“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.”
–Pope St. John Paul II, September 1987 address to deacons of the United States

With these words, Pope St. John Paul II beautifully expressed the very nature of the vocation and mission of the deacon: service. The term “deacon” has its roots in the Greek words for service, diakonia, and servant, diakonos. In the Acts of the Apostles, seven men were selected “to serve at table” so that the twelve apostles could concentrate on the preaching of the Gospel (Acts 6:1-6). It is widely accepted that this reference to service at the table is the early Church’s institution of the vocation of the deacon.

How does today’s deacon fulfill this call to the ministry of service? Diaconal service is expressed in three primary areas: ministry of the Word, ministry of the Liturgy, and ministry of Charity. The ministry of the Word identifies the deacon as evangelizer and teacher through the proclamation of the Gospel, preaching, catechetical instruction, and witnessing the word of God through the example of his own life. The ministry of the Liturgy is where we most often encounter the deacon—at Mass offering the penitential rite, the intercessions, and his service at the altar. But the ministry is also encountered in his other sacramental duties—baptisms, weddings, funeral rites, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament/Benediction. Finally, the ministry of Charity is the deacon’s service to the poor, the imprisoned, the sick, and the “widows and the orphans”—all those less fortunate in our community.

The Church recognizes the sacramental nature of a deacon’s service by ordaining him through the sacrament of Holy Orders. As we know, sacraments impart grace. Through this sacrament, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) tells us that “deacons share in Christ’s mission and grace” and “it is the task of the deacon to assist the bishop and priests” in many areas of ministry throughout the Church and the community (CCC, n.1570). The sacrament of Holy Orders elevates the ministries and service that a man has already been dedicated to. Through a rigorous formation program and the grace bestowed through the sacrament, a man responds to and participates in the call of the Holy Spirit to a life-long vocation of service.

The Second Vatican Council reestablished the permanent diaconate in the Church. Lumen Gentium, a Vatican II document promulgated in 1964, stated: “The diaconate can in the future be restored as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy.” In 1967, Pope Paul VI issued the apostolic letter Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem, formally restoring the permanent diaconate in the Latin Church. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati recognized the need for deacons and began the formation of permanent deacon in 1974. The first ordinations occurred in September 1976, ordaining 39 men to the permanent diaconate

in two separate ordination Masses—one presided by Archbishop Joseph Bernardin and the other presided by Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Pilarczyk. Today, 218 deacons serve the archdiocese, with 19 men currently in formation.

Permanent deacons have proven to be a true blessing to the Church, assisting priests and meeting the needs of their brothers and sisters with dedication, compassion, and selfless love. Lumen Gentium captures the deacon’s ministry beautifully: they are ordained “not unto the priesthood, but unto a ministry of service. For strengthened by sacramental grace, in communion with the bishop and his group of priests they serve in the diaconate of the liturgy, of the word, and of charity to the people of God. … Let deacons be mindful of the admonition of Blessed Polycarp: ‘Be merciful, diligent, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who became the servant of all’” (Lumen Gentium, n. 29). ✣

For more information on the Diaconate, click here.

Deacon Mark Machuga is Director of the Office of the Diaconate, Vice-Chairman of the National Association of Diaconate Directors, and serves as deacon at the Mary Queen of All Saints Family of Parishes in Cincinnati.

This article appeared in the November 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.