Deacons

OFFICE OF THE PERMANENT DIACONATE

Deacon Edward Giblin
Director, Office of the Permanent Diaconate
585-328-3228, ext. 1237

Vision Statement

The Deacon, called from and by the community and strengthened by sacramental grace, has a primary role of service to those in need.

This role flows from the servant role of Jesus to the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed, the alienated. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore, he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord.”

Historically, the service of the Deacon has been directed to the disenfranchised; and in these rapidly changing times, this role of service also urges the Deacon to address the particular spiritual and social needs of a racially, ethnically and economically diverse community.

Although most Deacons have served in parish ministry, and many will continue to offer this valuable ministry, the major time commitment of the Deacon should be this primary role of service, within or outside the parochial context.

It is from this role of service that the liturgical ministry springs, providing the Deacon an opportunity to facilitate and motivate concern and action for justice in the workplace and among the wider community, by animating the Christian community to an awareness of the needs of others.

For those Deacons who are married, their ministry of service should be seen in light of the pre-eminent place of their vocation to marriage and family life.

Therefore, the grace of ordination should be regarded as enhancing the grace of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, wherein the married couple already witnesses to the presence of Christ in the world.

The vision of diaconal ministry needs to be reflected in the collaboration of the Deacon and the Bishop as they share in their common ministry of service, advocacy and empowerment relative to the needs of the marginalized of the diocesan church.

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