There are many diverse ministries within the Church.  The “ordained” ministries are those of Bishop, Priest and Deacon.  These are three complementary ways of sharing more fully the one priesthood of Christ conferred on all through baptism.

Whether ordained or non-ordained, all ministries work together to make the Church a fuller sign of Christ’s presence.  The Church’s mission is to carry out the mission of Christ and this is done by different people using different gifts, but all working together to build up the Kingdom.

The ministry of Deacon is found in the New Testament.  That order today is being adapted to meet the contemporary needs of the Church.  The Diaconate provides new demands and opportunities for service to the People of God.  There is an ever-present need for persons in contemporary society to hear the message of Christ and to experience the witness of service in His Name.

How a deacon can serve the people of God

Possible Ministries

• Ministry to the sick and aged, to the widowed and divorced
• Pastoral Counseling
• Religious Education, Sacramental Preparation
• Parish Visitation of Families
• Liturgical Celebration (Baptisms, Marriages, Funeral Services, Communion Services, Preaching, Presiding at Prayer Services)
• Youth Ministry – Campus Ministry
• Mentoring of Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, etc.

Specialized Ministries

• Ministry to the workplace
• Prison Ministry
• Hospitals and Nursing Homes
• Ministry to the physically, mentally and emotionally handicapped
• Marriage and Family Enrichment Programs
• Social Justice Ministry
• And many other important ministries already existing such as inner-city ministries and other Church-related offices and agencies

Why have deacons?

We sometimes forget that the role of the Church is to be servant.  Now all of us are called to service and in this sense the deacon (also bishops and priests) do nothing unusual.  But the ordination of a man to the diaconate is a public, permanent and visible sign of the official teaching of the Church that everyone must serve.  The deacon provides leadership in service and highlights the essential role of servant to which we are called.

Many needs for service are met by dedicated laymen and laywomen.  The ministry of deacon must not infringe on the role of the laity.  Pope Paul VI stated that the Deacon’s role is to be a facilitator of the lay apostolate.  Vatican II decided to restore the Diaconate to a permanent status for many reasons:

• to restore the fullness of “orders” as it was in the early Church (Acts 6:1-6; 1Timothy 3:8-13; Philippians 1:1) not as an archeological antique but as a rediscovered treasury of grace;
• To strengthen, with the help of the Sacrament of Orders, people who were already doing diaconal ministry;
• To confirm their ministry by making it more official and recognizable;
• To witness to the Church’s concern for the needy by making that ministry of service more official and visible.  Deacons are a sign of the Servant Church.
• To promote the continued ministry by requiring of Deacons a permanent commitment.

Charitable service is the main area of the deacon’s ministry.  All Christians are called to charity but the deacon is officially sent or commissioned by the Church to bring Christ and His Good News to those in need.  The Deacon inspires, encourages and enables others in their ministries, taking care not to minimize or overshadow the efforts of others.