The Office of Deacons
The Second Vatican Council reestablished the Order of Deacons as a permanent rank in the hierarchy of the Church.  In the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the first permanent deacons were ordained in 1979. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the deacon receives a permanent imprint or character which unites him to Christ, the Servant of All. The bishop ordains deacons to be consecrated witnesses to service. The deacon serves in the Ministry of the Word, the Ministry of Liturgy, and the Ministry of Charity and Justice.

The deacon is a sacred minister and a member of the clergy. He is ordained to serve God’s people in communion with the bishop and priests. The bishop and deacon share a special relationship. The deacon performs his ministry under the authority of the bishop. The deacon vows respect and obedience to the bishop; the bishop provides for the pastoral care of the deacon. Because the deacon is involved in the secular world to a greater extent than the priest, he has the ability to bring the Gospel message into the workplace.

Deacons, both married and unmarried, give witness to the Gospel value of sacrificial love and the dignity of human work. The deacon has the special opportunity and obligation to proclaim and witness the Gospel in his secular profession. For more information, please contact us at the telephone number and emails listed below.