Originally published at National Catholic Register
The faithful can express gratitude for deacons any day of the year, including on St. Stephen’s Day.
According to Georgetown’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate report on “A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate in 2022,” an estimated 910 men were ordained to the permanent diaconate in 2022, up from 567 the year before. However, the number of men serving as permanent deacons is slowly dwindling; in 2022, an estimated 13,695 permanent deacons served in active ministry, down from 15,000 in 2011.
Vocation Ministry sees an urgent need for the Church to increase awareness and gratitude for permanent deacons who have said “Yes” to this call, and Vocation Ministry is equipping the Church to awaken once again the call of a vocation within the human heart.
One of my mentors at my parish, St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Houston, was Deacon Frank Davis, who was kind, gentle and compassionate — a servant among servants. A devoted husband, he was married for more than 50 years. He died on Aug. 30, 2021.
Deacon Frank served a short but impactful eight years in official service to the Church. During that time, he shared inspirational stories of his service in the
