Day 215: Deacons and the Diaconate (2025)

Sun Aug 03 2025

Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the ordination of deacons and the diaconate. Fr. Mike unpacks each of the essential elements of the rite of the ordination of deacons as well as each of the tasks of the deacon. He emphasizes that only a validly ordained bishop can validly confer the sacrament of Holy Orders. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1569-1576.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Day 215: Deacons and the Diaconate
Release Date: August 3, 2025
Duration: 15-20 minutes

Introduction

In Day 215 of Ascension's The Catechism in a Year podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz delves into the role and significance of deacons within the Catholic Church. Building upon previous discussions about the ordination of bishops and priests, today's episode focuses on understanding the diaconate, its historical roots, sacramental celebration, and the essential duties of deacons.

Gratitude and Community Support

Fr. Mike begins by expressing heartfelt gratitude to the listeners for their support through financial gifts and prayers. He emphasizes the communal aspect of the podcast, stating:

"I am praying for you every day. Every, literally every single day." [01:30]

This underscores the reciprocal relationship between Fr. Mike and his audience, fostering a sense of spiritual camaraderie.

Understanding the Diaconate

Fr. Mike introduces the diaconate as the third tier of Holy Orders, following bishops and priests. He highlights the unique role of deacons as servants within the Church:

"The heart of the deacon is the heart of a servant." [04:15]

He explains that deacons are ordained not to the priesthood but to a ministry of service, tracing this role back to the Acts of the Apostles. The term "diakonia" embodies this ministry of service, emphasizing generosity and selflessness.

Sacramental Celebration of Holy Orders

The episode details the sacramental celebration of Holy Orders, highlighting the importance of community involvement:

"The ordination of a bishop, a priest, or a deacon is a massively important celebration for the entire diocese." [12:45]

Key points include:

Timing and Location: Preferably on Sundays in cathedrals to maximize participation, though adaptations may be necessary based on diocesan needs.
Essential Rite: The bishop’s imposition of hands and a consecratory prayer are central to the sacrament, invoking the Holy Spirit's guidance and gifts specific to each ministry.
Liturgical Rites: Vary across traditions but commonly include rites that symbolize sacramental grace, such as anointing with Holy Chrism and the presentation of liturgical items (e.g., Gospels, rings, mitres).

Fr. Mike emphasizes that only a bishop in apostolic succession can validly confer Holy Orders, maintaining the continuity of Christ’s mission through the Church's hierarchy.

Roles and Responsibilities of Deacons

Fr. Mike outlines the multifaceted duties of deacons, referencing paragraphs 1570-1576 of the Catechism:

Assisting in the Divine Mysteries: Primarily during the Eucharist, including the distribution of Holy Communion.
Marital Blessings: Deacons often witness and bless marriages.
Proclamation of the Gospel and Preaching: Deacons play a pivotal role in preaching the Gospel, a responsibility Fr. Mike personally feels ambivalent about but acknowledges as integral to their role.
Funerals: Presiding over and attending funerals, offering spiritual support during times of loss.
Charitable Ministries: Engaging in various acts of charity, reflecting the ministry's roots in service as established in the Acts of the Apostles.

He reminisces on the historical establishment of the diaconate, drawn from the apostles' recognition of the need for dedicated service:

"When the apostles... were so busy trying to take care of everyone, they said it's not good for us to abandon the ministry of the Word to wait on tables." [18:20]

The Permanent Diaconate

Fr. Mike discusses the Restoration of the Permanent Diaconate post-Vatican II, contrasting it with the Eastern Churches where the diaconate has always been a permanent and integral part of the hierarchy. He views the reinstatement as a significant enrichment for the Church's mission, allowing married men to serve as deacons and thus broadening the Church's capacity for service and ministry.

Community Involvement and Practical Considerations

Acknowledging the logistical challenges faced by dioceses, especially large ones, Fr. Mike shares a personal example of scheduling ordinations on Fridays to accommodate widespread parishes:

"We typically have our ordinations on a Friday because many of the faithful as well as all the priests can make it on a Friday." [24:10]

This adaptation ensures greater participation and inclusivity within diverse and expansive diocesan communities.

Essential Elements of the Sacrament

Fr. Mike reiterates the core components of the Sacrament of Holy Orders:

Imposition of Hands: Symbolizing the transmission of spiritual authority and responsibility.
Consecratory Prayer: A plea for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and the specific gifts necessary for each level of ministry.

He emphasizes the sanctity and irrevocability of the sacramental imprint received during ordination, aligning deacons with Christ’s mission.

Prayer and Reflection

Concluding the episode, Fr. Mike encourages listeners to pray for current and future deacons, bishops, and priests. He highlights the importance of communal prayer in supporting the Church’s leadership and the individuals called to serve:

"Let's pray for those men that God is calling to be bishops, that pray for those men God is calling to be priests... and pray for those men God is calling to be deacons." [28:40]

He invites listeners to continue engaging with the podcast to deepen their understanding of the Church’s sacramental life and their role within it.

Conclusion

Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Day 215 episode offers an insightful exploration into the diaconate, emphasizing its foundational role in the Catholic Church’s hierarchy and mission. Through theological explanation, historical context, and personal reflection, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of deacons' vital contributions to liturgical life, pastoral care, and charitable endeavors. The episode not only educates but also fosters a deep appreciation for the sacrament of Holy Orders and the men dedicated to lives of service within the Church.

Notable Quotes:

Gratitude and Prayer:
"I am praying for you every day. Every, literally every single day." [01:30]
Heart of a Deacon:
"The heart of the deacon is the heart of a servant." [04:15]
Importance of Sacramental Celebration:
"The ordination of a bishop, a priest, or a deacon is a massively important celebration for the entire diocese." [12:45]
Historical Foundation of Diakonia:
"When the apostles... were so busy trying to take care of everyone, they said it's not good for us to abandon the ministry of the Word to wait on tables." [18:20]
Community Adaptation:
"We typically have our ordinations on a Friday because many of the faithful as well as all the priests can make it on a Friday." [24:10]
Call to Prayer:
"Let's pray for those men that God is calling to be bishops, that pray for those men God is calling to be priests... and pray for those men God is calling to be deacons." [28:40]

Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a testament to the enduring tradition and evolving practices of the Catholic Church's hierarchy. Fr. Mike Schmitz effectively bridges doctrinal teachings with practical applications, inviting listeners to not only understand but also actively support and pray for the ordained ministries that sustain and enrich the Church's mission in the modern world.

Transcript

A (0:05)

Hi, my name is Fr. Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us revealed in scripture and passed down through the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in a Year is brought to you by ascension. In 365 days, we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly homeland. This is day 215. We're reading paragraphs 1569 to 1576. As always, I'm using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes a foundations of faith approach that you can follow along with any recent version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own catechism into your reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com ciy you can also click follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications. Today, I just want to take a moment to thank you so much. All of you have supported the production of this podcast with your financial gifts, your prayers. We couldn't do this without you. I ask our prayers at the end of every one of these episodes, and I promise you, I am praying for you every day. Every, literally every single day. You're part of my daily prayers, part of my daily Mass I offer for every person listening to this. Just so you know that I'm praying, I'm holding up my end of the bargain. And I know that you're probably holding up your end as well. Today's tape 215, we're in paragraphs 1569 to 1576. Well, we talked yesterday about the ordination of priests, before that, the ordination of bishops. Today we're going to talk about ordination of deacons, as well as how, how's that sacrament celebrated? And so, you know, deacons are that, that third. I don't want to say third tier, but we'll say it like that. You know, it's part of the hierarchy, so there's tiers there. The third aspect, remember the bishops and the priests, they share. They participate in the priesthood of Jesus in a unique way. And the deacons are ordained to serve. Remember that diakonia, is that that ministry of service. And it's really remarkable, goes all the way back to the Acts of the Apostles. Just such an incredible gift. If you know some deacons who have, who served so well, you just, you think, wow, these guys are givers. They're so generous in their heart. That heart of the deacon is the heart of a servant. Now we're also going to talk about two other middle mini sections. And the mini sections are, so how do we celebrate this sacrament? And also who can confer the sacraments of Holy or the Sacrament of Holy Orders? Bishop, priest and deacon? Like who can do that? We're talking about that. Those things today. Let's say a prayer and call upon the Holy Spirit, that Spirit of life, that Spirit of love, that Spirit who continues to fill. Fill us with God's grace, we pray. Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, I ask you to please send your Holy Spirit upon us. Remind us of who you are, remind us of your love, remind us of your goodness so that we can trust you even more fully today. Help us to renew our faith, hope and love in you. Those gifts of faith, hope and love are truly graces from you, Lord God. Pour them out upon us. Help us to say yes and respond to them in a powerful way. And never let us be separated from you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It is day 215. We are reading paragraphs 1569 to 1576. The ordination of in order to serve at a lower level of the hierarchy are to be found deacons who receive the imposition of hands not unto the priesthood, but unto the ministry. At an ordination to the diaconate, only the bishop lays hands on the candidate, thus signifying the deacon's special attachment to the bishop in the tasks of his diaconia. Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace in a special way. The Sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint character which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the deacon or servant of all, among other tasks. It is the task of the deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the Divine Mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Latin Church has restored the diaconate as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy. While the churches of the east had always maintained it, this permanent diaconate, which can be conferred on married men, constitutes an important enrichment for the Church's mission. Indeed, it is appropriate and useful that men who carry out a truly diaconal ministry in the Church, whether in its liturgical and pastoral life, or whether in its social and charitable works should be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down from the apostles, they would be more closely bound to the altar, and their ministry would be made more fruitful through the sacramental grace of the diaconate. The Celebration of this Sacrament Given the importance that the ordination of a bishop, a priest, or a deacon has for the life of the particular church, its celebration calls for as many of the faithful as possible to take part. It should take place preferably on Sunday in the cathedral with solemnity appropriate to the occasion. All three ordinationsof the bishop, of the priest and of the deacon followed follow the same movement. Their proper place is within the eucharistic liturgy. The essential rite of the Sacrament of Holy orders for all 3 degrees consists in the bishop's imposition of hands on the head of the ordinand and in the bishop's specific consecratory prayer, asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to the ministry to which the candidate is being ordained. As in all the sacraments, additional rites surround the celebration. Varying greatly among the different liturgical traditions, these rites have in common the expression of the multiple aspects of sacramental grace. Thus, in the Latin Church the initial rites, presentation and election of the ordinand, instruction by the bishop, examination of the candidate, litany of the saints attest that the choice of the candidate is made in keeping with the practice of the Church and prepare for the solemn act of consecration, after which several rites symbolically express and complete the mystery for bishop and priest an anointing with Holy Chrism, a sign of the special anointing of the Holy Spirit, who makes their ministry fruitful giving the book of the Gospels, the ring, the mitre, and the crozier to the bishop as the sign of his apostolic mission to proclaim the word of God of his fidelity to the Church, the bride of Christ and his office as shepherd of the Lord's flock presentation to the priest of the paten in chalice, the offering of the holy people which he is called to present to God giving the book of the Gospels to the deacon who has just received the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, who can confer this sacrament. Christ Himself chose the apostles and gave them a share in his mission and authority. Raised to the Father's right hand, he has not forsaken his flock, but he keeps it under his constant protection through the apostles and and guides it still through these same pastors who continue his work today. Thus it is Christ whose Gift it is that some be apostles, others pastors. He continues to act through the bishops. Since the sacrament of Holy Orders is the sacrament of the apostolic ministry, it is for the bishops, as the successors of the apostles, to hand on the gift of the Spirit. The apostolic line. Validly ordained bishops, I.e. those who are in the line of apostolic succession, validly confer the three degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Okay, there we are, paragraphs 1569 to 1576. We started off by talking about deacons and that, that third tier, the lower level of the hierarchy to be found deacons. And just so incredible, right, the imposition of hands. We talked about that. We're going to talk about that later on, right? That's the. One of the essential parts of the ordination is the imposition of hands, the laying on of hands from the bishop to that person to be ordained. So they receive there, not when they're laying out of hands, they don't receive ordination to the priesthood, but unto the ministry, unto service. And there's something so powerful, because what is the deacon's call or even say it, I guess. What are the tasks that a deacon is kind of like more or less supposed to be part of? In paragraph 1570, it says, it says, among other tasks, there are other things, but it is a task of deacons. To do what? To assist the bishops and priests in the celebration of the divine ministries, above all the Eucharist. So to assist at the altar, that's the primary task, further in the distribution of Holy Communion. So they are ordinary ministers of Holy Communion in assisting at and blessing marriages. So a lot of times deacons will witness, they'll assist, they'll bless marriages, the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching. This is one of the more annoying things for me. Meaning what I mean by that is I love proclaiming the Gospel. I love being able to just read the words of the Gospels at Mass. I love that. And then when there. Whenever there's a deacon, he's the one who gets to read it. And it's just always like, oh, anyways, that's just me and my personal thing. But that's part of his role. Proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity. There's something so powerful. Why did, why the various ministries of charity? Well, go back to the Acts of the Apostles, when the order of. Of deacon was even brought to us. There was, there was a need. There was the need where the apostles, the disciples, they were. They were so busy Trying to take care of everyone that they said it's not good for us to abandon the ministry of the Word, to wait on tables. And so let's select these seven men and lay hands on them and basically consecrate them to do that service. So it's, it's a ministry they're ordained unto service. And it's so powerful. You know, of course, the very next thing that you hear about a deacon is a deacon going off and preaching. But that's, that's also part of the ministry of deacons. Now we have a thing in the, in the west, it was re instituted, not reinstituted. That's. It's been restored, I guess probably the best way to say it, the permanent diaconate, which has been such a gift. I think in the West. Now in the east, they've always had the permanent diaconate. They didn't have to restore it because they always maintained it. And yet we have been, hopefully our parishes have been blessed, your parish have been blessed by that ministry of the diaconate. Now, paragraphs 1572 to 1574 talk about the celebration of the sacrament. And so basically 1572 says it's a big deal. It's a big deal sacrament and it should be celebrated by the entire assembly of the, the diocese. Everyone should be able to come out to this and many of the faithful to take part in this. It's. I love, I like this. It says it should take place preferably on Sunday in the cathedral with solemnity approaching appropriate to the occasion. And like, yeah, that's a good deal in our diocese. We have such an expansive diocese when it comes to like, over the area that it would be really difficult for us to all. All the priests to be able to attend an ordination on a Sunday because there's. Again, we're just spread out so far. You have to. It takes a long time to drive across the diocese. So we typically have our ordinations on a Friday because many of the faithful as well as all the priests can make it on a Friday. So that we kind of do that here. But again, the heart of it is this is a massively important celebration for the entire diocese. What is a day where the most number of people can be there? What's the day where the most number of priests can be there? That's in our diocese. They've discerned, not me, they've discerned that that's Friday now, the essential rite of the sacrament. Because whenever we have a sacrament, we want to know like, what's at the very heart of the sacrament. What's the matter? In form, what are the essential pieces? So the essential rite of the sacrament for whole of Holy Orders for all three degrees, right? Bishop, priest, deacon, consists in the bishop laying on hands, laying hands on the head of the ordinant, and the bishop's specific consecratory prayer asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to that ministry to which the person is being ordained. And that's the essential rite of that sacrament. And only a validly ordained bishop in line of apostolic succession can validly confer any of the three degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. So that's. That's what we got for today. Man, what a gift. I will say this. Well, tomorrow we're talking about who can receive the sacrament, which is going to be a good and helpful thing for us to be able to pray about. Because one of the things we recognize is, I've been saying for this for the last couple days, we just need to pray. We need to pray for the bishops we have, pray for the priests we have, pray today for the deacons we have. But also as we move forward, you know, God continues. He want. I believe God wants to continue blessing his church. So let's pray for those men that God is calling to be bishops that pray for those men God is calling to be priests. Pray for the men God is calling to be deacons. Let's pray for them as well. And I am praying for you. You guys, all of this. Here's day 215. This is remarkable. Here you are. Keep pressing play. Showing up every single day to learn about God. This is the church you've given to us. These are the graces you've given to us. This is the sacrament of holy orders that you've given to us. And what an incredible gift it is that you and I find ourselves in this church that Jesus Christ has given to the world. And he lets you and I be part of it. So amazing, so incredible. And so let's keep praying. I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.