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WELCOME...and
some new announcements
Thank you for visiting
our Diaconate information website. We hope the information on
these pages
will
give you an idea of what deacons in our Archdiocese do as well as
some background on the history of the Diaconate. You will also
find an overview of the Diaconate selection process, requirements
for being considered for Diaconate formation and information on
where to obtain the initial application that can be printed
and sent to our office. Starting with the 2016 Ordination
Class, the Archdiocese will utilize the
Diaconate Formation Program offered by St. Meinrad School of
Theology. This is a four-year education program rich in both
formation and education. More information about the program
can be found using
the Formation and Education links to to the left. We encourage you to
follow in prayerful discernment as
you learn more about the Diaconate and the new
formation program.
WHO IS A DEACON?
A deacon is an
ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three
groups, or "orders," of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops,
presbyters
and deacons. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the
Church
and to the world of Christ, who came "to serve and not to be
served." The
entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in
virtue of his
sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be
a servant
in a servant-Church.
VARIOUS MINISTRIES OF THE DEACON
All ordained
ministers in the Church are called to functions of Word, Sacrament,
and Charity, but bishops, presbyters and deacons exercise these
functions in
various ways. As ministers
of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, and
teach in the
name of the
Church. As ministers of Sacrament, deacons baptize,
lead the
faithful in prayer,
witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral
services As
ministers of
Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs
of
others, then
marshalling the Church's resources to meet those needs. Deacons
are
also
dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause
such
needs.
But no matter what specific functions a deacon performs, they flow
from
his
sacramental identity. In other words, it is not only WHAT a deacon
does,
but WHO a deacon is, that is important.
MARRIED MEN AND THE DIACONATE
The Second Vatican Council decreed that the diaconate, when it was
restored
as a permanent order in the hierarchy, could be opened to
"mature married
men," later clarified to mean men over the age of
35. This is in keeping with the
ancient tradition of the Church, in
which married men were ordained into
ministry. Also in keeping with
ancient practice is the expectation that while a
married man may be
ordained, an ordained man, if his wife should die, may
not marry
again without special permission.
IS A DEACON ORDAINED FOR THE PARISH OR DIOCESE?
Whenever a person
is ordained, he is to serve the diocesan Church. Deacons
are no
different in this regard: they are assigned by the bishop to
ministries for
which the bishop perceives a great need, and for
which the deacon may have
special gifts or talents. Most often, this
will be within a parish setting, just as
most priests serve in a
parish. Once assigned to the parish, the deacon and
any other clergy
assigned to the parish minister under the immediate
supervision of
the pastor. However, this assignment may be changed at the
request
of the deacon or the initiative of the bishop.
There are currently 116 ordained deacons in the Archdiocese of
Louisville.
Of those 116, 88 are active in ministry, 23 are retired. There
are currently 31
men in
formation. The Diaconate Office is currently forming the class
that
will be ordained
in 2016
with the class starting in July 2011.
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