Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The rank, office, or tenure of a deacon.
  • noun Deacons considered as a group.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Superintended or managed by deacons.
  • noun The office or dignity of a deacon.
  • noun A body of deacons.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Governed by deacons.
  • noun The office of a deacon; deaconship; also, a body or board of deacons.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The rank of a deacon
  • noun Deacons considered as a group

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Late Latin diāconātus, from diāconus, deacon; see deacon.]

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Examples

  • He summarized the state of deaconess issue as follows: The possibility of ordaining women to the diaconate is still an unsettled question in the Catholic Church.

    Milwaukee News Item #1: Married Catholic Priests « PurpleSlog – Awesomeness & Modesty Meets Sexy 2008

  • The word diaconate means service; helpful service.

    Deaconesses in Europe and their Lessons for America 1889

  • This week, we bring you an exclusive interview in which Jeremy Halcrow asks Dean of Sydney, and director of Ministry, Training and Development, Phillip Jensen about the implications of the new long-term diaconate and its relationship with the goals of the Diocesan Mission.

    SA Latest News 2009

  • The diaconate is a "full and equal order" in the church, and deacons answer directly to the bishop.

    Archive 2006-11-01 Susan Palwick 2006

  • Such, then, was the origin of the diaconate, which is found to be the most ancient ecclesiastical function, the most ancient of sacred orders.

    The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 03 Rossiter Johnson 1906

  • There are three forms of this sacrament, also called sacramental orders, namely diaconate, priesthood and episcopate. they are not, however, three sacraments, but only one sacrament that is separately administered with three successively higher sacramental effects.

    Latest Articles 2009

  • Some churches in the PCA have tried a different route, avoiding the "ordination" term in favor of "appointing" or "commissioning" women to the diaconate.

    Brandon G. Withrow: The Ordination Of Women And The High Calling Of Dissent Brandon G. Withrow 2011

  • Both very old and very new, the permanent diaconate dates to the New Testament, but later became subsumed as a stepping-stone to the priesthood.

    As Priests Decline, Deacons Step In 2010

  • "If the church needs more priests," Ditewig said, "the church needs to find more ways to get more priests, not distort other ministries like the diaconate to fill that need."

    As Priests Decline, Deacons Step In 2010

  • Worldwide, the permanent diaconate has expanded roughly 30 times faster than the priesthood since 2000, according to the Vatican, with much of the growth attributed to the United States.

    As Priests Decline, Deacons Step In 2010

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