Profiles

In this section a number of deacons have written profiles about themselves. They share with us a little bit of their life story, their journey towards ordination and something of their ministry.

In time we hope to be able to have a profile of every deacon in Australia. Any deacon who would like to contribute his profile can send his contribution by email to ncdeditor@bigpond.com and include a recent photo.

Meeting deacons and learning about who they are reveals a diverse picture of the diaconate in Australia.

Most of the deacons are married men, although a small number of diocesan deacons are celibate as are any permanent deacons in Religious Institutes. Of the married deacons some have young families and some have adult children and some have grandchildren.

The deacons come from a variety of work backgrounds. There are deacons who have unskilled or semi-skilled employment, some who have trade qualifications, others have professional qualifications. There are factory workers, academics, psychologists, managers, teachers, canon lawyers, computer technicians and programmers, bank managers as well as men who are retired from work.

Some of the deacons are in full time ministries in parishes, schools, diocesan agencies, and diocesan tribunals or other specific ministries within the Church. Few of these are paid for their ministry.

Others are in part time ministry in parishes or agencies of the Church. Some of these may receive an income from the agency or parish. Some may only be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses.

Some of the deacons in fulltime or part time ministry could not survive financially if they did not have a wife who worked and supported the deacon and the family.

There are also deacons who work in full time secular employment (that is not a parish or diocesan agency) and who witness to the presence of the Church in very diverse situations in the world.

They have a rich diversity of life, work and family experience all of which they bring into their ministry. Especially those in secular employment bring the world of theology and spirituality into dialogue with the world of work and the "market place". In some ways their presence in this diversity reflects Saints Paul's mission in the Areopagus, bringing the gospel into the midst of secular discourse.

In all their diversity they are men called by God, gifted by the Holy Spirit and the Church has recognised and accepted that they are called and gifted and has ordained them for ministry in the Catholic Church. They represent a generous response of the Holy Spirit to the prayers of the Church for an increase in vocations.