Is the transitional diaconate still necessary? In other words, is it necessary for a priest to first be ordained a deacon before being ordained to the priesthood? In the recent essay “The Catholic Church doesn’t need transitional deacons.” for America Magazine, Deacon
WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Results of an annual survey on the permanent diaconate of the U.S. Catholic Church show the estimated number of deacons in active ministry was 13,695 in 2022, the lowest since 2011. “While the share of active permanent deacons
In the Catholic Church, permanent deacons "are entrusted with the unique responsibility of bringing Christ to every corner of society," said the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.
They carry out their ministry "in
There are more than nineteen thousand permanent deacons in the United States today. In July, an annual survey of permanent deacons indicated that five hundred eighty seven new permanent deacons had been ordained across the country in twenty twenty. While the number
The U.S. Catholic Church in 2020 had 18,075 permanent deacons serving in ministry, a decrease of 118 deacons, less than 1%, from the previous year, according to data collected by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate in Washington.
Despite the slight
Deacons are often mistaken for priests, and while their ministries overlap, the permanent diaconate bears witness to Christ the Servant. He is, by virtue of his ordination, an envoy or emissary of the bishop through the three-fold gifts of liturgy, word and