What is a Deacon?

A deacon is ordained as a ‘minister of the Word, of the altar, and of charity’.  Deacons today minister alongside priests, supporting them in the local church. Diaconal ordination leaves a lifelong, irrevocable mark on the ordained man.

Whereas priests celebrate Mass, hear confessions, and anoint the sick, deacons can baptise solemnly, be the official witness at marriages and have a special liturgical role.

Unlike priests, deacons can be married and have families. However, if they are unmarried when they are ordained they cannot then marry.

Becoming a Deacon

The process of becoming a deacon involves growing in prayer, in your knowledge of the faith, in your abilities as a human being, and in your abilities to recognise and help those in need.

Men who aspire to become deacons normally begin by spending a year in discernment, learning more about deacons and praying to understand what God is calling them to do; this is called the “propaedeutic year”.

During this time they work with our formation team, who try to learn more about the men so that they can give an informed recommendation to the man’s bishop or ordinary. After the propaedeutic year, men spend four years in formation.

During those years they have forty sessions at Oscott, where they study the faith, learn pastoral skills and pray together.  Everyone has a personal formation tutor, who accompanies them in their formation. Everyone should also have pastoral experience closer to home. They work in parishes and institutions, or wherever they can help those in need, for example, those who are homeless, out of work, ill or in prison.

I Applying to your diocese

To begin the process of becoming a deacon, you need to apply to your diocese. Every diocese has someone responsible for deacons in formation and they will be happy to connect with you.

II Approval of the bishop

After this, you will need the approval of your bishop to continue. Following this is a year of discernment, in which you learn more about the diaconate and the diocese learns more about you. At the end of this period, you can be approved as an ‘aspirant’.

Your diocese will then arrange for your formation, either here at Oscott or on one of the other diaconate formation programmes in our country.

III Propaedeutic year

This year, known as the propaedeutic year, is a year for growing in prayer, your knowledge of the faith and your abilities to help those in need. At the end of this year you will be assessed and hopefully approved and recognised as a candidate for the diaconate.

IV Formation

What follows is four more years of formation, at the end of which Oscott College makes a recommendation to your diocese about whether you should be ordained as a permanent deacon.

Curriculum

Academic formation

Academic formation consists of 28 'modules'.  Each module contains two meetings with the module tutor in the form of a lecture or seminar, completion of the tasks set out in the relevant workbook, and submission of a piece of written work or an oral exam. The modules cover: sacraments (5 modules), scripture (7 modules), other theology (5 modules), and other subjects (11 modules).

Human formation

There is an academic module on human development, and three skills sessions on listening and counselling. Other modules and sessions overlap with this area.

Spiritual formation

Oscott provides three retreats and the opportunity for spiritual direction and reconciliation, but most students have a spiritual director closer to home. The module on prayer and the skills session on spiritual direction contribute to spiritual growth, but spiritual formation happens mostly in the home diocese, outside Oscott.

Pastoral formation

The diocesan directors are responsible for arranging pastoral placements, supervision, and pastoral assessment of their own students. Normally, this begins with activity in one’s own parish or deanery, but many students do placements which offer them special challenges.

Wives & families

Most candidates for the permanent diaconate are married. The Church understands that the Permanent Deacon has a special position of receiving both the sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders, but considers the commitment to wife and family as being of highest priority.

The Formation Programme seeks to ensure that the balance between work, family and ministry is successfully made and recognises the importance of wives and families in the development of candidates.

Wives are welcome to come along for the study days here at Oscott and they can partake in all aspects of the formation days except for tutorials, which are opportunities for the candidate to discuss openly his personal development with his tutor.

However, it is not possible to welcome children to the formation days, due to the demands of the programme and the lack of appropriate childcare facilities on site.

Get in touch

If you are interested in becoming a Catholic deacon and would like to make an enquiry, we recommend that you get in touch with the vocations director of your diocese.

Find your vocations director

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Everything that’s coming up, from tours and formation events, to symposiums and times of prayer.

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The Oscotian is the Official Annual Publication of St Mary’s College Oscott. Edited by our seminarians, every issue is a time capsule of our year, sharing key stories and reflections from our students and staff.

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