- from CatholicCulture.org
Deacons are men who have received the first the first of the three holy orders. Deacons are ordained to assist the priest in ministering to the needs of the parish. Deacons are allowed to perform baptism and marriages and preside at funerals. During Mass, they can proclaim the Gospel, preach the homily and serve as Eucharistic Ministers. There are two types of deacons – permanent and transitional – although each have the same role and are authorized to perform the same functions. Permanent deacons are men, often married, who have discerned that the diaconate is their vocation and will remain in that vocation their entire lives. Transitional deacons are men who are ordained to the diaconate as a step toward being ordained priests. Typically this is done in the final year of the man’s preparation for the priesthood.