Deacons' Day

Sure, the "Priestly Year" begins tomorrow... but as the net's First Deacon notes, today sees an important milestone... not for the priesthood, but the ministry:

[T]oday marks the 42nd anniversary of Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem, the motu proprio subtitled "General Norms for Restoring the Permanent Diaconate in the Latin Church."

In other words, this is the day it all began.

Happy anniversary.

Its restoration inspired by a post-war push from the German bishops -- who cited a need for an enhanced ecclesial witness in the world -- the global clergy now boasts well over 30,000 permanent deacons, most of them married and (with some 18,000 of them on these shores) more in the States than everywhere else combined.

Now, if only more folks'll realize they're already ordained.

PHOTOS: Diocese of Pembroke(1); The Catholic Sun(2)

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