Deacons Stories

Unseen servants

While Catholics typically see the deacon proclaiming the Gospel and preaching — his “Ministry of the Word” — and they see him assisting at Mass — his “Ministry of the Altar” — what “stamps the deacon,” the formation director said, is his “Ministry of Charity,” work that often isn’t at the parish to which they are assigned and often goes unseen by parishioners.

Specifically, Deacons can baptize, witness marriages, perform funeral and burial services outside of Mass, distribute Holy Communion, preach the homily and are obligated to pray the Divine Office (Breviary) each day.  These are the 150 Psalms and Scriptural readings from the Old and New Testament that every deacon, priest, and bishop must pray every day and a few times during each day.) This way, in addition to the biblical readings at daily Mass, the cleric is also exposed to more Sacred Scripture each day of his life.