Overall, the diaconate is thriving in the Archdiocese of Chicago. There are about 500 active deacons, with 74 men currently in the four-year English-speaking formation program. Deacons are found in many parishes of the archdiocese. Yet a frequently asked question is, “What is a deacon?”
With bishops and priests, deacons receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders. They are full-time ordained ministers living in the midst of the world, most often with full-time careers outside the Church. Deacons may baptize, proclaim the Gospel and preach, assist at the Eucharist, witness marriages, officiate at wakes and funeral services, preside at Benediction, minister at other liturgical/prayer gatherings, offer blessings, and more. These are functions most visible in the parish.
But a more important question is, “Who is the deacon?” The deacon is an emissary of the bishop, “the bishop’s ear, mouth, heart and soul,” as a Christian writer in the Patristic era described them. Once ordained, the deacon is assigned by the bishop to serve the people of God in whatever capacity is most needed by the Church, typically in the parish that helped him to discern his diaconal vocation.
Therefore, diaconal ministry is a call to be configured to Christ the Servant—to stand in the midst of God’s people and be a sacramental sign for all to emulate. A deacon’s service includes a three-fold ministry: Service to the Word, Liturgy and Charity, and requires his active ministry in all three areas. This includes the aforementioned assisting at Mass and celebrating sacraments; evangelizing the Word by mouth and witness to the world; and caring for the poor, alienated, underrepresented, and neglected. Even in the workplace deacons are visible signs of Christ in the community.
Please keep Deacons Dick Lawson, Steve Baldasti, and Allen Tatara, along with Michael Green—who is in the process of becoming a deacon—in your prayers.