Vocation of the Diaconate

“So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.  Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task.’  They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The Word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly.” (Acts:2-3; 6-7)

Becoming a Deacon

For those men exploring the Vocation of the Diaconate, please refer to the Austion Diocese
website at austindiocese.org/diaconal-ministry. Currently, we are building content for our
Vocations Ministry at St. Jerome. We hope to keep all of you informed of what is scheduled
with the Parish and the Diocese.

Given this, the Diocese has created a website for those interested in the Diaconate through
their program PROJECT STEPHEN.

Visit BOTH the Diocese website at www.austindiocese.org/diaconal-formation and the PROJECT STEPHEN website at www.austindiocese.org/project-stephen. Please visit these websites for more information.

To assist you in your discernment of God's possible call to Holy Orders, below you will find
some documents for your prayerful reading and links to other resources. Bring all the
learning and insights you find in these materials to prayer, discuss them with our Lord, ask if He is calling you to diaconal ministry, and listen for His response.

Please share how God is moving in your heart with your wife and family, and discuss what you read with her (and your family) concerning this calling. A wife's consent to the diaconal journey is essential.

Pray about your sense of call with:

• Project Stephen meetings 
• our Lord-for example, Eucharistic Adoration
• your wife and family
• your pastor (his consent is required to enter and continue in diaconal formation)
• deacons in your parish and elsewhere
• a spiritual director (ask your pastor about suggestions for a spiritual director)

For things that may assist you in your discernment of God’s calling, for instance, you might
begin and maintain a daily prayer life. Add prayers suggested by your pastor or spiritual
director.  Add daily Mass if possible. Pray as much as you can with your wife and family. Some find that praying the rosary, keeping a prayer journal, practicing lectio divina, engaging in contemplative prayer, and attending in Eucharistic Adoration deepens their discernment efforts.