Paulist Press Diaconate Collection (9 vols.)

Deacons and the Church presents a popular narrative history of the Order of the Diaconate in the Catholic Church from its dawn on the biblical scene in the Acts of the Apostles through the “golden age” of deacons in the fifth century. With the emergence of the “cultic priesthood,” the diaconate as a unique and discrete member of the clergy declined into a transitional role—but never disappeared.

The Second Vatican Council restored the Order of Deacon to a “full and permanent” membership in the clergy, along with priests and bishops. Now, 30,000 deacons serve the Church throughout the world and remain the fastest-growing clerical rank within the Latin Church. Owen F. Cummings reflects on how this surge in the membership of the Order of Deacons will affect the Church in the years to come.

This second edition of The Deacon at Mass situates the role of the Deacon at Liturgy based on the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal. A step-by-step handbook for deacons through the Eucharistic celebration, this text looks at everything a deacon must do (read the gospel), may do (preach a homily), and may never do (sing the concluding doxology). Study questions follow each chapter. This second edition includes the final English translations, questions raised by readers and reviewers of the original edition, and an expanded introduction that addresses specific issues related to the preparation and translation of liturgical books in general. In addition, each subsequent chapter includes references and guidance related to the approved English translation.

James Keating presents a collection of essays that are sure to become a foundational part of every deacon’s library. The Deacon Reader provides an overview of the theological and pastoral nature of the diaconate and clarifies the fundamental identity of the deacon. Keating divides the book into three sections: historical foundations, pastoral foundations, and sociological foundations for the diaconate. He covers topics such as the history of the diaconate, the morality of the deacon, the deacon and work, and the deacon’s wife. Contributors include significant deacon theologians as well as priests who are experts on the diaconate. It is a complete systematic academic text for the first years of formation of deacons according to the 2005 New Roman National Directory, and is the first text that specifies the theological formation of the deacon student over a range of themes and specialties.

In this volume, William T. Ditewig sketches the current state of the permanent diaconate—especially in the United States. Dietwig then offers the historical developments that led to the contemporary diaconate, and concludes by suggesting a vision of the diaconate for the future, always within the matrix of a servant-ecclesiology which should characterize the entire Church.

Forming Deacons: Ministers of Soul and Leaven consists of essays by recognized leaders in diaconate formation, many of whom contributed to the preparation of the National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States, promulgated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2004. While not a commentary on it, these essays take the National Directory as their reference point and foundation. Written from the multifaceted perspectives of pastors, deacons, academics, and church officials—all of whom are directly involved in the formation of deacons—Forming Deacons offers valuable insights on the process of implementing in practical terms the theories presented in the National Directory.

In a tour-de-force performance, renowned Franciscan theologian Fr. Kenan B. Osborne brings all three of the holy orders of the Church—the diaconate, the presbyterate, and the episcopate—into focus through the lens of post–Vatican II sacramental and systematic theology. Osborne posits that one cannot study the renewed permanent diaconate in the Roman Catholic Church without understanding the renewal of the order of priests and bishops as well. This is an excellent guide to grasping the essence of Vatican II, as well as the basis for the restoration of the diaconate in the Latin Church.

Focusing on the stories of eight different people, this book demonstrates the contribution of deacons throughout the two millennia of Christianity. Owen F. Cummings inspires readers with the stories of Stephen and Philip, Lawrence of Rome, Ephrem of Nisibis, Alcuin of York, Francis of Assisi, Reginald Pole, and Nicholas Ferrar.

In 1967 Pope Paul VI implemented the decision of the Second Vatican Council to renew the diaconate as a permanent order of ministry. Deacons now number more than 30,000 around the world. This rapid growth, combined with a similar explosion of lay ecclesial ministry and dwindling numbers of priests, demands that theologies of the diaconate be constructed that respect its historical roots, contemporary ecclesial realities, and creative possibilities for the future. In these three essays—which were presented as keynote lectures at the 2004 conference of the National Association of Diaconate Directors—professors William T. Ditewig, Owen F. Cummings, and Richard R. Gaillardetz construct theologies of the diaconate in conversation with one another and the church. The result is essential reading for deacons, aspirants to the diaconate, deacon directors, as well as the other orders of the clergy, and the laity.

The years since the restoration of the order of permanent deacons at the Second Vatican Council have witness a process of exploration regarding the role and purpose of the diaconate. In Today’s Deacon, an archbishop, a bishop, and a deacon hold forth on contemporary issues relevant to the Order of Deacons, in particular the theology of restorative justice, and the impact and implementation of the new National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States. This timely work includes an introduction by the president of the National Association of Diaconate Directors, Deacon Daniel L. Peterson, along with responses from three distinguished authors, Father Michael Kennedy, Deacon Owen F. Cummings, and Marti R. Jewell.