Permanent Diaconate

The deacon proclaims the Gospel. After further study he may receive from his bishop the faculty or authority to preach. His reading of the gospel is only one aspect of proclaiming the Word of God. The deacon endeavors to turn the Word into deed in his daily life.  

This ministry of love and justice is the heart of the diaconate. In St. Louis, nearly 200 deacons serving in parishes also are involved as hospital and prison chaplains, assist the homeless on the streets and in soup kitchens, minister to the divorced and widowed, advance pro-life causes, and counsel and serve, particularly those who are on the margins of society.  

The deacon’s response is not to move away from the secular world, but to become more involved in it. His daily dress is not different, but his manner of living demonstrates a caring for others and a living expression of the gospel of Jesus.