Who is a Permanent Deacon?

A married or single man who has been through; a period of approved spiritual, academic, pastoral, liturgical and human formation, a process of screening, a psychometric evaluation and has been accepted by his local ordinary, that is, the Bishop, and has been ordained, that is, received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, by the Bishop to the Sacred Order of Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church.

Such a man makes a promise of obedience to his Bishop at his ordination and can be assigned by the Bishop to minister in a parish and/or to a specific community e.g. chaplaincy to a hospital or prison. In the parish sphere, the Deacon is a co-worker of the Parish Priest or Priest-in-Charge and any other clergy assigned to that parish.

In the case of a married Deacon, he brings a unique spirituality, life experience and charism to enrich the liturgical and socio-pastoral life of the community in which he serves. In fact, through sacred ordination the Deacon is constituted a living icon of Christ the servant within the Church! (Congregation for Catholic Education & Congregation for the Clergy, Rome)