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Group,

This morning I attended the BCC for the first time in several years (I have been attending the UGCC.

Since my last visit the parish had ordained a Deacon who plays a significant role in the Liturgy, which is great because I realize this conforms to Orthodox tradition.

I wondered, however, being that the Seminary is practically empty, if there is not a greater agenda to use a Deacon for a "priest substitute" where he would do the Typica and distribute pre-sanctified mysteries?

I would also be interested in the opinion of the Orthodox out there about the use of the Deacon in the distribution of Communion. Does this happen in the Orthodox jurisdictions?

I imagine this topic has the potential of getting people "fired up", but this is not my intention. I truly want to know if one of the survival tactices of the BCC for future years is to slowly allow Deacons to become the ordinary ministers in the parishes. If the answer is yes, then why don't we just ordain them priests and cut the "married issue".

Athanasius,

I feel you may have a distorted view of the diaconate. For the longest time, it was almost non-existant in the Eastern Catholic Churches, but it has recently made a come back.

Granted, I am not a member of the BCC, but in the Ukrainian Catholic Church, deacons are emerging. Like the priesthood, it is an ordainded ministry, and men are called to it. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. I wouldn't go as far as to say it is being used as a tool for survival or for just merely distributing Communion or even holding services because there is no priest.

The diaconate is comming back into our Churches. We should be thanking God for providing our Churches with answered vocations. If one is called to the sub-diactonate, or to be a cantor, or to be a monk, or a priest, then Glory to God. These men are fulfilling their vocation.

I feel we can never understand the mysteries and graces of the Holy Spirit. I see the flourishing diaconate as a gift.

However, if it comes down to there not being enough priests, then perhaps these deacons may become priests.

And I believe last year the BC Bishop of Parma ordained a married man to the priesthood.

I wouldn't read into the diaconate of being some sort of conspiracy by the BC hierarchs.

-uc

I certainly defer to FDD on this, but the deacon lead Typica services with Holy Communion is regarded as an extraordinary measure to safeguard the life of a parish in the absence of a priest. The Latin Church, which has developed a form of a "presiding diaconate" which I believe is contrary to tradition, has created a tenuous situation where deacons are "presbyters - junior grade". The "presiding deacon" phenomenon (presiding at Baptisms, Weddings, funerals, Communion Services) actually precludes any healthy development of a diaconal identity, since this form of ministry is actually appropriate to the presbyterate, who acts as the "Elder" and "Father" of the parish. And historically whenever the presbyters have felt threatened by the role of the deacon, the permanent deacon inevitably loses out...and then disappears for several centuries!

I agree - for those deacons who are called to be presbyters, train them and ordain them, married or not. But we should be careful not to see diaconal ministry as anything but a true and permanent ministry in the ecclesia. The deacon is the animator of the faithful in their charisms - especially diaconal charisms, the minister of good order in the church, the intercessor for the faithful and a true and authentic link to the Bishop as his "eyes and ears". The Bishop alone lays hands on the head of a deacon, making him through the power of the Holy Spirit his servant and living "homily"!

I for one believe that every parish should have two or three deacons to every one presbyter, depending on the size of the parish. That way, when one of the presbyters retires, dies or becomes incapacitated, one of the deacons can be elevated to the presbyterate to take his place within the community. That way you have a living pipeline of leadership in the parish.

Just a thought...

Gordo

Any of the deacons here care to comment?

-uc

UC,

You are probably correct about me having a distorted view of the eastern Deacon. However, I'm open to learning!

Please understand, everybody, that I am not trying to minimalize or speak negatively about the appropriate role of a deacon.

I am just wondering about how likely the hypothetical situation of parishes being run by deacons, rather than priests, might be.

That is a good point, Gordo, I never thought of it like that.

How can you live in Butler and only go the BCC so infrequently? Do you go to the Benedictine Monastery for the Liturgy?

The Deaconate Programs have only started here in the last few years. It is certainly a mistake to think of them as priestettes (little priests) they have their own proper relationship to the Bishop and the church.

The Latin clergy here were resistant to restoring the deaconate and it was a surprise as it seemed it was the priests who had the problem and the distorted view of the Deaconate in the Church.

Given the priest shortage, Typica with Communion led by a deacon may quickly become a common but occassional occcurence. The Orthodox have this service as well. I would be quick to caution that just because the priest shortage may force us to use this service does not necessarily imply all deacons should therefore be ordained priests.

Fr. Deacon Lance

We have deacons who are preparing for ordination come fairly regularly and they usually serve. I think this is to help them prepare. In other parishes both the permanent deacons and the assistant priests will serve at different times, especially if there is more than one chalice.

We have only had a deacon led Typika with presanctified communion once. Our priest had to be away on short notice and the priest who normally helps out when he is gone was committed to something else and couldn't come. I think if this was a common occurrence (a deacon led Typika), that would be a sign that something is wrong.

Andrew

Hello Pavel,

I was a Benedictine Oblate of Holy Trinity Monastery in Butler for 10 years, and only recently transfered to a Latin monastery because the Butler monastery just does not have the resources to support Oblates anymore. There are three priests and two brothers. They had to move the Sunday Liturgy to 6:00am because the priests then have to go serve parishes, many of which are a considerable distance from Butler.

Actually, what I meant in my original post was that it is the first time I had been to a PARISH of the BCC in several years. There is also a local UGCC that I attended until recently. I have, however, been to the monastery on a more frequent basis and it is under the BCC.

Living in western PA is a blessing because there are a lot of eastern churches.

A UGCC Deacon leads services 2x a month in Tasmania, as the priest is across the sea on the Australian mainland where he has his parish. I am not sure how many months go between visits by the priest.

Thanks for the info on the OSB community in Butler. I met a monk from there in Western Australia he was the chaplain to a whole USA navy fleet passing by that called in to the port of Freemantle. I am saddened to hear the numbers of the monastic community are right down. I saw in some literature on the monastery that the area is called the 'Rusyn dolina'. I think it saw that in the film 'The Deer Hunter'.

Thanks for replying, Andrew. Which Orthodox jurisdiction you are in?

Thanks for replying, Fr. Deacon. I was interested in a Deacon's perspective on this.

My parish is Antiochian, but as I often as I can I attend services at GOA and ACROD parishes.

Andrew