Deacons are members of the clergy along with priests and bishops. A deacon shares in the one apostolic ministry of the bishop, who has the fullness of holy orders. The deacon participates in that ministry through his assistance of the bishop, and by extension, his priests.
The word deacon is derived from the Greek word diakonia, which means to serve. The sacrament of holy orders was instituted by Jesus on Holy Thursday night. Before the Last Supper, Jesus humbly served his apostles when he washed their feet (Jn 13:5). All three holy orders: deacons, priests and bishops, configure themselves to Christ the servant. Service is the cornerstone of all ordained ministry.
The ministry of deacon was further established by the apostles during the first generation of the Church in the early first century. The apostles did not want to neglect their prayer and the ministry of the word, so they selected assistants, men who were reputable and filled with the Spirit and wisdom, and they chose Stephen, along with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicholas of Antioch (see Acts 6:1-5).
St. Paul describes a deacon as “dignified, not deceitful, not addicted to drink, not greedy for sordid gain, holding fast to the mystery of faith with a clear conscience” (1 Tim 3:8-9), “married only once” and able to “manage their children and their households well” (1 Tim 3:12).
There is only one order of deacon, but it can be lived in different ways, either on a stable basis as a permanent deacon or on the road to priesthood as a transitional deacon. In both cases, the sacramental nature of the diaconate is permanent.
There are many requirements for ordination to the diaconate. The candidate must be a fully initiated Catholic male who has received the sacraments of baptism, Eucharist and confirmation; be evaluated by competent authorities to have the personal qualities to serve in ordained ministry; be considered useful for the ministry of the Church; undertake a thorough formation program; receive proper instruction; have integral faith, the right intention, requisite knowledge, a good reputation, solid morals and proven virtue; if unmarried, the completion of the 25th year of age, and if married, the completion of the 35th year of age; if married, the consent of one’s wife and the reception of the ministries of lector and acolyte. For an unmarried candidate, the promise of celibacy is made; a profession of faith and a five-day preordination retreat take place; and a handwritten personal request to receive ordination of his own free will and the promise to devote himself perpetually to the ecclesial ministry is submitted (see Canons 833, 1025-1039).
Deacons are to pray the Liturgy of the Hours each day and nourish their spiritual lives with sacred Scripture and the frequent reception of the Eucharist. They are invited to participate in the Mass often, even daily, go on an annual retreat, receive the sacrament of penance regularly and have a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary (see Canon 276).
A number of deacons are among the most celebrated saints in the history of the Church. Most notable is St. Stephen, the first deacon and the first martyr (see Acts 7:54-60) who is remembered on Dec. 26. During the liturgical year there is also St. Vincent on Jan. 23, St. Ephrem on June 9, and St. Lawrence on Aug. 10.
Father Van Sloun is the director of clergy personnel for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. This column is part of a series on the sacrament of holy orders. Past series on the sacraments by Father Van Sloun provided catechesis on marriage, the Eucharist and confirmation. All of the columns can be found at TheCatholicSpirit.com/faithfundamentals.
