General Information for Deacon Applicants

General Criteria for Deacon Applicants

"...deacons must be respectable men whose word can be trusted, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed for money. They must be conscientious believers in the mystery of faith. They are to be examined first, and only admitted to serve as deacons if there is nothing against them…" I Tim. 3:8-12

The applicant for the Diaconate in the Diocese of Phoenix should be a man who:

Is committed to and lives out Gospel values of justice and service
Has shown leadership qualities in parish/diocesan ministry for the past five years
Has a prayerful disposition
If married, is in a stable and happy marriage (2 years minimum) and whose wife and children support him in pursuing the diaconate
If not married, is willing to commit to celibacy
If divorced, not more than once with valid annulment
If a convert to the faith, baptism or profession made over 5 years prior to application
Is no younger than 30 and no older than 55 years to enter the process
Is capable of college level work in theological study and open to spiritual and ministerial formation (minimum of a high school diploma)
Has a stable work history (2 years)
Has a positive attitude towards the Church and is flexible in adapting to the future needs of the church
Is conversant in English and is open to learning pastoral Spanish
Is formally presented for the diaconate by his pastor

Academically, you will be expected to complete, successfully, the college level courses offered through Phase I and II of the Kino School of Theological Studies. All these courses are offered through the Kino Institute.

If you have a minimal background in theology or have not had the opportunity to study theology at the college level before, you may be required (at the discretion of the Kino Institute) to take one of the following: Basic Elements of Catholicism - Foundations of Faith - Introduction to Theology.

Successful completion of a course means receiving a grade of C or higher. This standard applies to all courses in both the first and second phase.

Those men whose first language is not English may have to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and receive a score that represents an acceptable fluency in English.

Ministerially, it is expected that you have been actively involved in the Church's apostolate in your parish. This may include programs of social ministry, educational ministry, liturgical ministry, parish council, and so forth. Ministry in the area of social ministry has been the specific realm of the diaconate since its birth in the Apostolic Church (Acts 6:1-6).

These ministries include serving the poor, the hungry, the sick, the homeless, the handicapped, the elderly, the imprisoned, and so forth. This involvement may be through your parish, or a diocesan organization.

Application Overview

Steps in the Discernment Process

Levels of Admission
General Criteria for Deacon Applicants
Steps to Ordination
Documentation Required for Candidacy
Process for Advancement to Ordination
Advancement to Ordinand & Ordination

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