the people of God…sharing in Christ’s priestly, prophetic and royal office.80 The deacon by his
unique role as servant, put beautifully by Dr. Kruggel, “expresses Christ’s priestly office, in that
service unto death atones or makes satisfaction for sin. The deacon gives of himself in a way
mysteriously beyond that asked of laity, and by his Baptism and ordination receives grace of
office and participates in and extends Christ’s making satisfaction through sin. The deacon’s
service expresses Christ’s kingly office, in that self-gift leads to exaltation of holiness and
salvation that participates in Christ’s servant kingship and exaltation as Lord.”81
The deacon is called in his life on the altar and in the world to be, priest, prophet and king; a
minister of the Word, sacrament and charity.
In conclusion, the permanent diaconate is part of the earliest tradition of the Church. It is a
ministry of the Church, participating in the mission of Christ’s Church’s earthly pilgrimage
toward heaven. The diaconate is part of the “visible social structure of the Church serving the
Spirit of Christ, who vivifies it, in the building up of the body.” (Lumen Gentium 8) Never really
disappearing completely it never-the-less, faded from active ministry until it was restored by
Vatican II. The contemporary diaconate is a new expression of the ancient ministry. In August of
this year, we will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the restoration of the permanent diaconate
in the United States. This new diaconate has emerged in the midst of a time of extraordinary
social, economic and political revolution. It is important for the permanent deacon to have a real
role in the ministry of the Church. Not just a servant at table or relegated to marginal duties but,
as an office of orders, an active member of the Church hierarchy. Not just a remedy for a
shortage of priests but, a ministry of itself grounded in the sacramental nature of the office but
80
Cf., Keenan B. Osborne, OFM. The Permanent Diaconate: Its History and Place in the Sacrament of Orders. 42-47.
James C. Kruggel, Ph.D., Servant Icon of Hope: A Reflection on the Vocation of the Permanent Deacon. Commissioned by the
Archdiocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, 2015.
81
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