there are 108 of us. And we would like for you to indicate a pastoral initiative that could become a sign of a more incisive presence of the permanent diaconate in the city of Rome, as it happened in the first centuries of the Roman Church. In fact, sharing a significant, common objective, on one hand increases the cohesion of diaconal fraternity and on the other, would give greater visibility to our service in this city. We present you, Holy Father, the desire that you indicate to us an initiative that we can share in the way and the manner that you wish to specify. In the name of all the deacons, I greet you, Holy Father, with filial affection.

[Benedict XVI:]

Thank you for this testimony as one of the more than 100 deacons of Rome. I would like to also express my joy and my gratitude for the Council, because it revived this important ministry in the universal Church. I should say that when I was archbishop of Munich, I didn't find perhaps more than three or four deacons, and I very much favored this ministry because it seemed to me to belong to the richness of the sacramental ministry in the Church. At the same time, it can equally be the link between the lay world, the professional world, and the world of the priestly ministry -- given that many deacons continue carrying out their professions and maintain their positions -- important or those of a simple life -- while on Saturday and Sunday they work in the Church. In this way, you give witness in the world of today, as well as in the working world, of the presence of faith, of the sacramental ministry and the diaconal dimension of the sacrament of Orders. This seems very important to me: the visibility of the diaconal dimension.

Naturally as well, every priest continues being a deacon, and should always think of this dimension, because the Lord himself made himself our minister, our deacon. We can think of the gesture of the washing of the feet, with which he explicitly shows that the master, the Lord, acts as a deacon and wants those who follow him to be deacons, that they fulfill this role for humanity, to the point that they also help to wash the dirtied feet of the men entrusted to us. This dimension seems very important to me.

On this occasion, I bring to mind -- though it is perhaps not immediately inherent to the theme -- a simple experience that Paul VI noted. Each day of the Council, the Gospel was enthroned. And the Pontiff told those in charge of the ceremony that he would like one time to be the one who enthrones the Gospel. They told him no, this is the job of the deacons, not of the Pope. He wrote in his diary: But I am also a deacon, I continue being a deacon, and I would like to also exercise this ministry of the diaconate placing the word of God on its throne. Thus, this concerns all of us. Priests continue being deacons, and the deacons make explicit in the Church and in the world this diaconal dimension of our ministry. This liturgical enthroning of the word of God each day during the Council was always for us a gesture of great importance: It told us who was the true Lord of that assembly; it told us that the word of God was on the throne and that we exercise our ministry to listen and to interpret, to offer to the others this word. It is broadly significant for all that we do: enthroning in the world the word of God, the living word, Christ. May it really be him who governs our personal life and our life in the parishes.

Now, you have asked me a question that, I must say, goes a bit beyond my strengths: What would be the tasks proper to the deacons of Rome. I know that the cardinal vicar knows much better than I the real situations of the city and the diocesan community of Rome. I think that one characteristic of the ministry of the deacons is precisely the multiplicity of the diaconate's applications. In the International Theological Commission, a few years ago, we studied at length the diaconate in the history and also the present of the Church. And we discovered just that: There is not just one profile. What they should do varies, depending on the preparation of the persons and the situations in which they find themselves. There can be applications and activities that are very different, always in communion with the bishop and with the parish, naturally. In the various situations, various possibilities arise, also depending on the professional preparation that these deacons could have. They could be committed in the cultural sector, which is so important today, or they could have a voice and an important post in the educational realm. We are thinking this year precisely of the problem of education as central to our future, and the future of humanity.

Certainly the sector of charity was in Rome the original sector, because those called presbyters and deacons were centers of Christian charity. This was from the beginning in the city of Rome a fundamental area. In my encyclical "Deus Caritas Est," I showed that not just preaching and the liturgy are essential for the Church and for the ministry of the Church, but rather equally important is the service of caritas -- in its multiple dimensions -- for the poor, the needy. Thus, I hope that all the time, in the whole diocese, even if in distinct situations, this continues being a fundamental dimension, and also a priority for the commitment of the deacons, even if not the only one, as is also shown in the early Church, where the seven deacons were chosen precisely to permit the apostles to dedicate themselves to prayer, liturgy and preaching. Also afterward, Stephen found himself in the situation of having to preach to the Greeks, to the Jews who spoke Greek, and thus the field of preaching was amplified. He is conditioned, we could say, by the cultural situation, where he has a voice to make present in that sector the word of God. In that way, he makes more possible the universality of the Christian testimony, opening the doors to St. Paul who witnessed his stoning, and later, in a certain sense, was his successor in the universalization of the word of God. I don't know if the cardinal vicar would like to add something; I'm not as close to the concrete situations.

[Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Pope's vicar for the Diocese of Rome:]

Holy Father, I can just confirm, as you said, that also concretely in Rome, the deacons work in many sectors, for the most part, in parishes, where they concern themselves with the ministry of charity; but, for example, many are also involved in ministry to the family. Since almost all of the deacons are married, they offer marriage preparation, give follow-up to young couples, and things like that. They also offer a significant contribution to the ministry of health care; they help also in the vicariate -- where some of them work -- and as you heard, in missions. There is a certain missionary presence of deacons. I think that, naturally, in the numerical plane, the greatest commitment is in the parishes, but there also exist other sectors that are also opening, and precisely because of this, we now have more than a hundred permanent deacons.

[Translation by Kathleen Naab]

20 Men Will Be Ordained Permanent Deacons

From The Georgia Bulletin

ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer

Published: February 7, 2008

ATLANTA—There will soon be more permanent deacons serving Catholics in the Archdiocese of Atlanta than there are priests.

Twenty men will join the ranks of ministers of charity, as deacons are called, on Friday, Feb. 8, at the Cathedral of Christ the King. The ordination Mass begins at 7 p.m.

The increasing number of deacons helps the growing church in the Atlanta Archdiocese that is expanding to new corners of North Georgia as priests are stretched to reach out to the faithful. The new permanent deacons will be serving in at least 18 different parishes and missions.

“There are many areas that a single priest can’t deal with. The deacons are serving a vital role,” said Deacon Loris Sinanian, the director of diaconate formation.

The number of permanent deacons in the archdiocese in the past six years has jumped 30 percent. In 2001, there were 137 deacons serving in parishes and other ministries. In 2007, the number was 181. Next year is expected to be another strong year with 16 men scheduled to be ordained.

In 2007, priests numbered 185, according to the Official Catholic Directory. Eight new priests are scheduled to be ordained in the archdiocese in May.

Men are recognizing there is a serious need for the work that deacons can do so priests can focus on the sacraments of the church, said Deacon Sinanian, a deacon for 18 years. He serves at St. Anthony Church, Blue Ridge.

A deacon is ordained by the archbishop to minister in the Catholic Church. A deacon serves by proclaiming Scripture, preaching and performing charity for others. Deacons also assist at marriages, preside at funerals and burial rites and lead Communion and prayer services.

A deacon is to be “a servant in a servant-Church,” according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

It takes five years of formation in this archdiocese to become a deacon. The program prepares men with academic, spiritual and pastoral experiences to serve the church. Men are either single or married. If single, they take a vow of celibacy. Most deacons hold full-time jobs in addition to serving the church in ministry. Some become deacons after retiring from the work force.

In 1967, the Catholic Church restored the diaconate as a permanent order of ministry, returning to the practice of the early church. Prior to the order of Pope Paul VI, the diaconate was a transitional stage as men prepared to be priests.

There are more than 14,000 permanent deacons in the United States, according to the bishops’ conference.

Deacon Dennis Dorner, chancellor of the archdiocese, said priests and deacons have complementary gifts. He said the two ordained church ministries do not compete but build on each other’s skills.

Deacon Dorner said the response to a vocational call is more important than numbers.

“They are called to service. We are not there for awards and platitudes,” he said.

The life experiences of a deacon are valuable to Catholics who are comfortable talking with married clergy who face the same issues, he said.

“I do know I get an awful lot of calls from men who want to talk to me about juggling responsibilities as a husband, father and their career,” he said.

Deacon Dorner said the visibility of deacons around the archdiocese could be encouraging more men to consider the vocation.

“People are becoming a bit more serious about their faith, their walk with Christ,” he said.

On the Permanency of the Permanent Deacon

Permanent Deacons (I believe) assist the Holy Father at Solemn Vespers for the Feast of Mary Mother of God.

I've had this dicsussion a few times and thought this was worth posting. The Permanent Diaconate is a call unto itself. If one is single and discerns a call to the permanent diaconate, he could be ordained at age 25 and takes a vow of celibacy. A married man can be ordained at age 35. However, should a married deacon become a widower he too would embrace a life of celibacy and is not to remarry (a permanent deacon's widow is able to remarry with the Church's blessing).

From Deacon Dan Wright's Blog...

On the Permanency of the Permanent Deacon
A reader commented in the previous post, asking:

"We have a friend who was ordained in the permanent diaconate. Does that mean he can't ever change his mind, and go on to become a priest? My husband was thinking that due to such a clerical shortage, this deacon ought (and would be the type) to pursue that, but it's called permanent diaconate for a reason--yet it seems likely there is some dispensation or form to release him from the diaconate into pursuing that? "

Fortunately, to address the question we are now able to consult the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops document National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States, which was approved in 2003 and released for publication in 2005. For those of us in the diaconate, the National Directory was a long-awaited document that answered many questions, for which the responses tended to vary regionally.

It does, in fact, seem reasonable that there should be some permission or other means available by which a widowed or celibate deacon might enter the priesthood. After all, people do change directions in life, and it's true that many deacons possess the qualities that go into making good pastors.

I have, in fact, known of several deacons who became priests after being widowed. Though this certainly has never been the norm, even before the release of the Directory. There are also occasions that I am aware of in which the transition from deacon to priest didn't work out.

In one case, with which I am familiar, a deacon became a priest and then subsequently left the priesthood to remarry. Naturally, such mishaps might give rise to practical arguments against ordaining men to the priesthood who have been accustomed to married life. However, in my opinion, this in itself is not a strong argument against allowing deacons to become priests. The stronger argument simply has to do with the permanence of the order.

What does the Directory have to say about all this? Here's an excerpt that gets right to it:


Since the history of the order over the last millennium, however, has been centered on the diaconate as a transitory stage leading to the priesthood, actions that may obfuscate the stability and permanence of the order should be minimized. This would include the ordination of celibate or widowed deacons to the priesthood. "Hence ordination [of a permanent deacon] to the priesthood...must always be a very rare exception, and only for special and grave reasons..."

However, the document goes on to leave open the possibility of ordaining a permanent deacon to the priesthood given that the diocese adheres to the correct protocol and insures the suitability and proper education of the candidate. Still, it is clear that the role of the permanent deacon is, typically and most suitably, to remain a deacon throughout life.

Nevertheless, in the case of the deacon in the question, I would advise him to consult with his bishop and be in prayer and discernment. Some the Lord called as teachers, and some to be prophets. Others he called to be evangelizers, and still others to be apostles. By the same reasoning some are called to be priests, and others the Lord calls as deacons.

Whatever the calling, our role--our responsibility--is to accept God's will in our lives and to rejoice in that which we do. Our responsibility also is to discern the call of God and to be ready to go forth when he calls.

Bishop to Ordain 35 Permanent Deacons

From the "Catholic East Texas" Newspaper
By SUSAN DE MATTEO

(comments mine)

TYLER – Bishop Álvaro Corrada, SJ, will ordain 35 men to the permanent diaconate at four Masses this month.

The group ordinations will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Dec. 8 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler, Dec. 15 at St. Mary Church in Longview, Dec. 22 at Sacred Heart Church in Nacogdoches and Dec. 29 at Sacred Heart Church in Texarkana.

The men to be ordained represent 23 churches in the Diocese of Tyler and, after ordination, will bring the number of permanent deacons working in the diocese to 88.

Felix Ramos, slated for ordination Dec. 22, will be ordained for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. His archdiocese did not have a deacon formation program active at the time he wished to begin formation, so he was given permission to join the Diocese of Tyler’s program, according to Deacon Rubén Natera, vice chancellor for the Tyler Diocese.

Scheduled to be ordained Dec. 8 in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception are:

Tyler – Shaun Black, Rufino Cortes, Steve Curry and Jack Rounds, cathedral; Remigio Alfaro and José Angel Tiscareno, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church;

Canton – Jonathan Ben Fadely and Alan Stehsel, St. Therese Church;

Crockett – Ramiro Romo, St. Francis of the Tejas Church.

Flint – Clarence Black, St. Mary Magdalene Church;

Gun Barrel City – Juan A. Cázares, St. Jude Church;

Lindale – Dennis King, Holy Family Church;

Mineola – Fidencio Ramos, St. Peter the Apostle Church;

Scheduled for ordination Dec. 15 in Longview are:

Gilmer – Ricky Yelverton, St. Francis of Assisi Church;

Hallsville – Robert William Rhodes and Gregorio Sanchez, Our Lady of Grace Church;

Kilgore – Lino Huerta and Isidro Sanchez, Christ the King Church;

Longview – Scott Daniel, Joel Gonzalez, Francisco Lopez and Nelson Petzold, St. Matthew Church; Vincent James Wilson, St. Mary Church;

Marshall – Magdaleno Aguirre and John Sargent, St. Joseph Church.

Through their ordination, deacons are configured expressly to Christ the servant and are called to be ministers of service and charity.

“The diaconal ministry is rooted in the Bible,” said Father Eduardo Nevares, assistant director of the vocations office. “In the Acts of the Apostles, because the apostles, the first bishops, were so overwhelmed with trying to administer their growing churches, they chose seven men from the community to care for the widows who were being neglected (Acts 6:1-7). So from the very beginning, the deacons were ordained to serve those in need in their communities.” (or actually assisting with the administration in general, allowing the Bishops to "minister to the Word")

Father Nevares said that particular charism manifests itself in the role and life of the deacon.

“Deacons are ordained clergy,” he said, “and, together with priests and bishops, they complete what the Patristic Fathers refer to as the ‘fullness of the church hierarchy,’ or the fullness of holy orders. They are not ‘substitute priests,’ but neither are they ‘glorified altar boys.’ They are ordained ministers, sharing in the Sacrament of Holy Orders with bishops and priests, but they have their own unique vocation, which neither priest nor bishop can or should fulfill.” (keep in mind that every Priest and every Bishop are ordained Deacons, so this statement, while well intended, is a bit erroneous. Every Priest and Bishop CAN and DOES fulfill the role of Christ the Servant. However, I believe I understand what Father Nevares is saying - the Diaconate is a vocation in and of itself, unique ministerially, and distinct as it relates to the presbyterate and the episcopate.)

Liturgically, deacons can perform weddings and baptisms and preside at funeral services outside of Mass. They can preach and teach and lead prayer services. They are, however, restricted from consecrating the Eucharist, anointing the sick or hearing confessions.

At Mass, deacons are ministers of the cup and of the word, proclaiming the Gospel and distributing the Blood of Christ (Deacons are Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, so they can also distribute the Body of Christ). Beyond the church, out in the world, deacons also are called to be ministers of the word, Father Nevares said, proclaiming the Gospel not in reading it, but in living it.

“The deacon is a witness,” Father Nevares said. “Through his marriage, through his family life, through his job, through his care and concern for the people around him, through what he does much more than what he says, the deacon is a witness to Christ the servant, Christ who brings comfort and compassion, Christ who cares for the poor and the suffering.

“Therefore,” Father Nevares said, “the deacon has the responsibility and the obligation to know his community, to know what problems and needs beset that community, and to know what resources are available in the community for people in need. Because the deacon comes out of a particular community, he knows that community with all its history, all its good and bad, as a priest probably never will ("As a Priest probably never will" - say what? I really must protest this idea that Priests live in an ivory tower and have no idea what is going on in the community, in the lives of the common folk. Priests today are very aware of what is going on in their communities, perhaps moreso than most Deacons). And he naturally(?) knows who in his community is most in need of the service of charity. The deacon must be the face of the church’s charity, which is Christ’s charity. It is the deacon who takes Christ’s charity into the world.”

Deacons serve many roles. In the Diocese of Tyler, deacons have long been active in prison and hospital ministry, and in such ministries as St. Vincent de Paul. At the chancery, Deacon Rubén Natera is vice chancellor, Deacon Rick Lawrence is director of discipleship, and Deacon Jerry Besze is co-director of family life with his wife Mary.

In the end, though, job titles and descriptions have nothing to do with the diaconate.

“The only real job description the deacon has is in the Bible,” Father Nevares said, “in Matthew’s Gospel: ‘Whatever you did for the least among you, you have done for me.’ Take care of and love the people of God; that’s what a deacon does.”

Bishop to Ordain 35 Permanent Deacons

By SUSAN DE MATTEO

TYLER – Bishop Álvaro Corrada, SJ, will ordain 35 men to the permanent diaconate at four Masses this month.

The group ordinations will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Dec. 8 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler, Dec. 15 at St. Mary Church in Longview, Dec. 22 at Sacred Heart Church in Nacogdoches and Dec. 29 at Sacred Heart Church in Texarkana.

The men to be ordained represent 23 churches in the Diocese of Tyler and, after ordination, will bring the number of permanent deacons working in the diocese to 88.

Felix Ramos, slated for ordination Dec. 22, will be ordained for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. His archdiocese did not have a deacon formation program active at the time he wished to begin formation, so he was given permission to join the Diocese of Tyler’s program, according to Deacon Rubén Natera, vice chancellor for the Tyler Diocese.

Scheduled to be ordained Dec. 8 in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception are:

Tyler – Shaun Black, Rufino Cortes, Steve Curry and Jack Rounds, cathedral; Remigio Alfaro and José Angel Tiscareno, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church;

Canton – Jonathan Ben Fadely and Alan Stehsel, St. Therese Church;

Crockett – Ramiro Romo, St. Francis of the Tejas Church.

Flint – Clarence Black, St. Mary Magdalene Church;

Gun Barrel City – Juan A. Cázares, St. Jude Church;

Lindale – Dennis King, Holy Family Church;

Mineola – Fidencio Ramos, St. Peter the Apostle Church;

Scheduled for ordination Dec. 15 in Longview are:

Gilmer – Ricky Yelverton, St. Francis of Assisi Church;

Hallsville – Robert William Rhodes and Gregorio Sanchez, Our Lady of Grace Church;

Kilgore – Lino Huerta and Isidro Sanchez, Christ the King Church;

Longview – Scott Daniel, Joel Gonzalez, Francisco Lopez and Nelson Petzold, St. Matthew Church; Vincent James Wilson, St. Mary Church;

Marshall – Magdaleno Aguirre and John Sargent, St. Joseph Church.

Through their ordination, deacons are configured expressly to Christ the servant and are called to be ministers of service and charity.

“The diaconal ministry is rooted in the Bible,” said Father Eduardo Nevares, assistant director of the vocations office. “In the Acts of the Apostles, because the apostles, the first bishops, were so overwhelmed with trying to administer their growing churches, they chose seven men from the community to care for the widows who were being neglected (Acts 6:1-7). So from the very beginning, the deacons were ordained to serve those in need in their communities.”

Father Nevares said that particular charism manifests itself in the role and life of the deacon.

“Deacons are ordained clergy,” he said, “and, together with priests and bishops, they complete what the Patristic Fathers refer to as the ‘fullness of the church hierarchy,’ or the fullness of holy orders. They are not ‘substitute priests,’ but neither are they ‘glorified altar boys.’ They are ordained ministers, sharing in the Sacrament of Holy Orders with bishops and priests, but they have their own unique vocation, which neither priest nor bishop can or should fulfill.”

Liturgically, deacons can perform weddings and baptisms and preside at funeral services outside of Mass. They can preach and teach and lead prayer services. They are, however, restricted from consecrating the Eucharist, anointing the sick or hearing confessions.

At Mass, deacons are ministers of the cup and of the word, proclaiming the Gospel and distributing the Blood of Christ. Beyond the church, out in the world, deacons also are called to be ministers of the word, Father Nevares said, proclaiming the Gospel not in reading it, but in living it.

“The deacon is a witness,” Father Nevares said. “Through his marriage, through his family life, through his job, through his care and concern for the people around him, through what he does much more than what he says, the deacon is a witness to Christ the servant, Christ who brings comfort and compassion, Christ who cares for the poor and the suffering.

“Therefore,” Father Nevares said, “the deacon has the responsibility and the obligation to know his community, to know what problems and needs beset that community, and to know what resources are available in the community for people in need. Because the deacon comes out of a particular community, he knows that community with all its history, all its good and bad, as a priest probably never will. And he naturally knows who in his community is most in need of the service of charity. The deacon must be the face of the church’s charity, which is Christ’s charity. It is the deacon who takes Christ’s charity into the world.”

Deacons serve many roles. In the Diocese of Tyler, deacons have long been active in prison and hospital ministry, and in such ministries as St. Vincent de Paul. At the chancery, Deacon Rubén Natera is vice chancellor, Deacon Rick Lawrence is director of discipleship, and Deacon Jerry Besze is co-director of family life with his wife Mary.

In the end, though, job titles and descriptions have nothing to do with the diaconate.

“The only real job description the deacon has is in the Bible,” Father Nevares said, “in Matthew’s Gospel: ‘Whatever you did for the least among you, you have done for me.’ Take care of and love the people of God; that’s what a deacon does.”

New Clergy and Religious Numbers from the Vatican

Bishops
The number of bishops in the world increased by 57, to 4,841 on all continents. Increase in America (+31), and Asia, (+11) and Europe (+15) while in Africa and Oceania the situation remains the same as the previous year. Diocesan bishops are (3,650) (34 more than the previous year); Religious Bishops are 1,191 (increase of 23 ). The increase in diocesan bishops is registered on every continent: America (+18), Asia (+7), Europe (+11); with a slight decrease in Africa (- 1) and Oceania (- 1). The number of religious Bishops has increased slightly on every continent, especially America (+ 13) followed by Asia and Europe (+4); and Oceania (+ 1).

Priests and Permanent Deacons
The total number of priests in the world increased by 520, to 406,411. Increase registered in Africa (+1,111) and Asia (+1.831), but decreases on the other continents: America (-639); Europe (-1,699) and Oceania (-84). Diocesan priests increased by 929 , with an increase in Africa (+806), America (+370), Asia (+833) and a decrease in Europe (-1.002) and Oceania (-78) as in the previous year. Religious priests decreased by 409 to a total 136,649. Increases are registered as in the previous year in Asia (+998) and Africa (+305), where as a decrease is noted in America (-1009), Europe (-697) and Oceania (-6). Permanent deacons increased by 1,067 to 33,391, the highest increase is again this year in America (+655) and in Europe (+398), followed by Oceania (+15) and Africa (+6). A decrease is registered only in Asia (-7). Diocesan Permanent deacons 32,837, with increases on all continents (total increase 1,028 ). Religious permanent deacons total 554 , plus 39 compared with the previous year with increases in America (+6); Europe (+42); Oceania (+2) and a decrease in Africa (-1) and Asia (-10).

Men and Women Religious
The number of Brothers decreased by 322 to 54,708. Situation: increase in Africa (+157) and Asia (+138); and a decrease in America (-130); Europe (-368) and Oceania (- 119). An overall decrease in the number of women religious (­6,930) now 760,529 was registered by continent as follows: increase in Asia (+2,736) and Africa (+1,306) decrease in Europe (-6,903), America (­3,902) and Oceania (­167).

Pope Benedict Addresses Priests, Deacons, and Religious About Praying the Divine Office

Hat tip to New Liturgical Movement

Excerpts from Pope's Remarks to Heiligenkreuz; Meditation upon the Liturgy:

"...I wished to come to this place so rich in history in order to draw attention to the fundamental directive of Saint Benedict, according to whose Rule Cistercians also live. Quite simply, Benedict insisted that “nothing be put before the divine Office”.(1)

[..]

Monks are not the only ones who pray the officium; from the monastic tradition the Church has derived the obligation for all religious, and also for priests and deacons, to recite the Breviary. Here too, it is appropriate for men and women religious, priests and deacons – and naturally Bishops as well – to come before God in their daily “official” prayer with hymns and psalms, with thanksgiving and pure petition.

Dear brother priests and deacons, dear brothers and sisters in the consecrated life! I realize that discipline is needed, and sometimes great effort as well, in order to recite the Breviary faithfully; but through this officium we also receive many riches: how many times, in doing so, have we seen our weariness and despondency melt away! When God is faithfully praised and worshipped, his blessings are unfailing. In Austria, people rightly say: “Everything depends on God’s blessing!”.

Your primary service to this world must therefore be your prayer and the celebration of the divine Office. The interior disposition of each priest, and of each consecrated person, must be that of “putting nothing before the divine Office”. The beauty of this inner attitude will find expression in the beauty of the liturgy, so that wherever we join in singing, praising, exalting and worshipping God, a little bit of heaven will become present on earth. Truly it would not be presumptuous to say that, in a liturgy completely centred on God, we can see, in its rituals and chant, an image of eternity. Otherwise, how could our forefathers, hundreds of years ago, have built a sacred edifice as solemn as this? Here the architecture itself draws all our senses upwards, towards “what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined: what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9). In all our efforts on behalf of the liturgy, the determining factor must always be our looking to God. We stand before God – he speaks to us and we speak to him. Whenever in our thinking we are only concerned about making the liturgy attractive, interesting and beautiful, the battle is already lost. Either it is Opus Dei, with God as its specific subject, or it is not. In the light of this, I ask you to celebrate the sacred liturgy with your gaze fixed on God within the communion of saints, the living Church of every time and place, so that it will truly be an expression of the sublime beauty of the God who has called men and women to be his friends.

[..]

... just as a liturgy which no longer looks to God is already in its death throes, so too a theology which no longer draws its life-breath from faith ceases to be theology; it ends up as a array of more or less loosely connected disciplines. But where theology is practised “on bent knee”, as Hans Urs von Balthasar (3) urged, it will prove fruitful for the Church in Austria and beyond."

Message to Permanent Deacons

The Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, has written this message on this feast of St Laurence, deacond and martyr. (paragraphs removed - BW)

Dear Permanent Deacons,It is indeed a great joy for me to be able to turn my thoughts to you on the feast of St Laurence deacon and martyr, in this my first year as Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.You have always occupied a privileged place in my heart. I admire you and wish to say that I see a precious grace of the Lord to His people in the restoration of Permanent Diaconate following Vatican Council II. This ordained ministry has great potential value and is highly topical in the context of the mission of the Church.I thank God for the calling you have received and for your generous response. For the majority of you, who are married, this response has also been made possible by the love, support and cooperation of your wives and children.Concerning deacons, Vatican Council II stated that ‘sustained by the sacramental grace in the ministry of the liturgy, preaching and charity, they are at the service of the people of God’ (LG 29). Your ministry is ‘ministry of the Church in the local Christian community, sign and sacrament of Christ the Lord Himself, who did not come to be served but to serve’ (Paul Ad Pascendum, Introduction). Quite rightly Ignatius of Antioch says that deacons are ‘ministers of the mysteries of Jesus Christ...ministers of the Church of God’ (S. Ignatii Antiocheni, Ad Trallianos, II,3).Vatican Council II also explains that the sacramental grace conferred through the imposition of hands enables you to exercise your service of the word, of the altar and charity with special effectiveness (cf. Ad Gentes, 16).Therefore you have been ordained for the service of the Word of God. This means that all that concerns the preaching of the Gospel, catechesis, spreading of the Bible and explanation to the people is ordinarily entrusted to you, though naturally under the authority of your Bishop. Nowadays the Church calls all Her members, especially ordained ministers, to missionary activity, i.e. to rise and move in an organic way firstly towards our baptised who have drifted away from the practice of their Catholic faith, but also towards those who know little or nothing of Jesus Christ and His message, in order to proclaim the Christian message, the kerygma, for the first time and through this to take them to a real and concrete encounter with the Lord. In this encounter faith is renewed and personal acceptance of Jesus Christ and His message is strengthened. This is the foundation of true faith and faithful witness in the world. We can no longer limit ourselves to waiting for our baptised in our churches. We need to find them where they live and work, through a permanent missionary activity, with special attention towards the poor in the suburbs of our cities. This ministry of the Word requires that you, dear Deacons, develop a constant closeness with the Holy Scriptures, and in particular with the Gospels. May listening, meditating, studying and practising the Word of God become your everyday tasks. In this way you will become more disciples of the Lord and you will feel called and enlightened by the Holy Spirit for your mission.You have been ordained for a liturgical-sacramental service. You have your own liturgical functions in the celebration and giving out of the Eucharist, the centre of the life of the Church and, therefore, also the centre of the life of ordained ministers. Your ministry entrusts a special responsibility to you for what concerns the sacraments of Baptism and Matrimony. The Bishop may entrust to you all that concerns baptismal and matrimonial-family pastoral care.You have been ordained for charity. You have many things to do, to organise, and to animate! The poor, the disenfranchised, the unemployed, the hungry, all that are reduced to extreme misery, an innumerable crowd, raise their hands and their voice to the Church. Deacons play a vital role for them both historically and in view of their ordination. Charity, solidarity towards the poor, social justice, have always been an ambit of extreme urgency that challenges Christians, as Christ said: 'through this everyone will know that you are my disciples, that you have love for one another’ (Jn, 13:35).Dear Permanent Deacons, once again I would like to convey all my affection and gratitude. I greet your wives and your families. Witness the love of God! I entrust you to the Most Holy Mary who continues to proclaim: 'I am the handmaid of the Lord' (Lk 1:38). And following the example of her service, we too serve our brothers and sisters in the great family of humanity and of the Church.
My blessing is upon you all!

From the Vatican, 10th of August 2007Feast of St Laurence, deacon and martyr
Claudio Card. HummesPrefect

Hat tip: South Ashford Priest

Tomorrow is a big day...

No not the Motu Proprio (wonder if there will be any traffic on this blog at all tomorrow?) - it is the Rite of Candidacy for myself and my 15 classmates in formation for the Permanent Diaconate! Please keep us in your prayers. We have a retreat day tomorrow, which will end with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Burbidge. The Rite of Candidacy is part of the Liturgy, and after we will officially be candidates for ordination!

St. Stephen, Deacon and Protomartyr, Pray for us!