Who are deacons?
A Catholic deacon is a member of the clergy. In the Catholic Church, “the clergy” consists of three groups of ordained ministers: bishops, priests, and deacons. While all members of the church are called to minister to others by virtue of their baptism, some Catholics are also ordained to specific forms of ministry to serve the rest of the Church. The title “deacon” comes from the Greek word diakonos, which means “servant.” A deacon is ordained by the bishop into the Order of Deacons (commonly referred to as the diaconate). He is publicly and permanently configured to Christ the Servant and lives a life of service within the Church and the community. He assists the bishop and works collaboratively with the priests and laity in serving the needs of others. What is the difference between permanent and transitional deacons? There is only one diaconate. All priests are first ordained as deacons. For them, the diaconate is transitional because they go on to be ordained priests. They then li
