Lexicon index Lexicon
Deacon
Servant — the third order of ordained ministry, serving at the altar and historically serving the poor.
The deacon proclaims the Gospel, leads the litanies, assists the priest at the altar, and administers Holy Communion. The ancient diaconal ministry also encompassed service to the poor, widows, and sick. The deacon is ordained by the bishop with a single laying-on of hands (priests receive it twice). The permanent diaconate was common in the early Church and is being restored in some jurisdictions.