July update
When I began to draw close to ordination last November, you remember November: cool temps and football season, I was compelled to share some of my journey with others. I had learned the value of journaling in formation but now I wanted to share my joy with everyone I could think of.
You all have been very generous in your response and support as I became a Permanent Deacon and have now proceeded in diaconal ministries these last 8 months. From my original updates, God has blessed me to be able to develop a website and I even ventured over to Facebook and Twitter. I have chosen, for the most part, to use these tools to extend my ministry and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
From the beginning of my updates, I stated several goals, including explaining the duties and role of a Permanent Deacon and to share my specific ministries and ongoing discernment and formation as an ordained minister. From time to time, this has presented me with many opportunities to clarify misconceptions or teach Church doctrine.
We all know that the restoration of the Permanent Diaconate is only 42 years old which is a blink of an eye in Catholic Church history and God’s timeline. Yet I continue to confront some misconceptions. Just recently someone asked me if I could hear their confession? The other day someone asked a moderator to introduce me as clergy. The question always comes up: are Permanent Deacons clergy? Last month someone asked how do I join that Deacon thing? Or the post I saw on EWTN’s website about those guys on the altar in the lay deaconate. Then there was the amazing article by a Catholic writer, describing a Deacons cure through the intercession of Cardinal Newman, explaining that the Diaconate is a lay ministry.
I fully understand that not many among you want to read all the documents from Rome or the USCCB about Permanent Deacons. So let’s just address some of the common misconceptions.
Yes, Permanent Deacons are indeed ordained clergy. By virtue of the office, they function in a clerical state not a lay state. Permanent Deacons are ordained to the ministry of service and many times are found attending to those in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, homeless shelters, food banks, and many other ministries. The Permanent Deacon can preside at infant Baptisms; distribute Holy Communion, witness weddings and conduct wake services and funerals not involving a Mass. At Mass, the Deacon is the ordinary minister of the Gospel, may be able to deliver the homily and is considered the minister of the Cup. He will intone the penitential rite, prayers of the faithful, the invitation to exchange the sign of peace and the dismissal. Permanent Deacons can preside at Benediction.
The Permanent Deacon wears vestments while functioning in liturgy but they are different from the Priest. Deacons wear a stole that is hung on the left shoulder and draped across the chest. The outer garment is called a dalmatic.
When functioning at hospitals, prisons, etc. each diocese determines if the Permanent Deacon wears clerical garb including the collar. In our Archdiocese of New Orleans, we do not wear the collar at all.
Permanent Deacons can not hear confessions, administer Confirmation or Anoint the Sick.
Permanent Deacons are truly called to bring Jesus to the workplace, the marketplace, the neighborhood, the corner store. I often heard in formation that for a Permanent Deacon its not what you do but who you are that truly sacramentalizes service.
Permanent Deacons serve a vital role in the continued growth and life the Holy Catholic Church. We hark back to the 6th chapter of Acts of the Apostles for our beginnings and we read of our responsibilities in St. Paul’s 1st letter to Timothy.
One of the most misunderstood facts I have noticed comes when I preach a homily and mention my wife and children. Yes, I am a husband and a dad. Permanent Deacons take a vow of conditional celibacy. Basically, if the wife of a Permanent Deacon dies before him, he is not free to remarry, except in special circumstances and with permission of the Holy See.
So I hope this is helpful. In no way is this an exhaustive list of all things Permanent Diaconate. There are many documents you can read, including the historic Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem by Pope Paul VI of happy memory. And of course you can find more in Holy Scripture, the Catechism and documents from the USCCB.
Let me conclude by again giving God all the glory for choosing me to serve as a Permanent Deacon. I love my ministries both at Rayburn Correctional Center and St. Jane de Chantal Church which includes St. Michael’s Mission. Praise be to God for these beautiful ministries he has bestowed on me.
If you would like additional information about my ministries, the Diaconate, the Church, God’s plan for all of us, please consider following me at:
http://abitadeacon.blogspot.com/
Or find me at facebook and twitter as Deacon Mike Talbot.
And remember: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8.
Deacon Mike.
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