Permanent Diaconate
Welcome to the Permanent Diaconate Office of the Diocese of Hamilton.
A Permanent Diaconate information session will be held at St. John’s Church, 45 Victoria Road North, Guelph, on Sunday, June 23, 2013 following the 11 a.m. Mass.
Men interested in learning more about the Diaconate and the formation process are invited and encouraged to attend.
At the present time there are 35 deacons serving in the Diocese of Hamilton, and nine men are currently in formation.
Essentially a ministry of service and charity, the deacon serves the Church and the diocese in a designated service in a hospital, or prison, or other forms of charitable outreach. In addition, the deacon is assigned to a parish, as his liturgical base, where he assists the pastor, as needed, in liturgical ministry which may take the form of assisting at mass, preaching, baptising, presiding at weddings or funerals, or in other capacities within the parish.
Deacons may be married, and spouses of deacons are invited and strongly encouraged to be involved in the vocation and ministry of their deacon-husband.
Diaconate formation lasts for four years. The next formation session begins in September 2014, and applications for admission into the formation program are being accepted at this time.
For a brief description of Diaconal Ministry and Formation click here.
