The permanent diaconate in Ireland is steadily growing, with new ordinations, expanding formation programmes and increasing confidence about the role deacons play in the life of the Church.
Fr Eddie McGee, national director of the permanent diaconate, said that 26 men were ordained this year alone, bringing the total number of ordained deacons in Ireland to 152. Of these, 143 are currently active in ministry, with around 40 more men in formation at various stages
“The diaconal ministry has grown year on year,” Fr McGee said, adding that by 2030 Ireland could have “over 200 deacons in ministry across the country.” He described the development as “quietly growing away in the background,” but increasingly embedded at parish, diocesan and national level.
Fr McGee stressed that the role of the deacon is “much broader than the liturgical role,” pointing to involvement in pastoral care, sacramental preparation, prison ministry, communications and synodal work. “One of the most important signs of hope,” he said, “is the vision that ordained deacons have of their ministry, one of working alongside priests and lay people in collaborative ministry.”
Among those ordained this year is Deacon Eric O’Sullivan, a Garda and father of three, who described the diaconate as “a natural progression” of a life shaped by service. “Being a guard and being a deacon are both ministries of service,” he said. “You’re meeting people where they are, often on their worst days”
Deacon Eric highlighted the importance of fraternity among deacons, saying, “That journey together — the prayer, the support, the brotherhood — that’s what carries you through.”
Fr McGee noted that the involvement of families is a distinctive strength of the diaconate. “It’s not just about what the deacon does,” he said, “but who the deacon is, and the witness of family life that comes with that.”
Together, he said, these developments represent “a real sign of hope for the Church in Ireland.”
