Diaconate Vocation Awareness FAQ
Contacting the Assistant Director for Diaconate Vocations, Deacon Mike Stewart (stewart.mike@aod.org) is a great place to start the discernment path toward the permanent diaconate. Participating in a Diaconate Vocation Awareness Night is a comprehensive way of better understanding the process. Feel free to email Emily Coates at coates.emily@aod.org for a future invite.
Visit the aod.org/diaconate-admission-criteria to learn more about the specific admissions criteria needed to become a permanent deacon.
You need to be registered and belong to a parish within the archdiocese that you are considering applying to. Furthermore, you need to establish a relationship with the pastor of that parish to the extent that the pastor would be able to adequately recommend you as a potential applicant to the permanent diaconate program.
Not only are the required academics a key component of the permanent diaconate program as it relates to the intellectual dimension, but they are significant to the formation of spiritual, human, and pastoral dimensions of each potential applicant and candidate. For academic information and guidance on prerequisites, please reach out to the Admissions Department at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, 313-883-8707.
While spiritual direction is not mandatory prior to acceptance into the permanent diaconate program, it is highly recommended for discernment of God’s will for anyone’s journey in this life.
