Diaconate

Deacons are best described by who they are rather than by what they do. Men who are ordained to the Diaconate promise to live out the charism of service to God's people through the Word, Sacrament, and Charity/Justice for the rest of their lives. The role of the deacon is to be a helper of the bishops and priests and to proclaim by his life, the Church's call to serve the needs of others. The deacon is the animator and promoter of what the community of faith must be: a community of service.

• He is between the ages of 32 and 60 years old.
• He is a Catholic in good standing in the Church and fully initiated in the faith for at least 5 years.
• If he is married:
  • There must be evidence of a stable and growing marriage relationship.
  • His wife must a Catholic in good standing in the Church and fully initiated in the faith for at least 5 years. 
  • His wife must be willing to support her husband actively through formation and in his ministry.
  • If ordained to the diaconate, he is willing to live in the celibate state if his wife precedes him in death.
• He demonstrates emotional maturity, personal integrity, and appropriate self-knowledge.
• He demonstrates lived Christian holiness, generosity for service, and an active interior prayer life.
• He demonstrates the ability to work in a team, works well with people and has good communication skills (both as a speaker and as a listener).
• He possesses good physical and psychological health (both the man and wife, if married).
• He is valued by the Christian community as evidenced by parish ministry.
• He is free from irregularities for receiving Holy Orders (see Canon 1041).
• His present pastor knows and supports him.

There are four stages to diaconal formation: Inquiry, Aspirancy, Candidacy, and Post-Ordination Formation

Inquiry is the first stage of diaconal formation.  The man (and his wife, if married) meets with the Director of Diaconal Formation. Following this meeting, the man will carefully discern God’s call through prayer, discussions with his wife, pastor, and Director of Diaconal Formation, participation in parish life, and the completion of the following prerequisite classes offered by the Office of the Diaconate, the Josephinum Diaconate Institute or taken at a Catholic college, university, or seminary:

• The Theology of the Diaconate
• Introduction to Old Testament
• Introduction to New Testament
• Introduction to Philosophy (or its equivalent)
• Fundamental Theology or Basic Catholic Doctrine
• The History of the Catholic Church
• Equivalent education is evaluated on an individual case basis.

Please see the 6000 series in the Guidelines for Deacons in the Diocese of Columbus for additional information.

Aspirancy is the second stage of Diaconal formation. Cohorts are currently formed on a three-year cycle; the most recent cohort having been formed in 2023. Completing the requirements for Inquiry is not a guarantee of being invited into Aspirancy.

Instead, Aspirancy cohorts are formed by invitation after assessment by the Director of Diaconal Formation and a Candidate Screening Board made up of clergy and laity. The Director of Diaconal Formation develops the Board. Following initial assessment and guidance by the Office of the Diaconate, a recommendation is made to the Bishop of Columbus. 

Aspirancy is a time of formal application, psychological screening, further theological education, prayer, and spiritual direction. Those involved in the aspirant path should begin to become thoroughly familiar with the doctrinal understanding of the Diaconate formation process in the Diocese of Columbus. 

Ordinarily, Aspirancy is 2 years in duration. The aspirant level of formation includes an introduction and evaluation of the human dimension, spiritual dimension, intellectual dimension, and pastoral dimension as described in the National Directory.  Aspirants will be asked to submit all forms, certificates, transcripts, criminal background check, completing Protecting God’s Children, etc. as required. Each man also takes a battery of psychological inventories and participates in an interview with a counseling professional. The aspirant (and his spouse, if needed) must take a series of specified classes and extended interviews conducted by the Office of the Diaconate. 

Continued assessment takes place by the Director of Diaconal Formation and the Candidate Screening Board. The conclusion of Aspirancy is determined through a formal assessment conducted by the Diocesan Office of the Diaconate. This occurs when the aspirant, with the consent of his wife (if married), and with the permission of those responsible for his formation, makes a written petition to the Bishop for admission to candidacy. The Bishop makes the final decision regarding the aspirant’s acceptance into candidacy. 

Please see the 6000 series in the Guidelines for Deacons in the Diocese of Columbus for additional information. 

Once a man is accepted into Candidacy (after completion of Inquiry and Aspirancy which include prerequisites and recommendation of the Candidate Screening Board) there are three additional years of coursework and preparation for ordination. All courses will be offered by the Office of the Diaconate and the Josephinum Diaconate Institute in a prescribed scope and sequence. The formation for Diaconate is not only academic but also spiritual and ministerial. A man in Diaconate formation meets regularly with a spiritual director. He (and his spouse) also develops a mentoring relationship with members of the Diaconate Community. Deacon candidates move through several steps towards ordination and are installed as reader and acolyte in due time following his being accepted as a Candidate for the order of deacon by the Bishop. For each installation the students carry out ministerial projects in their parish correlating the Word, Liturgy and Charity/Justice. 

 Please see the 7000 series in the Guidelines for Deacons in the Diocese of Columbus for additional information.

No. Like the Seminary Formation Program, the Diaconate Formation Program involves multiple periods of discernment. The candidate may find, as he learns more about himself and the Diaconate, that ordained ministry is not his calling. The Church too, may find that the man called to serve other than as a deacon. Regular evaluation of each man by the Director of Diaconal Formation, other formators, his pastor, and the Candidate Screening board; in addition to regular self-evaluation allow the formation staff to assist each individual in his discernment. These may result in either the student or the formation team suggesting that the formation relationship be suspended or terminated.

The most important thing a pastor and parish staff can do is to keep in conversation with the Diaconal formation team, the man, his wife, and his family. The man needs to have honest feedback on his work. He needs to be challenged to grow, to become accustomed to doing both self-evaluation and engaging in evaluation in the context of a ministry team or parish staff. Because he is geographically close to his parish, this is the best arena for the man to experience different ministries, to continue to enable other parishioners to respond to needs for service in the community, and to sharpen his team ministry skills.

Yes. In the Diocese of Columbus, a Deacon is granted faculties to preach by reason of ordination. Some deacons are called on to preach a homily when they are the principal Presider at Baptisms, Marriages, or Funerals. On occasion, they also may preach when they assist at Mass.