- Feb 5, 2002
- 178,706
- 64,122
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Female
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
EXPLAINER: Understanding the ministry of liturgy, word and charity.
It’s possible to define deacons in a number of ways — by their state in life, ministries, ordination, history or calling — but it’s a mistake to reduce them to the roles or functions. This may be why the ministry is poorly understood by many, who view them as either incomplete priests or tall altar boys. The charism of diakonia calls a man to be a visible sign of the connection between the liturgy and word and the Church’s own call to service.
As Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez has explained, a deacon is “called to minister in persona Christi Servi — in the person of Christ the Servant. Ordination configures him to Jesus in his most humble form — as the Son of God who emptied himself to come among us in the form of a servant; as the Son of Man who came not to be served, but to serve.”
Approximately 19,000 deacons serve in the United States, which represents a significant portion (about 40%) of the estimated 50,450 worldwide. This makes them a very visible presence in the U.S., and as priestly vocations decline, these men are being asked to take on more responsibilities in their parishes. This weekend, as they gather for the Jubilee of Deacons in Rome, the Register offers an explainer.
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
It’s possible to define deacons in a number of ways — by their state in life, ministries, ordination, history or calling — but it’s a mistake to reduce them to the roles or functions. This may be why the ministry is poorly understood by many, who view them as either incomplete priests or tall altar boys. The charism of diakonia calls a man to be a visible sign of the connection between the liturgy and word and the Church’s own call to service.
As Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez has explained, a deacon is “called to minister in persona Christi Servi — in the person of Christ the Servant. Ordination configures him to Jesus in his most humble form — as the Son of God who emptied himself to come among us in the form of a servant; as the Son of Man who came not to be served, but to serve.”
Approximately 19,000 deacons serve in the United States, which represents a significant portion (about 40%) of the estimated 50,450 worldwide. This makes them a very visible presence in the U.S., and as priestly vocations decline, these men are being asked to take on more responsibilities in their parishes. This weekend, as they gather for the Jubilee of Deacons in Rome, the Register offers an explainer.
In the Bible and Church History
Continued below.
What Is a Deacon?
EXPLAINER: Understanding the ministry of liturgy, word and charity.
