The Diocese of San Angelo was one of the first to ordain deacons after the permanent diaconate was restored by the Second Vatican Council. The first ordination of permanent deacons in the Diocese of San Angelo was by Bishop Stephen A. Leven in August of 1976. I plan to ordain our current formation class in 2026. We will soon begin conducting informational sessions for those who may be called to form the next class, whose diaconal ordination should take place in 2029.

As our current deacons pour out their lives in generous service, we must always be planning for the needs of future generations of the church in West Texas. There are many parishes, missions, and entire areas in our diocese that have no deacons. This is an opportunity to make good progress toward filling those gaps in the ministry of the church.

Over the years that I have served as priest and bishop, I have seen firsthand the tremendous good that is done by deacons. My own father was a permanent deacon, and I have worked alongside wonderful deacons in every place where I have been assigned in ministry.

While deacons are often unsung heroes in our communities, they have a vital place in the life of the Catholic Church. The first person to die a martyr’s death because he was a follower of Jesus Christ was the deacon St. Stephen in the first century. Some other canonized deacon saints were St. Philip, St. Lawrence, St. Ephrem, and St. Vincent. One of the most venerated religious figures in history, St. Francis of Assisi, was likely a deacon.

Our deacons touch thousands of people’s lives. They help win souls for Christ. They build up the community of the church. They make a tremendous positive difference, and I am very grateful for their ministry.

Deacons function in a variety of ministries. They help equip fellow members of the church for service to the poor, the sick, the grieving, the imprisoned, the immigrants, the forgotten, and the abandoned. They reach out to people who otherwise might not be reached with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Permanent deacons have the potential to serve as essential bridge-builders in the community, building bridges between cultures, between different groups in a parish, and between Catholics and non-Catholics. Because of their unique position as permanent deacons, they can also help build bridges between the secular world and the religious world, between the marketplace and the kingdom of God, between the ancient truths of the Catholic faith and the contemporary challenges of our society.

As ministers of the altar, deacons proclaim the Gospel, prepare the offertory gifts, and distribute the Lord’s Body and Blood to the faithful in Holy Communion. Deacons share in the responsibility of evangelization and catechesis. They preside over prayers, administer baptism of children, witness marriages, bring viaticum to the dying, and preside at some funeral rites without the Mass. In a parish, the deacon is supervised by the local pastor, and the pastor determines the extent to which a deacon will preach in the liturgy.

Deacons can lead Communion services and Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest. They can preside at quinceañeras. They bless houses, vehicles, and religious objects. They help prepare couples for marriage. Some are field advocates for the marriage tribunal, assisting those who are seeking a declaration of nullity. Among other things, they are often involved in sacramental preparation, RCIA/OCIA, youth and young adult ministry, adult faith formation, prison ministry, works of charity, pro-life ministry, and visitation of the sick.

Diaconal ministry in the church is typically understood to be part-time volunteer service, and it typically involves about ten to fifteen hours per week. Permanent deacons usually have a regular full-time job in the secular world. They must be gainfully employed in their own profession in order to take care of their own financial needs. In a few rare cases, deacons may have fulltime employment in a parish or a diocese.

A deacon is assigned to the ministry and parish where the need is most critical. While most deacons serve at the parish level, there are some who also function in other ministries outside the parish as designated by the bishop. A deacon’s assignment can be changed at any time according to the changing needs of the church. He will not always be assigned to his home parish.

A man becomes a deacon not out of personal desire, ambition, or self-interest, but rather for the common good of the church as determined by the bishop. When a man enters the diaconal formation process, it is not certain that he will become a deacon. The discernment process in the formation program is a two-way street; that is, the candidate himself must discern God’s call, and the church must also discern whether this man is called to ordained ministry or to the lay apostolate. This discernment process takes place through reflection, prayer, assessment, and dialogue.

If you know anyone that you think might make a good deacon, please point it out to them, and let them know that we will soon form a new class in our diocese. Please pray for those who are considering this call.

Those who are interested in being considered to join this next class should speak first with their pastor as soon as possible. In order to be allowed to join the formation class, they need the endorsement of their local pastor.

In another article in this edition of the West Texas Angelus, Deacon Freddy Medina explains our formation process and the basic requirements (see Page 6). Anyone who would like more information about the ministry of permanent deacons or the upcoming formation class should contact Deacon Freddy Medina, Director of the Office of Diaconal Ministry, at 325-651-7500 or at [email protected].