The Role of the Permanent Deacons
by Rev Mr Roger O'Donnell

For some time now, the Council of Priests has been discussing the future staffing of parishes throughout the Archdiocese.

This planning calls for a closer examination of parish life and its needs. Many possibilities will be considered as to how to cater for a perceived increase in the Catholic population being pastored to by a reduced number of clergy.

The Parish Boundaries Sub-Committee set up to look at this matter hopes to collect the responses by 23 September for evaluation.

Without pre-empting the discussion which is being encouraged particularly at parish level, increased involvement of the lay faithful logically lends itself to many of the tasks presently undertaken by the clergy. Supporting this concept, assistance may also be drawn from the use of permanent deacons as is being done in Parramatta, Bunbury (SA) and other dioceses.

This article explains the concept of the permanent deacons and shows the possibility of utilising this ministry in the archdiocese.

Historical Aspects

For centuries, the Latin Church has had the experience of only celibate ordained ministers. Experience of ordained ministers who are married is recent. The Second Vatican Council in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (1964) decided to restore the diaconate as a permanent order of ministers in the Church and it was left to local episcopal conferences to decide, with papal approval, whether or not to restore the diaconate in their won countries.

There are two concepts of deacons: the transitional and the permanent. The transitional deacon normally proceeds to the priesthood. In both concepts, the role of the deacon is to support the bishops and priest in service to the community.

The ministry of permanent deacon has emerged in the post-conciliar Church at the same time that lay ministries have flourished as seldom before, and at a time when many parts of the Church have experienced a dramatic decline in the number of priests.

In Australia, the diaconate has very slowly developed in response to the pastoral needs of the Church.

Traditionally, the relationship of deacons with priests and religious is complementary; together they form a communion of ministries. Firstly, the order of deacon is an ordained ministry. Graced by the sacrament of Ordination, the deacon proclaims by his very life the Church's call to serve the needs of others. Upon ordination, the deacon enters into new sets of relationships with his bishop, those with whom he ministers, the laity from whose ranks he comes and from whom he must be separated.

As an ordained minister, he becomes for the community a unique sign and instrument of what Jesus Christ is for the Church, and of what the Church must be for the sake of Christ - a servant. It is this "service" which characterises the ministry of deacon, a distinctive mark from the ancient days of the Church (sea Acts 6). The deacon, by his ordination is a representative symbol of the inner-connection among the three great areas of the Church's life: word, sacrament and service.

More than 90 per cent of permanent deacons throughout the world are married, and through marriage they bring the experience and mutual sacrificial love of marriage to the service of the Church.

The love bond which deacon and wife have developed in their lifelong ministry to one another in the sacrament of marriage is the springboard of the married deacon's ministry to the wider community he serves. This nurturing and deepening mutual sacrificial love within marriage is the most important way the wife of a deacon becomes involved in her husband's public ministry in the Church.

The deacon's marital status also effects his relationships with the priests and religious with whom he ministers, and it is reflected in his preaching. It certainly becomes a factor which his bishop takes into account in providing ministerial appointments which are often to parish based ministries that most effectively utilise the special gifts that have been discerned during the deacon's formation over at least three years.

There are some 14 permanent deacons in Australia. In the Diocese of Parramatta, for instance, there are three permanent deacons working full-time, and another five undertaking the formation program. Funding is made available through a diocesan fund, and financial assistance is shared wit the parish to which the deacon is appointed.

Ministry

Permanent deacons can be found ministering to sick, among widows and orphans, serving immigrants and exiles, serving abused children, the aged, single parents, the handicapped, the divorced, alcohol and drug addicts, the homeless, prisoners, refugees, the poor, the street people, victims of racial and ethnic discrimination, etc.

As well as these duties, there are liturgical activities which include proclaiming the Gospel, preaching, voicing the needs of the people in the general intercessions, assisting in the presentation of the gifts and distribution of communion.

The deacon also solemnly baptises, brings Viaticum to the dying, is an official witness of the Church at marriages, officiates at funerals and burial services, gives Benediction with the monstrance or ciborium, and guides and administers the community when no priest is resident.

In the USA, this last mentioned function has been one which has been receiving increased attention as the permanent diaconate has matured; that is, to promote and sustain the apostolic activities of the lay faithful.

With the exception of celebrating Mass, absolving sins and anointing the sick, all of which are reserved to priests, deacons are given authority by the bishop, with consent of the pastors with whom they minister, for a full range of liturgical functions which sometimes may appear indistinguishable from those of the priests.

However, the primary task of the deacon is to be a promoter and motivator of the laity to become increasingly involved in the mission of the Church.

A Bridge

In summary, the deacon is sometimes described as a bridge between the laity from whose ranks he comes and the clergy of which is now part. From the outset of his formation, the deacon is formed to be an animator of others, lay men and women, that they may become increasingly involved in this mission of the Church.

The deacon, because of who he is and the background from which he comes, is uniquely qualified to bring a sense of integration to the variety of activities which mark the life of a parish. These qualities reflect the deacon's experience of integrating in his own life the obligations and commitments as husband, father, and one who has spent many years in the workforce, and yet has been called by the Church to minister in her name. 

 This article first appeared in Catholic Voices, September 1991.  

Roger O'Donnell who has spent the past four years preparing for the permanent diaconate.  On 11 August (1991) in his home parish of Holder, he was formally accepted by Archbishop Carroll as a candidate for ordination.  Mr O'Donnell recently completed his Bachelor of Theology at the Catholic Theological College, Hunters Hill, Sydney while living at the Marist Fathers seminary.  He is 48 years old and has been married to Cora for 27 years.  They have lived in Canberra for 12 years and have three children and two grandchildren.  He has been appointed a pastoral assistant in Holy Trinity Parish, Curtin and will be ordained a deacon on 22 November in St Christopher's Cathedral.