General Information on Non-Canonically Resident Vocational Deacons
(January 2008)
Clergy who are approached by vocational deacons from other dioceses must first consult with either Bishop Lee or Bishop Johnston before attempting to involve those deacons in ministry in their parish.
Clergy will be provided a copy of the procedure for such deacons to follow in requesting licensure and will provide guidance to inquiring deacons in accordance with those procedures.
Clergy should attend an orientation regarding the ministry of the vocational deacon in Virginia and the relationships among the priest, the deacon and the bishop in that ministry. The Committee on the Diaconate of the Commission on Ministry will schedule such orientations on a regular basis.
Clergy should understand that the bridge/servant ministry of vocational deacons is primary, and that the liturgical involvement of deacons is designed to complement their servant ministry.
Procedures for Deacons from other DiocesesRequesting a License in the Diocese of Virginia
(January 2008)
Deacons applying for license first will interview with either Bishop Lee or Bishop Johnston. It is at the bishop’s discretion to determine the parish involvement of the deacon, which must be formalized in a Letter of Agreement. A proposed Letter of Agreement should be provided to the bishop prior to the interview (see # 2 below). A sample Letter of Agreement for the vocational diaconate is available here.
Deacons from other dioceses requesting a license in the Diocese of Virginia
must embrace the concept of bridge/servant ministry as central to their diaconal service and must put in writing a description of their previous bridge ministry and the specifics of the bridge ministries they envision in this diocese. Liturgical service as a deacon complements and is secondary to that primary focus.
Approval for licensure assumes the deacon is available to the bishop for deployment. Licensure requires deployment.
The Application for Vocational Deacons to be Licensed in the Diocese of Virginia (included in these procedures) should be completed by the deacon and submitted to the Bishop’s Office.
a. The Application should be accompanied by a letter from a rector or vicar in the Diocese of Virginia stating why a license is desirable and recommending the applicant.
b. A letter from the deacon’s canonical bishop should be sent to the Bishop’s Office recommending the deacon to be licensed in the Diocese of Virginia, as well as certifying that the deacon is in good standing.
c. Certificates documenting that the deacon has completed training on the prevention of adult sexual misconduct and child sexual abuse should be sent to the Bishop’s Office.
d. An Oxford Background check must be completed. (Oxford Document Management, Inc. can be reached at 1-800-801-9114.)
There will be a Letter of Agreement (pdf) among the bishop, the priest, and the deacon that all will sign (see Title III, Canon 7, Section 4). This Letter of Agreement will include a list of liturgical options (pdf) for deacons approved by the Bishop.
Application for renewal of licensure must be submitted by December 31 of each year. Licenses are issued for a one-year period expiring December 31 of each year. A request for renewal requires that a report of the deacon’s life and work be filed annually with the Bishop’s Office, in accordance with Title III, Canon 7, Section 4(b). This report shall be in writing and be submitted with the request for renewal form (pdf).
This information will be in addition to the canonical requirements for ordination and diaconal service set forth in Title III, Canons 5, 6, 7.
For questions regarding licensure, contact the Bishop’s Office, Diocese of Virginia,
1-800-DIOCESE.
