EIGHT MARRIED MEN are to be ordained as deacons next month.
Garry O’Sullivan, editor of The Irish Catholic, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today that they will do some of the jobs that the clergy do now that vocations are at an “all time low”.
He said that the deacons are permanent, so they won’t go on to be ordained. Deacons have existed since the early days of the Catholic Church, he added.
Their other jobs include assisting the clergy, helping with charitable works, and visiting prisoners.
O’Sullivan told Morning Ireland that men have to be over 35 and married to become a deacon, and if not married they can be over 25 but must take a vow of celibacy.
It takes two years to train to be a deacon, and once ordained they can celebrate baptism, celebrate marriages, preside at funerals, read the gospel at mass and preach the homily.
Michael Kelly in the Irish Catholic said that 15 Irish dioceses have committed to reintroducing deacons.
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