Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 14, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
The number of ordinations of permanent deacons in the United States has decreased by nearly 200 from 2023 to 2024, according to a recent survey.
The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University published the survey results in its 2025 report “A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate in 2024.”
According to the report, 587 men were ordained to the permanent diaconate in 2023, but in 2024, the number fell to 393.
The report was created in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations.
The study surveyed ordained permanent deacons who intend to remain deacons, excluding transitional deacons (those who will be ordained to the priesthood).
Conducted from February to May 2025, the survey received responses from 138 archdioceses/dioceses and two archeparchies with bishops and eparchs that belong to the USCCB and maintain an active office of deacons.
The overall response rate was 76%, with a higher response rate among archdioceses/dioceses (78%) than archeparchies/eparchies (22%).
“With the release of this survey, I ask for continued prayers for deacons and for an increase in vocations to the permanent diaconate within the United States,” said Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations.
Estimated numbers of U.S. deacons
Since the report did not have a 100% response rate, CARA cannot confirm the exact number of deacons, but it estimated that there were about 20,212 permanent deacons in the U.S. in 2024. This includes approximately 20,022 in the Latin rite and 189 in the Eastern rite.
CARA estimated that about 11,503 permanent deacons were in active ministry in 2024. Including those that did not respond, it is estimated that there are a total of 13,864 active deacons.
During 2024, 393 permanent deacons were ordained, 545 deacons retired from active ministry, and another 361 deacons passed away.
CARA reported that there “are not enough new permanent deacons being ordained to make up for the numbers who are retiring from active ministry and dying each year.”
Of the respondents, the Archdiocese of Chicago had the highest number of permanent deacons (848). The others with the largest numbers included the archdioceses of Atlanta (385), New York (369), San Antonio (361), and Galveston-Houston (316).
The Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, had the lowest total number of permanent deacons in 2024 with 43. The others with the fewest deacons were the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky (77), the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota (63), the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota (94), and the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma (105).
Characteristics of U.S. deacons
The report found that the large majority of active deacons are currently married (93%). A small number are widowers (4%), and even fewer have never been married (2%).
Almost all of the active deacons (96%) reported that they are at least 50 years old: 18% are in their 50s, 41% are in their 60s, and 38% are 70 or older.
Nearly all responding dioceses and eparchies (96%) have a minimum age of acceptance into permanent diaconate, which on average is 32 years old. Three in five (58%) have a mandatory age for retirement, which is 75 years old on average.
The study found that most active deacons are non-Hispanic and white (74%). The rest of the respondents reported to be Hispanic or Latino (20%), Asian or Pacific Islander (3%), or Black (2%).
More than half (66%) of active permanent deacons have a college degree, 15% of whom also hold a graduate degree in a field related to religion or ministry. About 16% of the deacons had only a high school diploma or GED.
Among permanent deacons who are financially compensated for ministry, 10% are entrusted with the pastoral care of one or more parishes. About 24% work in other parish ministerial positions including religious education or youth ministry, and 18% work in non-ministerial parish positions such as administration, business, or finance.
Academic and post-ordination programs
Almost all of the responding dioceses and eparchies (98%) have a director of the diaconate or a person with a similar title to oversee the ministry — 43% of whom are employed full time.
Nine in 10 dioceses and eparchies (92%) have an active ministry formation program for their deacons. Of these, 27% offer a program in Spanish. Of those that do not have a formation program, 30% are planning to begin one in the next two years.
The majority of the responding dioceses and eparchies (90%) require deacons to take part in post-ordination formation, requiring a median of 20 hours annually. Specifically, 91% of Latin-rite dioceses require continued formation, but none of the Eastern-rite eparchies do.
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The are a number of problems with the Order of Deacon in the Church.
#1. Stop with the contrived distinction between “Permanent” Deacons and “Transitional” Deacons. There is only ONE Order of Deacon. If a so-called “transitional” deacon (TR) is not admitted to the Presbyteral Order, then he’s a “Permanent” Deacon (PD) forever unless laicized. If, for some reason, the bishop decided to ordain a PD to the Presbyteral Order, then he wasn’t “Permanent” at all. What it does is set up a hieratchy among deacons of which none exists. TDs are no more distinguishable from PDs.
#2. If Deacons in the Byzantine Rite churches wear collars just as presbyters do, why not all Roman Rite Deacons. If TDs wear clerical dress, then PDs ought to as well. It is an offense against PDs to wear gray or blue clerical shirts so that (God forbid) someone might confuse them for a priest.
#3. One of the major problems in the Catholic Church is that some dioceses ordain deacons and some do not. The Order of Deacon in the Church was restored by Pope Paul VI. The Universal Church in ALL dioceses should be made available to ordain deacons.
#4. It takes 4-5 years of theological preparation for a man to be ordained deacon. The academic preparation should lead to a Masters Degree in Theology.
#5 Since it’s inception, the role of the deacon at the parish or diocesan level has been unclear at best (sometimes this is purposeful because of an ambivalence about even having deacons on the part of bishops and priests). Yes, we know that a deacon is ordained for service and charity but that seems to go nowhere unless specifically defined. A bishop in any diocese should define 5-7 areas of responsibility for deacons in his diocese and, in consultation between the pastor and the deacon, one of these areas should be chosen for the deacon to do. Some of these areas might be: a. Overseeing the parish St. Vincent dePaul Society; b. Specific outreach to the elderly and infirm of the parish – helping them with repairs around their house, driving them to doctor’s appts., seeing to it that they have food and meal preparation, etc; c. Prison Ministry and /or assistant to individuals leaving prison; d. Job Assistance to the unemployed; e. Providing needed services to single women expecting babies / crisis pregancies.
#6. We need to end the silly notion that wives of deacons should necessarily be involved in their ministry. Of course, they can if they want to. Too often, programs for deacons in the diocese always includes the wives. Men are not attached to their wives at the hip. In some cases we have married priests in the Catholic Church (especially among Byzantine Rite priests). I doubt that their wives aren’t lumped in all the time when the dioceses run programs for priests.
#7. They’ll be plenty of deacons in the Church if ALL BISHOPS welcomed them. Plenty!
Excellent remarks, Deacon! Thank you! Particularly your comment about 4-5 years of theological preparation resulting in a Masters of Theology. This is particularly important as some dioceses have not required it resulting in some deacons with their own agenda.
I tried, in vain, to be accepted in the deaconate program of the Archdiocese of Seattle. I was probably in my early 50’s, but was told by the head honcho of deacons that i was much too old.
My wife passed away from cancer in 2023, and i inquired with religious order into being accepted as a candidate for entering the seminary to study for the priesthood.
Again, I got the door in my face.
So, when diocese’ across the country complain about the “lack of vocations”, I say…well, it has already been said.
Paul, I am sorry to hear of your experiences in this regard. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands and go straight to the bishop. Too often deacons are unreasonably unassertive i.e. passive in their identity as deacons. I remember once when I thought God was asking me to perform my diaconal ministry by participating in a organization that sought to help the poor by traveling to various dioceses to preach an appeal for funds. I kept getting the runaround from the Director of Deacons regarding the permission I needed from the bishop. Finally, at a diocesan convocationsl, I asked the bishop myself and he gave me permission. Initiating that ministry set in motion a number of other diaconal ministries that I became involved in. Deacons need to realize that God has called THEM to a specific role in the Church and its THEIR responsibility to figure out what that might be.
I am so grateful that ANY men accept a call to become a deacon!
Men (and women) are so busy these days, much more so than in the past!
Most men work full-time jobs, and many men work more than one job to be able to support their families. Men are expected to share the child-care responsibilities nowadays, not necessarily during the working day, but after work, when mom is home from HER job and needs to spend a little time with the children and also often is the primary person doing housework and meal-planning/prep (and sometimes the clean-up, too). If mom has a newborn to care for along with children, that makes the husband’s help with childcare even more urgent!
The husband is often shuttling the children (including the toddlers!) to various sports and other involvements, or working on some kind of household or car repair, or working on the finances and trying to pay bills, balance spending, etc.
The husband is usually the main lawn and garden caregiver, along with doing any household repairs (although nowadays more women, but not me!, are capable of replacing a toilet or fixing a broken appliance).
And both husband and wife are often trying to do a little exercise to stay healthy, although this often falls apart because the childcare takes over the free time.
I am amazed that any man has the time and energy to pray and discern a call to become a deacon! And I honor those men who do say, “Yes!”
I don’t know if there’s anything that can be done about the busyness of current family life in the U.S.A. If there are grandparents living nearby (instead of in Florida), they can possibly help out with child-care if they are healthy enough to do so, but this is a rarity these days. I think it would be wonderful if families can stay closer together geographically, but…it’s not always feasible.