The Permanent Diaconate
What is a Permanent Deacon?
A Permanent Deacon is an ordained minister of the Roman Catholic Church. In just the same way that a Bishop or a Priest is ordained - a Permanent Deacon is ordained after a period of formation and study. (The term formation is explained a little later in this article). The word Diaconate means service, and the role, in its essence, is one which is devoted to service.
Currently our Diocese has 3 Permanent Deacons, and we would welcome more.
History
In the Bible “Acts of the Apostles”, the twelve Apostles were becoming distracted from preaching and prayer by the need to minister to the day to day needs of the increasing number of followers. They chose 7 men (Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.They were commissioned to meet these practical needs of the followers, and were in fact the first Deacons. Stephen was also the first martyr in Christianity.
For a considerable time in the middle ages the only Deacons were men in preparation for the priesthood. To this day, seminarians are ordained as deacons some 12 - 18 months before being ordained as priests. The Second Vatican Council, in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, (1967) called for the restoration of the Permanent Diaconate as a permanent order of ordained ministry in the Catholic Church. Pope Paul VI implemented the recommendations of the Council in the document, Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem on 18th June 1967. Thus it revived the Permanent Deaconate for men who were not preparing for the priesthood.
A Permanent Deacon may be single, but also could be a married man, perhaps with a family, and in employment. He would continue in these roles after ordination, when he would also minister to their congregation. In the case of a married candidate, it is imperative that they have the full support of their wife in expressing a wish to pursue this vocation.
They are able to assist the Bishop or Priest in liturgical actions, administer baptism, officiate at marriages, administering sacramentals, and preside at funerals and burials. In addition there are a host of responsibilities such as visiting the sick at home and in hospitals and hospices, and visiting schools and prisons. Each Permanent Deacon, in conjunction with his Parish Priest will develop their own range of practices, according to the local need, and the individual qualities of the deacon.
Are you interested?
Many may hear of the Permanent Diaconate, for the first time, and wonder what might be involved. If you feel that you want to know more, that it may, just may, be a vocation which chimes with you, then please don’t dismiss your curiosity. You have nothing to lose, and potentially a great deal to gain.
Explore on the web (some useful sites are listed below), talk with your Parish Priest, and talk with Tony Livesey ( Permanent Deacon on the Isle of Skye- 07954563848, anthony.livesey3352gmail.com)
What is involved?
If you want to explore the Permanent Diaconate further, and you were supported by your Parish Priest, the Vocations Director, and Bishop Brian, then you would first undertake a year of discernment (known as the propaedeutic year) which is not arduous, but helps you to learn more about the role of a Permanent Deacon, helping you and the Church to decide if you should pursue the subsequent 4 years of formation and study.
The Diaconate Commission for Scotland oversees the training and formation of Permanent Deacons within Scotland. This is a National Course, and the intellectual formation (or development) is carried out in conjunction with St Mary’s University, (SMU), Twickenham. Study involves lectures, and seminars covering a range of modules, with essays written on each. It is clearly important that an ordained minister has a reasonably comprehensive knowledge and understanding of our faith, the Church and her teachings.
But please understand that Permanent Deacons are, and must be, drawn from all walks of life, and many have successfully completed the course and been ordained, though they began without any academic qualifications. If this is you, then fear not, you will be given all the guidance and support you need to learn and to enjoy the course.
Like the intellectual aspects of formation, the other pillars of formation (development) i.e.
Spiritual, Human and Liturgical formation sessions are carried out in St Mary’s Monastery, Kinnoull, Perth, by students attending Summer Schools and residential weekends.
How to apply
Having talked with your Parish Priest and myself (Tony Livesey) and assuming that you still wish to take things forward, we would arrange for you to talk with the
Diocesan Vocations Director:
Canon John Paul MacKinnon
Argyll and the Isles Director of Vocations
Email: castlebay@rcdai.org.uk Phone: 01871 810267
And then to meet with Bishop Brian McGee for further discussions. Their support would then lead to enrolment into the year of discernment (see above ‘What is involved’).
And finally
From a personal point of view, for some time I had felt a need and wish to offer more to my Church and parish. I was encouraged to explore these feelings, and thus my vocation further by a man in the parish who was himself in formation for the Diaconate.
I had many questions about the Permanent Diaconate, and some reservations as to whether I was a suitable candidate, or that I had qualities which might make me a useful Deacon. But my progress was gentle, without pressure, and with ample support - both from the leaders of the courses, but just as important, from the men accompanying me on my journey. Many of these men I now consider lifelong, close, personal friends.
Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate was a highlight which equated to my wedding day.
And I have never regretted my time since those first, tentative enquiries, through ordination, to the present day.
There is a wealth of further information available on the web which is easily accessible, and so I have kept this piece brief and hopefully digestible.
https://www.bcos.org.uk/Diaconate-Commission-for-Scotland
https://stpetersrcchurchedinburgh.org.uk/liturgy/the-deaconate/
https://archedinburgh.org/wp-content/uploads/Vocations-Booklet.pdf
https://rcadc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Permanent-Diaconate-Norms-for-Applicants.pdf
If you have read down to this line, and are still interested, please give me a call.
Tony Livesey January 2025.
