The Deacon

In my office is a photo of the 30 men I was ordained with in the Diocese of Rockville Centre back in 1994. Often enough my thoughts wander to all of the ministry of love that these men, my brothers, have shared with the People of God. Speaking to a group of permanent deacons in Detroit in 1987, Pope St. John Paul II said: “This is at the very heart of the diaconate to which you have been called: to be a servant of the mysteries of Christ and, at one and the same time, to be a servant of your brothers and sisters. That these two dimensions are inseparably joined together in one reality shows the important nature of the ministry which is yours by ordination.”

In Matthew’s Gospel we hear Jesus answer the question, what is the greatest commandment? He replies with a combination of two important Scripture passages. Jesus answers the lawyer by saying: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:37-39). This first quote is from the supreme Hebrew prayer, the Shema; the latter is from the Book of Leviticus (cf. 19:18).

What does it mean to love our neighbor as ourselves? It is to show kindness, compassion, generosity, forgiveness and mercy to all. There are people in our communities, in our parishes, who are in desperate need — financially, emotionally, psychologically and/or spiritually. When the first deacons were appointed to care for the needs of the Greek-speaking widows of the early Church community in Jerusalem, their primary goal was to make sure these women and children were being fed.

Moving ahead to the year 2025, deacons are still caring for those in need. In addition to helping to feed the hungry, numerous needs have been identified and are being met by our brothers. As I travel around the country giving retreats, convocations and homiletic workshops, the diaconate communities I visit never cease to amaze me with the incredible diversity of corporal and spiritual works of mercy they fulfill.

Serving as a Minister of Charity

There are deacons involved in truck-stop ministry, airport ministry (praying with folks before they get on a flight), bereavement ministry and divorced/separated ministry. Many are involved in Order of Christian Initiation of Adults classes. Our brothers are advocates for the tribunal, helping men and women navigate the mountain of paperwork needed to apply for an annulment. Others spend countless hours with the Boy Scouts or other parish-based programs. Many deacons run food pantries, homeless shelters and clothing ministries, and spend innumerable hours visiting seniors and patients in hospitals and nursing facilities.

Here in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, a cluster of Roman Catholic and Episcopal deacons formed a group that gives witness to Jesus Christ in a very tough urban area. The group is called “Collars on the Corner.” They are out on the streets handing out bottles of water and talking with and guiding men and women who are experiencing homelessness and/or addiction difficulties.

There is no limit to where the deacon is called to serve as a minister of charity. The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States of America sums up our ministry beautifully: “In a world hungry and thirsty for convincing signs of the compassion and liberating love of God, the deacon sacramentalizes the mission of the Church in his words and deeds, responding to the Master’s command of service and providing real life examples of how to carry it out.” We must keep our eyes, ears and heart open and continue to respond as God calls us.

DEACON STEVE KRAMER, D.Min., is director of homiletics and associate professor of pastoral studies at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin.