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Mr John Grady,
Hinsley Hall,
62 Headingley Lane,
LEEDS, LS6 2BX
Tel: 0113 261 8022
Fax: 0113 261 8035
Email:
john.grady@dioceseofleeds.org.uk
'What is a Deacon?'
Many – perhaps most - people don’t know what a Catholic deacon is. What are his duties? Are they ‘fancy altar servers?’ Are they ‘mini priests?’ What privileges do they have? What duties? These are all good questions.
It is not easy to define the role of the Deacon. But in ordination, the man is set apart by the Church for this ministry, not to be another layer of clericalism but, as it were to have ‘one foot on the sanctuary and one in the market place’ in a way that the priest or the lay person cannot do. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign of Christ to the Church and to the world, who came "to serve and not to be served."
After the Second Vatican Council many dioceses in this country invited their members to consider the vocation to Permanent Diaconate. A Deacon is a man called to serve, the very meaning of the word in a threefold ministry:
Firstly in the Ministry of Charity –
To serve the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised, and to coordinate in the response to their needs.To take special care for matters of social justice.
To support and encourage parish groups and organisations working in this area.
Secondly in Ministry of the Word -
A Deacon will proclaim the Gospel, and occasionally preach at a Mass and/or other Religious Services.To preside over Services, other than the Mass.
To lead the people in other forms of Prayer, as required
To lead Funeral and Burial Services, if needed.
And thirdly, in Ministry of the Altar –
To serve on the altar at Mass assisting the Bishop or Priest.To assist in the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass, in hospital and in the homes of the sick, the housebound and the dying.
To prepare people for the sacrament of Baptism and administer that sacrament.
To prepare couples for marriage and will officiate at Marriages.
A separate Website for the Deacons of the Leeds Diocese is at:
www.Leeds-Deacons.org.uk which contains further details on the Leeds Diaconate and the Formation Program Deacons undergo.
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