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Bishop Higi - A Look at the Permanent Diaconate
PRAISED BE JESUS CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)

Over the years, as the leadership of this Local Church has tried to plan for the future, suggestions have been made that the permanent diaconate be established. Five permanent deacons have “faculties” to function here in Northcentral Indiana, but they have come from elsewhere. They were not ordained for our Local Church. There is no permanent deacon program here as such. People have asked, since in its fullness ordained ministry in the Catholic Church includes bishops, priests and deacons, why doesn’t this Local Church ordain deacons?

Deacons are not a fad or even an option in the strict sense of the term. However, the permanent diaconate has undergone evolution, so to speak. Aware of that, I have prayerfully reflected on the experience of others and long ago decided that timing is most important.

There were permanent deacons in the early Church, but since the fifth century, the diaconate had been conferred only on those preparing for priesthood. Its exercise became restricted to liturgical functions. So, when it became a reality in the United States in 1968, there was no recent lived experience to shape its development. Moreover, the restoration of the permanent diaconate occurred at a time when the Second Vatican Council gave great impetus to lay ministry, and when the number of priests had begun to decline. Heavy emphasis initially was placed on the liturgical role of deacons. Focus was not clearly on the distinct character of the diaconate nor on the three-fold service for which deacons are ordained. Some even referred to them as “lay deacons.” There was disagreement over whether they should wear lay clothes or the Roman collar.

In this confusion, in some dioceses, men who had at one time considered the priesthood, but who had married, or well-intentioned men whom pastors called on for help and others who were involved in charitable works, were rewarded with a newly found gold star — the diaconate. Preparation was somewhat minimal and it was a nice thing to do.

However, deacons are not lay persons, nor are they meant to be substitutes for priests. Rather, they are ordained specifically for service. While all three orders in the Catholic Church (bishop, priest, deacon) serve the people of God, they do so in different ways. Deacons are called to a three-fold service: service of the word; service of charity; and service of the altar. To be a deacon, a man must be prepared to dedicate himself to all three. Moreover, the permanent deacon is meant to be an animator and a reminder to his brothers and sisters of what each of us should be doing by reason of our baptism and of what we should continually strive to become in accord with our God-given gifts. There is much more to the diaconate than wearing vestments and helping the priest at Sunday liturgy.

Through reflection and lived experience, this has gradually begun to be understood. Deacons are clerics and not laity. Deacons are called to a three-fold service. Deacons are animators of their fellow Catholics in the ministry of charity. Deacons are not ordained primarily for a parish. Deacons should not be understood in terms of what they do, but what they are. The diaconate is a distinct order in the Catholic Church.

Emerging clarity about these points suggests to me that now is the time to give serious consideration to initiating a diaconal program in our Local Church.

There has been an additional aspect to my “timing” concern. Other dioceses have learned that candidates for the permanent diaconate are best drawn from the ranks of those who have completed a structured program of lay ministry formation. If a deacon is to be an animator who does not take a lay minister’s place, but who invites others to join him in initiating and sustaining the ministry of charity where it is needed, he is well served by a clear understanding of lay ecclesial ministry.

So, I have repeatedly responded to requests to initiate the permanent diaconate by saying consideration would not be given until this diocese had a lay ecclesial ministry program in place. That now is a reality.

Two people will complete the requirements of our Ecclesial Lay Ministry (ELM) program this year. More than 100 people are currently enrolled in ELM. Since completion of the three-year academic, spiritual formation and professional skills experience known as ELM will be one of the criteria used in selecting candidates for the permanent diaconate, now that ELM is a reality, focus can be turned to the possibility of initiating the diaconate.

I am in the process of forming a committee to look into the establishment of a diaconal program. That committee will be directed to study the documents approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, admission standards, the courses specific to diaconal formation and how we might provide those courses.

While candidates for the diaconate do not have to be college graduates, they must have the intellectual ability to do the academic work required. In the Diocese of Gary, for example, diaconal formation is a three-year program. Candidates must be recommended by their pastor, must undergo psychological testing and pass muster before an admissions committee. “Classes” are held one night a week for 10 months, with one Saturday a month set aside for spiritual formation. Candidates also must establish that they have the ability to collaborate with pastors and parish staff, they must exhibit flexibility of thought and action, and they must be totally committed to the demands of the Order of Deacon. The academic work required is college level.

I have my own ideas about the diaconate, of course. While the minimal canonical age is 35, men with children who have not yet finished high school need to focus on presence to their family, specifically their children, rather than the diaconate.

Deacons have a hierarchy of values: Priority is given to their family, then their job or means of livelihood, and then diaconal assignments. Nonetheless, I expect the men I ordain permanent deacons to be able, on average, to give six to 10 hours per week to their assignments, apart from the liturgical functions they might perform.

I also expect the men I ordain to the permanent diaconate to be financially self-sufficient. In the United States, unless a deacon is hired by a parish or diocese for specific positions, they function without pay.

Further, it is my expectation that those selected for diaconal formation will have been actively involved in their parish for at least three years. This includes fidelity to weekly Mass, utilization of the sacrament of reconciliation, and some degree of volunteerism on the parish level.

There will be more about the permanent diaconate in future columns.

This column originally appeared in The Catholic Moment on Oct. 14, 2001

More About the Permanent Diaconate

PRAISED BE JESUS CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)

Now appears to be the time to give serious consideration to initiating the permanent diaconate in this Local Church. A structured program of formation for lay ecclesial ministers is in place. Opportunities to reflect on the experience of other dioceses who initiated the permanent diaconate shortly after it became a reality in the United States back in 1968 is also an advantage. The diaconate is part of the tripartite ordained ministry of the Catholic Church: bishops, priests and deacons. However, when the permanent diaconate was restored by the Second Vatican Council, there was no recent lived experience to shape its development. Much has been learned over the ensuing years.

In considering the possibility of initiating the permanent diaconate, it is important to understand that deacons are not called to be replacements for priests nor do they function as lay ministers. Rather, the diaconate is a distinct order within the ordained ministry of the Church. Deacons are clerics, not lay persons. They are ordained specifically for service and there are three dimensions to that service: ministry of the word, charity and altar.

The service of the word is far reaching. It includes proclaiming the Gospel and articulating the Church’s needs in the general intercessions during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but much more. Deacons may offer catechetical instruction, instruct catechumens, give retreats, conduct parish renewal programs and be leaders in reaching out to alienated Catholics. In addition, there is an informal dimension to this ministry of the word. Deacons have many opportunities to speak about Jesus and his Gospel at home, at work, in the market place and as they participate in civil life. Part of the service of the word is to be a person who evangelizes, that is, who lives their religion with enthusiasm, who invites others to join them in living the fullness of that faith, and who takes the values of Jesus Christ into the secular city so the world in which we live can be transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ.

The service of charity is as extensive as our human needs. Deacons minister in prisons and in hospitals, serving prisoners and the sick. They visit the homebound and people in nursing homes. They reach out to the abandoned, the dying and the bereaved, immigrants and refugees and the victims of racial and ethnic discrimination. There are numerous opportunities for deacons to serve the poor and needy. Through the service of charity, deacons carry out the biblical mandate to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and give relief to those in need. In this service a deacon must be unconditionally pro-life. He must strive to overcome such evils as abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia and racism. These are a vital part of a deacon’s ministry.

The service of the altar includes not only specific roles assigned the deacon during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but other functions as well. A deacon may solemnly baptize children or adults, witness marriages, bring viaticum to the dying, preside over wakes, funerals and burial services. He also may preside over Liturgies of the Word, the Liturgy of the Hours and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. He may lead non-sacramental reconciliation services, conduct prayer services for the sick and dying, and administer certain of the Church’s sacramentals.

If a deacon is to be an authentic sign of the servant-Christ, his diaconal ministry must include all three of these dimensions. This does not mean that equal time must be given to all three, but all three must be embraced. The needs of the community, the deacon’s own specific competence and the guidance of the pastors of the Church determine how the deacon is to use his resources.

Permanent deacons may either be single or married. In the United States, most are married men who work in the secular world. Deacons have a special witness to give. As our Holy Father has pointed out, “The fact that he is an ordained minister of the Church brings a special dimension to his efforts in the eyes of those with whom he lives and works.”

Since the great majority of deacons are married, they and their wives, along with their family, bring to the Church a unique witness. Burdened with all the responsibilities of a job, a home and a family, they struggle, together, to maintain a meaningful and growing relationship with one another and with God, not unlike the challenge faced by the great majority of the people of God. Their life of prayer and service enriches and challenges their brothers and sisters. Their efforts to grow as spiritual men and women, and as a couple, have much to teach the faith community.

A crucial point which must be understood by all candidates for the permanent diaconate is that while a deacon may be either married or single, if single, deacons are not permitted to marry following ordination and if the married deacon’s wife dies after he has been ordained, he is not permitted to remarry. This is consistent with the general rule of the Church: Married men can be called to sacred orders, but those who have been ordained may not marry.

The revised Code of Canon Law requires the written consent of the wife to her husband’s ordination. So that will be informed consent, opportunities are provided during the course of diaconal formation for the wives of candidates to discuss and share their insights, apprehensions and concerns. Most feel the wives of candidates should participate as fully as possible in the entire program of formation, including taking courses and attending social gatherings and retreats. Studies suggest that wives who participate most fully in the formation and ministry of their husbands manifest the highest degree of satisfaction and the lowest degree of stress.

Even though it is clearly understood from the outset that the wife is not to be ordained, nevertheless her marriage and family are truly involved. The deacon and his wife will need to make a realistic assessment of how her own career, family and personal preference will be affected and respected. They have to be aware that the nurturing and deepening of their mutual sacrificial love will be the most important way that she will be involved in her husband’s public ministry in the Church. Spiritual direction can help both the wife and husband in understanding and appreciating this reality.

In many instances, the wife of the deacon becomes involved in a type of team ministry with her deacon husband.

There will be still more about the permanent diaconate in a future column.

This column originally appeared in The Catholic Moment on Oct. 21, 2001

Concluding Comments on the Permanent Diaconate

PRAISED BE JESUS CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)

The Order of Deacon can be traced back to the early Church. The Eastern Catholic Churches have ordained permanent deacons through the centuries. But in the West, since the fifth century, the diaconate generally has been conferred only on those preparing for the priesthood and its exercise has been restricted to liturgical functions.

The possibility of restoring the permanent diaconate to the western Church was considered by the Council of Trent in the 16th century, but nothing was done to implement that idea. At the Second Vatican Council, bishops expressed a desire that the permanent diaconate be restored for the Latin Rite. Statements to this effect in both the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Art. 29) and the Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity (Art. 16) also add that the decision of whether and where it is opportune that the permanent diaconate be restored would pertain to each episcopal conference, subject to papal approval.

In 1967, Pope Paul VI re-established the permanent diaconate in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, and placed the decision regarding its local restoration in the hands of each nation’s episcopal conference, subject to papal approval. On May 2, 1968, the bishops of the United States petitioned the Holy See for permission to establish the permanent diaconate in our country. A favorable response was received on August 30, 1968.

The diaconate is an integral part of the Church’s three-fold hierarchy of ordained ministry, that is, bishops, priests and deacons. Bishops and priests are able to do everything deacons can do, and deacons can do many of the things priests and bishops can do. It is also true that laity can do most of the things that deacons are empowered to do. But, that misses the point. The point is that the ordained ministry in its fullness includes all three orders: bishops, priests, deacons. This was recognized by the bishops of the United States when they petitioned Pope Paul VI to authorize restoration of the permanent diaconate in the United States. They pointed to two reasons: to complete the hierarchy of sacred orders and to enrich and strengthen the various diaconal ministries at work in the United States with the sacramental grace of diaconate.

In two previous columns I have indicated that now appears to be the time for this Local Church to give serious consideration to beginning a diaconal program. For that reason, I am in the process of forming a committee to study the documents of the permanent diaconate issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, admission standards, the courses specific to diaconal formation and how we here in Northcentral Indiana might provide those courses.

There is a minimal canonical age for candidates: 35. The usual maximum age is 61. Training typically lasts a minimum of three years. In this diocese, men ordained to the diaconate will first have to complete a three-year Ecclesial Lay Ministry program before being accepted as candidates for the diaconate. Permanent deacons are expected to be financially self-sufficient. Deacons are meant to be animators who remind their brothers and sisters of what each of us should be doing by reason of our baptism and of what we should continually strive to become in accord with our God-given gifts.

I expect the men I ordain to the permanent diaconate to be able, on average, to give six to 10 hours per week to their assignments, in addition to the liturgical functions they may perform.

At the time of ordination, a permanent deacon makes a promise of obedience to his diocesan bishop and that bishop’s successors. The deacon is to collaborate with the bishop in serving the needs of the people as the bishop directs and where he discerns the need. Like priests, a deacon is accountable to the bishop. He is not the “parish deacon,” nor does he belong exclusively to, or serve only, the parish in which he resides.

I see three specific areas where deacons could prove to be of invaluable service to our Local Church. These are: prison ministry, ministry to the home-bound and infirm, and Hispanic ministry.

There is an expanding prison system in Northcentral Indiana. Presently there are three prisons at Pendleton. It would appear that eventually there will be an equal number on the site of the former Grissom Air Force Base outside Peru. Catholics are part of the inmate mix in those institutions. Not to be overlooked are the many city jails and county detention centers scattered throughout Northcentral Indiana. In Matthew 25, Jesus calls his Church to minister to those who are incarcerated. I will expect those ordained to the permanent diaconate to be open to accepting assignment to the incarcerated.

A second area of need is the increasing numbers who find themselves home-bound and in extended care facilities (nursing homes). This is a challenge in all parishes.

The third area is ministry to the increasing number of immigrants in our area, especially Hispanics.

While deacons will come from specific parishes and their pastors likely will welcome their ministry at the parish level, the men called to the diaconate in our Local Church will be expected to be open to accepting assignment to one or more of the three areas mentioned above. This may mean introducing Spanish-language classes to diaconal formation, as well as professional skills needed to minister to the incarcerated and the infirm. I am remanding these needs and how they might be fulfilled by permanent deacons to the committee looking into the feasibility of establishing a diaconal program in our diocese.

Formation is a process. It involves an openness to lifelong growth in spirituality, ministerial competence, personal accountability and the development of community. Unless the ordained continue to deepen their relationship with God, enrich their theological knowledge and pastoral skills, open themselves to valid critique or evaluation, and share both faith and ministry with others, they cannot be who they say they are: servants of the Gospel. If they are open to prayer, study and community, they will be credible servants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, the committee I shall establish needs to put together a strong formation program, one attuned to the ministry and needs of deacons. It must be pastoral in tone and direction, employ an adult learning style of education, teach skills in theological reflection, offer opportunities for personal and communal spiritual growth, provide experience in a variety of ministries, and be based on the theological, scriptural and liturgical teaching and insights of Vatican II. That is no small challenge, but now is the time for this Local Church to explore our ability to provide it.

This column originally appeared in The Catholic Moment on Oct. 28, 2001