Holy Orders

Deacons belong to a holy order in the Church. They are ordained by God and are necessary for the life of the Church. This major order is not simply a “stepping stone” to the priesthood. The Church needs and values the men who serve in this holy order for the rest of their lives. Deacons form a visible sign of the working of the Holy Spirit through their life of service in the Church. The diaconate is largely a parish-based ministry, but there is always the challenge to broaden its service. Deacons allow for the liturgical services to be conducted in their fullest form. They provide additional ministry such as visiting the sick, elderly, and bereaved, maintaining the parish’s finances and property, and assisting in faith formation and sacramental preparation. The diaconate is an ecclesial ministry of service that can deepen a man’s own spiritual life and give him a more powerful sense of purpose and place in life.

When chosen freely and accepted as a gift from God for the sanctification of self and others, celibacy lends to stability in a turbulent world and gives witness to the heavenly kingdom. When lived in imitation of Jesus Christ, a well-ordered and committed celibate life provides a strong foundation for ordained ministry.

As our Lord called his chosen twelve from among his disciples and as the twelve later called seven to the laying on of hands in order that they provide needed services to the Church, so also now are men called from among those who follow in Christ’s path. These men must strive for constant growth in the spiritual life through self-discipline and cooperation with grace. Key to such discipleship is love. After Jesus washed his apostles' feet he said, "by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Discipleship is always the basic condition for a call to service. A man attempting ordained ministry without a commitment to basic Christian discipleship is misguided.

While the encouragement and support of a man's family (especially his wife, if he is married) is of particular importance in his response to God's call, involvement in the parochial family is of great importance as well. Regular parish involvement is a key factor for it is in this environment that a man can better know if this is where God is calling him to serve. It is good for him to be involved in the routine aspects of church life such as teaching, liturgical praying, reading, chanting, and serving. This will allow his pastor and his fellow parishioners to know him and observe his ability in these areas, which frequently serve as basic indicators of a man's suitability for Byzantine ministerial life.

A vocation to ordained service in the Church is a gift from God. Following are several of the God-inspired signs of a ministerial vocation:

• Spirit of humility – This enables one to deny himself and to be sacrificial in his outlook and attitude toward clerical ministry. Humility enables one to submit to the necessary formation. Humility is the basis of courageous leadership and integrity.
• Spirit of sacrifice – This enables one to give up lesser, seemingly appealing temporal goods and earthly cares for greater eternal ones; this gift is often manifested as patience and endurance.
• Spirit of detachment – This enables a person to be in this world yet not of this world.
• Spirit of zeal – This special form of charity draws a person to serve God and humanity in an intense and sacrificial manner; it brings about a committed interest in people and their welfare. An ordained minister needs to be sociable but not necessarily an extravert.
• Spirit of hospitality – This is an extremely important quality in a Christian leader. In the Greek language, to be "hospitable" means to be "a lover of strangers," a common theme stressed in Scripture. Such a welcoming spirit tests one’s ability to find a neighbor and friend in one’s peers.
• Ardent desire to serve the Church – this may be long-standing or recently experienced, but it must be firm and perceived as lifelong.

• Commitment and fidelity to the Church – Love for the Church and for the gifts it offers humanity is imperative for those who aspire to be of service in the Church.
• Normal piety – If not at least ordinarily devoted to religious practice, it could hardly be expected that men would be fitted for the more than ordinary religious exercise of the clergy. They must be men of prayer, always striving to grow in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Men discerning a vocation to Holy Orders should be under the guidance of a spiritual mentor.
• Parochial Involvement – A man must be committed to life in the Byzantine Catholic Church long enough to demonstrate service, a good reputation, depth of spirituality, and understanding of the Church; liturgical and/or catechetical involvement is preferred. A man must have a minimum of four years of parochial or seminary experience in the Byzantine Catholic Church prior to beginning a four-year program of formation, which must precede ordination. This involvement in the life of the parish should immediately precede his application to any program of formation for Holy Orders.
  • Parochial Involvement prior to Priestly Formation – A man must have at least one full year of parochial involvement, including all the seasons of the liturgical year (even if non-consecutive), before he can be accepted into the priestly formation program as an Aspirant. Three years of Aspirancy (which combine the Propaedeutic and Discipleship stages of priestly formation) precede the Configuration stage of priestly formation.
  • Parochial Involvement prior to Diaconal Formation – A man must have at least four full years of parochial involvement prior to being accepted into the diaconal formation program. Aspirancy is not part of the formation program for deacon students, which is why a greater amount of parochial experience is required prior to being accepted as a deacon student.
• Support of pastor – The priest of the parish to which the applicant belongs must offer his complete and unconditional support. The priest’s recommendation is a necessary part of an application.
• Canonical membership – As noted above, a man must be canonically ascribed to the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh before he applies to the Bishop of Parma for acceptance into any program of formation for Holy Orders.
• Commitment to chaste, moral living – As Christian leaders, those who follow the religious life are held in the eyes of the public to a higher standard and occasions for scandal are increased. A willingness to struggle to live in holiness according to God's precepts is crucial.
• Good health – Liturgical service and pastoral ministry make demands upon a man's constitution. It is important for the Church to consider whether a man has the strength to, among other ritual acts, raise the gospel book, process, make prostrations, and clearly proclaim the Word. Good physical, emotional, and mental health is essential.
• Mature and Formable – The Eparchy of Parma will not accept a candidate for Holy Orders who is under 21 years old by the time of entry into the formation program. Generally, the Eparchy will not accept a student for Holy Orders who is older than 55.
• Good mind – The training of the mind enables a man to think deeply about important things that are necessary parts of the spiritual life. Clerics must grow naturally and intellectually and be able to make prudent, fair, and impartial decisions.
• Ability to learn – As preachers and teachers of the Gospel, students for Holy Orders must have the ability to learn and grow. One of the necessary demonstrations of this ability will be completing college with a Bachelor of Arts degree or equivalent (non-accredited course work, Bachelor of Science degree, etc.), ideally with a grade point average of at least 3.0. A man may be accepted into Aspirancy as a part of the priestly formation program while he is still pursuing his Bachelor's degree, but, because Aspirancy is not a part of the program for deacon students, they will need to have completed their Bachelor's degree before they are accepted as deacon students.
• Stability – Whether a man is celibate or married, he must embrace that primary and personal vocation wholeheartedly and for its own sake before the ecclesial vocation of Holy Orders can be built upon it as upon a stable foundation. A man in formation may still be discerning whether to marry or remain celibate, but he must make a positive and enduring commitment to either marriage or celibacy before he can be ordained. A stable and well-ordered personal life is necessary before ordination.
  • Stability in celibate life – Men who have embraced a celibate way of life must recognize that serving as a cleric in the Eparchy of Parma will for them usually involve serving a parish and living alone. If a man has little experience of this, the bishop may require him to live alone in a chaste, moderate, and healthy way for some time before ordination.
  • Stability in marriage and family life – Married men may be ordained only if they have a stable and well-ordered home and family life. Holy Orders cannot be accepted as an escape from an unfruitful marriage or a difficult home life. A candidate for Holy Orders must be supported by his wife. His wife must also be Catholic, and she must practice the faith in the same parish as her husband. Because it takes some time to gain experience in marriage and parenting, the bishop may require even 5 years of marriage before ordination, regardless of whether the man was married before or after seminary.
• Temperance – Ordained men should not allow unnecessary concerns to divert them from their primary purpose of carrying out the Lord's Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20); they are self-controlled and self-disciplined; they are docile;
• Willingness to work hard – Parochial ministry presents the unique opportunity to weave together a man's God-given vocation with his occupation. This way of life requires focus and a desire to confront challenges for the good of souls.
• Willingness to be obedient – Ordained ministers must embrace a life of cooperation with those who have authority over them. They must show that their ministry is an extension of that of their bishop, and ultimately of Christ himself, the Good Shepherd.

Preparation for the diaconate typically consists of a four-year formation program. The academic program includes two weeks of intensive classes at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the month of June for each of the four years. These classes are followed, each year, by a program of distance learning through guided reading and the writing of papers. Mentors are assigned to assist students during this formation program. They give guidance through the academic aspects of the program as well as in liturgical, canonical, and other practical matters.

In addition, students must continue in regular spiritual direction with an experienced guide. This will allow them to more carefully discern their call to ordained ministry as well as to grow in their personal relationship with Christ. Growth in self-knowledge is greatly assisted by the help of a wise spiritual guide.

Discernment takes place at every step of either formation program. Initial discernment occurs through the screening of applicants. This always includes the necessity of having the recommendation and full support of one’s pastor and the completion of a psychological exam. If one is married, he must also have the full support of his wife and family. Admission to a program of formation does not imply eventual ordination. Ongoing discernment takes place with the rector of the seminary or the director of the formation program and his staff. Each year, the rector or the director of the program will observe and make written evaluations. The bishop’s decision to ordain is also based on the recommendation of the pastor. It is understood, always, that a man should not present himself for ordination without the blessing of his spiritual director.

Responsibility with money and material possessions is an important quality of an ordained minister and is likewise expected of one who is pursuing sacred ordination. However, as Jesus told his apostles to "take nothing for your journey" (Luke 9:3), it is certain that possessing material riches is not a prerequisite for acceptance as a student for Holy Orders. Mindful of the small, missionary nature of our Byzantine Catholic Church, each eparchy of our Metropolitan Church has established norms regarding the payment of tuition and room and board. In each eparchy, the seminarian is responsible, to some degree, for paying for his education. In the Eparchy of Parma, seminarians are to bear the cost of their undergraduate education and all expenses during their Aspirancy. The Eparchy then pays one-half of the cost of formation of seminarians in the years of their Configuration. A greater portion may be paid by the Eparchy should the need be demonstrated. The educational expenses during the final year of theology are funded entirely by the eparchy. Some parishes are able to provide assistance to a candidate who belongs to that parish but such help is not to be assumed or expected.

Typically, in America, the service of deacons in our Church is given as stewardship of time and talent and there is no salary.