Overview

Deacon Formation Program

Archdiocese of Chicago

University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary

The Deacon

Review each of the side-bar buttons to learn about the path to becoming a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

· A distinct permanent order with a distinct academic/formation path based at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary

· A lifetime commitment to serving Christ’s people

· A mission of service to the Word, Liturgy and Charity and Justice

The deacon is a man who is called to a ministry of service. With priests and bishops, he receives the Sacrament of Holy Orders. He is an ordained clergyman living in the life style of the laity. Pope John Paul II said that, "the deacon is the Church's service sacramentalized. He is the visible sign of service to which all the baptized are called."

The order of deacon can be traced back to the early Church. Traditional scholarship notes that deacons are first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. As the centuries passed, the role of deacon became less prominent and by the end of the first millennium became primarily only a step to priesthood in the Latin Rite Church.

The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council restored the Diaconate as a permanent element in the hierarchy of the Church. In the documents of the Council it is written that, "The Deacon stands in the midst of the Church as Christ, the servant of all. By this unique expression of holy orders, Christ calls some men, and the Church ordains deacons to be consecrated expressions of service and, in a particular way, to assist bishops and priests to carry out their own unique ministerial priesthood. While deacons are not called to priesthood, they are ordained to a ministry of service that enriches the Church and enhances the ministry in service of God's people."

The deacon's service is threefold:

Ministry of the Word

Ministry of Liturgy

Ministry of Charity and Justice.

The deacon is called to participate in the Church's ministry of the word as an evangelizer and teacher. He takes the spirit and message of Jesus to the marketplace and is generous of his time, energy and talents, especially to the poor.

In the deacon's liturgical ministry, the Church sees a reflection of its own diaconal character and is reminded of its mission to serve as Jesus did.

Ministry of Charity and

Justice is integral to the

deacon’s service in the

Church’s ministry of Word

and Liturgy. Pope John

Paul II said, "This is at the

very heart of the Diaconate

to which you have been

called: to be servant of the

mysteries of Christ and,

at the same time, to be