Deacons may wear clerical dress

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
May 29, 2008

Permanent deacons have served in the Diocese of Sioux City for about 30 years, but it's been only recently that some have appeared in the distinctive clerical dress - the black suit and Roman collar.

When permanent deacons were restored for the Catholic Church in the early 1970s, David Lopez, Ph.D., diocesan director of deacon formation, said the deacons weren't generally asked to wear the distinctive clothing of clerics and, frankly, such dress was discouraged.

"It's not because they are not clerics, but because they spend most of their time not doing the work of the church," he explained. "They have their own employment. They live with their families; they don't live in rectories or the communal housing of clergy. It was felt it was easier and more reasonable to do that."

On the other hand, Lopez stressed, they are clerics and are entitled to the privileges of clerics - one of those is the distinctive dress.

Lopez said the "compromise" that most dioceses have gone to is to allow permanent deacons to wear clerical dress when they are engaged in diaconal ministry, but not when they are taking part in career obligations, family life or personal interests.

Like the prelates in many other dioceses throughout the country, Bishop R. Walker Nickless also made the decision to allow permanent deacons in the Diocese of Sioux City to wear a clerical collar when appropriate.

In the Pagella of Faculties granted to deacons of the Diocese of Sioux City on Dec. 19, 2006, the bishop stated, "In light of canon 284, the deacon may choose to wear clerical dress when he is actively engaged in public ministry. Clerical dress for deacons of the Diocese of Sioux City consists of black suit, clerical collar, and deacon cross worn as pin or pendant."

According to Lopez, the faculties presented to the deacons by the bishop detail the specific rights and duties of clerics - what they are entitled to do, what they are prevented from doing and how they should behave as clerics. Most of the faculties pertain to specific do's and don'ts, but in regards to clerical dress, it's an option.

"It gives the deacon the ability to choose what is best for a given pastoral situation where he is going to be doing the ministry of the church as a permanent deacon," said Lopez.

The deacon director acknowledged that for those deacons ordained years ago, it is a concept that takes some getting used to because they were trained that they shouldn't wear a collar.

Deacon Bob Lenz of Pomeroy, who was ordained 28 years ago, wears the clerical dress for some of the more significant ministry scenarios such as for wake services. In other situations, such as pastoral visits, he opts not to wear the collar.

He acknowledged that it has taken time to get used to.

"I like the fact that it's optional," said Deacon Lenz.

A higher percentage of newer ordained deacons are opting to go with the clerical dress.

"With some of the newer deacons, it's not a function of age but of the growth of preparation. A more ecclesial identity has been cultivated recently," said Lopez, who added that there is also growth from the experience of having deacons in the church.

Deacon Richard Billings of Blessed Sacrament Church in Sioux City, who was ordained in March of 2007, has opted to wear the clerical dress when ministering as a deacon, attending religious events or parish/diocesan meetings.

For some Catholics, he said they may not realize that deacons are ordained. They sometimes are viewed as "good old boys" who are good Catholics and then therefore appointed deacons - more like the Protestant version, an honorary title of sorts.

"My feeling as to the reason why we wear the clerics is to point out that we are ordained," said Deacon Billings. "We are clergy and people are not used to that. The deacon is one of the three orders of the church - the bishop, the priest and the deacon."

Deacon Billings would like to see all deacons wear the clerical dress.

For a deacon classmate of his, Deacon Mark Wyant of Sacred Heart Parish in Sioux City, it was also an easy choice to wear the clerical garb.

"It opens people up if they identify you as being clergy," noted the deacon. "They are more willing to talk and if they are more willing to talk then you are better able to help them or serve them. There's something about the collar that puts them at ease."

He has worn the religious dress since his ordination in March of 2007.

"When I went to be ordained, I wore the black shirt and pants. After ordination, I put my collar in," said Deacon Wyant.

Among other times, he wears the collar when making Communion and/or sick calls following weekend liturgies.

Lopez agreed that there are certain occasions when clerical dress is beneficial. For instance, when involved in prison ministry, he said the inmates and guards both will respond to the ministers in distinctive dress differently because it is a sign of authority.

"On the other hand, in a different pastoral situation, if you are preparing a couple for marriage and they are marginal Catholics, it might be advantageous not to wear a collar because they might be intimidated," he explained. "A priest, however, doesn't have that choice."

Just like all bishops, popes like to review the standing policies, noted Lopez and Pope John Paul II did so for the norms regarding clerical dress for the Diocese of Rome. Upon the review, the pope said, "The distinctiveness of the sign is valuable not only because it contributes to the propriety of the priest and his external behavior or any exercise of his ministry, but above all because it gives evidence within the ecclesiastical community of the public witness that each priest is held to give of his own identity and special belonging to God. ... Because of the trends of the secular world, the sense of the sacred is frightenly weakened and therefore needs the sign value of religious dress."

Lopez said that the pope's statement clearly applies to priests "because a priest is never not on duty."

The statement by the pope, he added, also applies to deacons to the extent that the deacon is doing the ministry of Christ in the Catholic Church.

In wearing the clerical dress, Deacon Billings said along with providing the identity of a cleric, it also is beneficial because it reminds him of the necessity to be a model Catholic.