Deacon Formation Program

Let us remember, please, that for the disciples of Jesus, to love is to serve and to serve is to reign. Power lies in service, not in anything else.” - Pope Francis in his address to the Permanent Deacons of the Diocese of Rome, June 19, 2021

On May 12, 2021, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin authorized the recruitment and formation of a new class of Permanent Deacons for the Diocese of Providence. Applicants discerning a vocation to the Permanent Diaconate should read carefully the information below and discuss his potential application with the pastor of his parish. 

As an outcome of the Second Vatican Council, the Council Fathers re-instituted the diaconate as a permanent order, in its own right, within the hierarchy of the Church. The Diocese of Providence re-established the diaconate with the ordination of the first class of Permanent Deacons in June of 1976. Between 1976 and 2020, the Diocese has ordained more than 160 men to the Permanent Diaconate. 

Permanent deacons have enriched the Diocese by offering their lives in service in more than 80 parishes, hospitals, correctional facilities, nursing homes, outreach ministries to the homeless and other charitable ministries. If a man has interest in and feels called to serve the Church as a deacon, please review the following information concerning the Diocesan Program of Formation.

Read Programa de Formación al Diaconado
 

What is the Diaconate Program?

The order of the diaconate is an ancient order of the Church re-instituted as a permanent office by Pope Paul VI at the suggestion of the Second Vatican Council (1963-65). While every priest is ordained a deacon as a necessary step towards ordination to the priesthood, ordination to the diaconate does not have to be transitory. Many are ordained to what is called the permanent diaconate and serve as deacons the rest of their lives.

Deacons are men who love God and His Church and feel called to serve in a more committed way. The role of the deacon is to assist the bishops and priests and to proclaim by his life the Church’s call to serve the needs of others.
 

The Application Process

The application process involves a number of steps that begins with requesting and returning to the Office of Deacons a fully completed application. The applicant is responsible for providing current sacramental records and letters of recommendation. The process can last up to 9 months before a class begins formation and involves several interviews, including interviews with the applicant’s wife.
 

The Diaconate Program of Formation in the Diocese of Providence

The Diaconate Office assists candidates in their formation through a four year program of academic instruction, spiritual development, human development and practical pastoral experience. Upon completion, each man is prepared for ordination and assignment to serve as a deacon in parishes and other ministerial situations: proclaiming the Gospel and sometimes preaching on the Sacred Scriptures; assisting in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy and other rites of the Church; and serving in other ministries of charity and catechetics.

The Program will be conducted by the Diocesan Diaconate Office. Although a college degree is not necessary to enter the program, a viable candidate must be able to master materials presented at the collegiate or graduate school level.
 

Other criteria include:

• Be a practicing Catholic layman who will be at least 35 years of age at the time of ordination and be not older than 61 on January 1st in the year of recruitment
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Be a fully initiated Catholic in good standing with the church
• Have a familiarity with Catholic Theology
• Should be actively involved in ministry at either the parish or diocesan level
• If married, be in a stable marriage of at least 5 years (at the time of application) and have the support and agreement of his wife and family to pursue a diaconal vocation
• If unmarried (being single or a widower), to be living in a lifestyle consistent with the call to the ordained ministry in the celibate state within the Catholic Church.
   

 Whoever serves me, must follow me, and my servant will be with me wherever I am.” - John 12:24-26

The Diaconate
National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States
Diaconate Information & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions About Deacons

09.08.21 Number of U.S. permanent deacons declined slightly, expected to increase (Catholic News Service)

06.21.21 Permanent deacons are reminder of the power of service, pope says (Catholic News Service/Our Sunday Visitor)

06.21.21 Neither ‘half-priests’ nor ‘special altar boys’: Pope outlines expectations for permanent deacons (Catholic World News)

06.19.21 Pope: "Deacons are the guardians of service in the Church" (Vatican News)

06.19.21 Pope Francis: The humble service of a deacon tells of the greatness of God (Catholic News Agency)

06.19.21 Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Permanent Deacons of the Diocese of Rome, with their families (vatican.va)

06.02.21 Report shows 19,000 U.S. deacons; age, retirement are factors for diaconate (Catholic News Service)

06.01.21 Annual Survey of Permanent Diaconate Highlights the Importance and Need for Their Ministry in Life of the Church (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)

05.2021 A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate: 2020-2021 (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate [CARA] Report)