Ranks of Permanent Deaconate Swell Worldwide
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Even though the ranks of the priesthood have been declining in many parts of the world, the number of permanent deacons has been expanding almost 30 times faster than the priesthood since the year 2000, resulting in an estimated 40 percent of U.S. parishes now being run by a deacon rather than an ordained priest.
