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
A permanent deacon whose ministry is focused on service to the poor and hurting is an antidote to clericalism within the church because it illustrates that "to love is to serve and to serve is to reign," Pope Francis said.
Meeting most of
Maryann Gogniat Eidemiller shares the vocation stories of four families, all who share the common denominator of holy orders. The Wertin family has two sons that are priests, and after the death of their mother, their deacon-father was ordained to the priesthood.
Based on responses to a questionnaire sent to all U.S. dioceses, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate estimates there are about 19,000 deacons in the United States today.
The number, though, is dropping, mirroring trends seen in religious life and the
Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich ordained nine men to the priesthood at Holy Name Cathedral May 15, welcoming them to a presbyterate that both looks to them with hope and offers them support and encouragement as they begin their lives as priests.
"We
Urging Catholic parish communities to embrace a “missionary evangelization,” the Vatican recently issued a new instruction on reforming parishes and restructuring dioceses. The guidelines acknowledge that cultural changes have challenged parishes and offers suggestions for revitalizing parishes. One way some dioceses are
In an essay for Our Sunday Visitor, David Mills shares the testimony of Deacon Matthew Hawkins, who recounts an experience of being stopped by police on the street for being suspected of a crime. Taken aback by the policeman’s orders, Hawkins said
Pope Francis has established a new "Study Commission on the Female Diaconate" as a follow-up to a previous group that studied the history of women deacons in the New Testament and the early Christian communities. Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi of Aquila will serve
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
For married deacons, his vocation impacts not only his life but the lives of his wife and kids. In fact, a family man called the diaconate must be clear (and so must his pastor) that his calling as a husband and/or father