A deacon physician cares for a young patient during a parish-sponsored mission trip to Honduras.
The Deacon is not for the altar, he is there for service. – Pope Francis
It is well known that a deacon is called to the ministry of the word, of the altar, and of charity. But there can sometimes arise the danger or temptation to focus solely on the altar, to be seen, to be garbed in beautiful vestments, to become self-satisfied with being popular in the parish, to remain at the altar, so to speak, even when the liturgy is over.
This can be easy to do. It is comfortable to remain solely in the parish, often with people we know and are familiar with, easily avoiding or minimizing contact with those who may be difficult, needy, or just not our type. Service to the Word and altar is immensely important, but so is the ministry of charity which is service beyond the altar.
Pope St. John Paul II said, “A particularly felt need behind the decision to restore the permanent diaconate was that of a greater and more direct presence of sacred ministers in areas such as family, work, schools, etc., as well as in various ecclesial structures.”1
The presence of the deacon out in the world, not limited solely to the parish, was a driving reason for the restoration of the permanent diaconate and this presence is needed more than before. It is well known that fewer people are coming to church and so the need is for the church to go out to the people. The presence of the deacon in the secular world, though not adorned with vestments, is a powerful sign of Christ present in and to the world.
So, here are questions for consideration that will lead to a deeper understanding of the Ministry of Charity and that of service.
Suppose a directive was issued in which deacons were not permitted to wear vestments. Additionally, this hypothetical directive also instructs deacons to no longer be assigned to a permanent parish. But they will often be assigned to other parishes that are quite different from their former home parish.
The questions to consider are these:
- How many deacons would enthusiastically embrace such a change?
- How many men in formation would reconsider the diaconate?
The point of these questions is to bring a sharper focus upon the ministry of service. Service involves humility, service involves emphasis, and empathy, for others and their needs; and for deacons, this means bringing the mysteries of Christ and his Church out into the world . . . and a world which is often resistant to the message.
Pope St. John Paul II, in an address to permanent deacons, said: “This is at the very heart of the diaconate to which you have been called: to be a servant of the mysteries of Christ, and, at one and the same time, to be a servant of your brothers and sisters. That these two dimensions are inseparably joined together in one reality shows the important nature of the ministry which is yours by ordination.”2
However, service is not always easy nor is it always welcomed. But it is precisely at these points that the grace of ordination can be visible. Christ was a servant to all, and yet His words, His teachings, and His actions were often rejected, ridiculed, and disputed. Deacons are conformed to Christ the servant, so why should our efforts or our results be any different from those of the master?
Pope Saint John Paul II clearly tells us that “Gospel truth often contradicts commonly accepted thinking.”3
Going out beyond the Sunday liturgy, whether in the parish or the wider world, can be challenging. It can be uncomfortable, and it can be stressful . . . But it can also be rewarding and fruitful, and bring times of spiritual and pastoral growth.
It is in these encounters, away from the altar, when there are no vestments to be seen, that the beauty of the diaconate can and should be seen by others. In these moments, the Church and Christ are brought to others, the image of Christ is made visible through the deacon’s service, done in imitation of Christ, and love of neighbor.
Pope Francis has written, “We are all called to lower ourselves, because Jesus stooped to us, he made himself the servant of all.”4 The motivation for service to others can bring its own temptations, as vices can often be disguised as virtues. Is the Ministry of Charity and Service done selflessly? Is the ministry done in a perfunctory manner? Or is it done out of love for our Lord and His people?
Discernment of motivation can be guided by the wise advice given by Pope Francis when he writes about deacons: “They bring God’s closeness to others without imposing themselves, serving with humility and joy.”5
These attributes are important if deacons are to bring the light of Christ out into a world which embraces darkness. How uplifting and hopeful it can be to someone seriously ill, alone, afraid, or at the end stage of life, to encounter a deacon who exudes humility, joy, hope, and importantly, a deep and sincere faith in Christ.
Are vestments needed to be seen as a deacon? The Lord sees into one’s heart, the people being ministered to will see an authentic call to service, and that is more beautiful than any garment that may be put on. Humility is the basic virtue to truly be a deacon without vestments. The virtue of humility should permeate all aspects of diaconal service: word, altar, and charity.
Pope Francis incisively states: “It is even sadder to see a deacon wanting to put himself at the center of the world, or at least the center of the liturgy, at the center of the Church. Be humble. Let all the good you do be a secret between you and God. And so it will bear fruit.”6
It must be stressed that the diaconal life must be active in all three ministries: that of word, altar, and charity. These three ministries cannot be severed from one another as each one nourishes and builds upon the others. Pope St. John Paul II stated: “. . . acts of charity which are not rooted in the Word of God and in worship cannot bear lasting fruit.”7 Deacons, by virtue of ordination, have an obligation, and the grace, to bear fruit for the good of others. Proclaiming the Gospel and service at the altar are necessary, but not sufficient, to authentically living a diaconal life.
The diaconal ministry is always located within an ecclesial context. The Church is the continuing presence of Christ in the world and the deacon is an icon of Christ the Servant. There is a distinction between diaconal service and secular works of service. Diaconal service points beyond the individual deacon and toward the transcendent, for “the deacon’s actions connect those who follow his witness not to him but through him into the transcendent hope that they symbolize.”8 The deacon acts as a bridge that is a “seamless joining of the transcendence and immanence of God.”9
Ministry is a form of worship as it involves making our Lord present to and within the community. The deacon is called to serve as Christ the Servant for the spiritual, pastoral, and human good of the community. As in worship, there are tangible elements that the community connects to as it leads them to the transcendent God.
The deacon must develop and emphasize pastoral skills to serve the diverse needs of the community. Additionally, the deacon needs to know the community, understand its needs, and identify those areas where he can be of service. The deacon is called to lifelong learning and formation in response to the call to service. There is a lot of activity, both personal and communal, that has little to do with putting on vestments, but is at the heart of imitating out Lord as Master and servant.
Simply put, others should see Christ in and through the deacon, the deacon who is clothed with holiness, compassion, and authenticity as his vestments.
Let others see the joy in serving at the altar, be an inspiration to the parishioners, but when the liturgy is complete, and the vestments taken off . . . put the vestments of humility, joy, hope, love, faith, and service on your heart as you go into the world proclaiming Christ both risen and alive. Strive always to be seen as a deacon, whether or not vestments are worn.
- Rev. Paul McPartlan, “The Deacon and Gaudium et Spes,” in The Deacon Reader, ed. James Keating (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2006), 66. ↩
- Pope John Paul II, “Meeting With the Men Ordained to the Permanent Diaconate” (Detroit: 19 September 1987), §1. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1987/september/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19870919_diaconi-permanenti-detroit.html. ↩
- John Paul II, “Meeting,” §4. ↩
- Pope Francis, “Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Permanent Deacons of the Diocese of Rome, With Their Families,” 19 June 2021. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2021/june/documents/20210619-diaconi.html. ↩
- Francis, “Address.” ↩
- Francis, “Address.” ↩
- John Paul II, “Meeting,” §3. ↩
- Deacon Michael Ross, “The Deacon: Icon of the Sign of Hope,” in The Deacon Reader, ed. James Keating (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2006), 109. ↩
- Ross, “The Deacon,” 101. ↩
About Deacon John Cantirino
You article is good, but stretches beyond the limits of credulity when dealing with Deacons who have full-time jobs. Pope Benedict XVI said Deacons with full time jobs will serve mainly at the altar at their service. Your article would be better if it were a bit more balanced, IMHO.
A number of formation programs I am aware of labor under the false idea that the liturgical service of the deacon must be relativized. This is a response, perhaps, to those few men who use their service at the altar to feed their ego. I believe both the ministerial presence of the deacon in culture and his liturgical presence as the “voice of Christ at the ambo” are best internalized in a man when integrated. Ministry can easily become humanitarianism when severed from the mysteries of the altar. the altar sustains a deacon’s capacity for self-giving within culture. There is a reciprocity between altar and ministry, not a competition. If a man has human formation issues to address teaching him to relativize his role at the altar is not a healing remedy. Such pride or insecurity should be addressed through the channels of human and spiritual formation. I am not indicating that Dr Cantirino is calling for formation programs to diminish the liturgical identity of the deacon, but his meditation made me think of those dioceses who would do so.
How is the ministry of the deacon, away from the altar, any different from the layman who takes his Baptism and Confirmation seriously? A previous archbishop addressed this question by reminding deacons we are to act as “Christ, who came not be be served, but serve,” as visible ministers of the Church. To emphasize this visibility he directed that we wear clerics with a deacon cross whenever we are engaged in formal ministry (e.g., not in our jobs, unless we’re employed by the Church). Having served both ways (before and after the archbishop’s directive), I could tell the difference. For example, enter a patient’s room; “Hello, —, I’m deacon — from your parish.” (now) “Yes, I recognize you.” versus (before) “Oh, yes, Uh, I didn’t recognize you without your garb.” When employed in the parish, when the priests were not around and someone came in for assistance, I was there, to represent the Church. No, I couldn’t offer them absolution or anointing, but I could listen to them, answer questions, offer encouragement, and pray with them. The black shirt and white collar encouraged trust that otherwise has to be earned. When it came to ordinary business, working with, say, a sound/video contractor, again there was a different kind of communication. We deacons are meant to be visible sacramental signs of the Church. I realize a limited number of dioceses encourage clerics for deacons, but I believe the added visibility, along with everything this article mentioned, makes for more effective ministry. I particularly remember a man who was struggling with his ex-wife and an unsympathetic judge (he was not interested another marriage); I listened, asked a question or two, made no judgment, and listened. I prayed with him. He came back one more time and again I listened and prayed with him. I saw him at Mass and he smiled. He called me a few months later to tell me he was moving to a different part of town and wouldn’t need to see me again. He thanked me and said goodbye. One more thing: Trust! We can never, ever, violate the trust that people have in us as visible ministers of Christ and his Church.
I’m 72. I’m a Deacon and still work 30 hours a week as an Osteopath. I have a wife, a daughter and two grand children. For a variety of reasons I intend, God willing, to continue working till 75. Personally speaking I think I’m as much a Deacon at work as in church in many ways more so. Recently I found myself over tired and took a months sabbatical -from Church commitments and not from my work or my family. I love teaching/ preaching/ catechizing/ baptising etc but, asked to choose between my c work and my formal diaconate life, I would choose the former and revert to being a Sunday morning Deacon. As they say: “A Deacon is for life and not just for Christmas!”
I’ve read this article three or four times now and still find it a little confusing. I think it would have been helpful to define ‘vestments’ Does this include clerical shirt and collar or just dalmatics etc? As I have suggested above it seems to me not to matter much in many ways. when I put on my work tunic in the morning I consider it the same as if I was donning a stole-it is my promise to serve my patients in a diaconate spirit and to try to view my patients in similar vein to parishioners- as persons whom I must serve to the best of my ability. Clerical collars are great for personal evangelism though. I go hiking quite a bit and find its much easier to walk with, talk to and smile at those whom I meet rather than if I was in civvies. As to liturgical garments, I love to wear the dalmatic but its not for my own aggrandisement. We should dress beautifully as we go up on to the altar to serve a beautiful Lord when we can. Also such vestments remind us of the dignity and sacrifice of our calling do they not? Were it not that we serve the Lord of all mercies I would not personally dare to go up on the altar at all regardless of dress. When we say, in truth that, we are not worthy for him to enter under our roof, I don’t think it matters much what we are wearing .
As a deacon coming up on 30 yrs, and experiencing some health issues,I Iliked what I read, and think its a great concept, so that a deacon would not beccme complacent. But, and here is something to think about, both my wife and I have one car, so transportation becomes an issue, and I think this would also be an issue for many deacons, knowing that a church assigned might mean more hrs away from home, leaving a wife without any transportation etc. This might not be the answer for some,
Regarding being a deacon in the world, I find that even while wearing regular clothes there is still an opportunity to share our faith, I recently had ankle surgery, and prior to the surgery, I asked the Dr. if she wouldn’t mind if I prayed with her and her response was “I’m fine with praying with you (and your wife)” and we did so. I have always asked to do this with any physician that I have access to, and when I pray, I tell them, “God has given you hands for healing,” an our prayers are always for the Holy Spirit to be with them, and guide their hands with whoever they are with. It sets a different tone with the majority of them, and that includes two Moslem doctors that I have.
Nice Write Up and Thank You,
I concur with Dcn. Cantrino that diaconal service encompasses charity, word, and liturgy as an integrated whole. In my forty-one years of diaconal ministry, I have found that although works of Christian charity are paramount, the needs of the church cannot be easily compartmentalized into a 33% equal share. At times, the communities’ needs may require the deacon to re-focus his ministry in a particular area. I admit that I’m puzzled about a deacon functioning liturgically without vestments. Should priests do the same? If vestments are abolished (contrary to the church’s long history), would we not look more like Protestants? I’m not sure that’s what most Catholics would be comfortable with either for priests or for deacons. I suggest reviewing the article in The Deacon magazine (March/April, 2023) by Dcn. Dominic Cerrato, Ph.D. entitled “The Diaconate and the Collar” for a different perspective. “The proper vestment of the Deacon is the dalmatic, to be worn over an alb and stole. In order that the beautiful tradition of the Church may be preserved, it is praiseworthy to refrain from exercising the option of omitting the dalmatic.” (Redemptionis Sacramentum, No. 125; JPII on March 19, 2004)