The Department of Permanent Deacons of the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia, working under the Secretariat for Clergy, has
as its primary mission the formation of candidates for the Permanent
Diaconate. These candidates, along with their spouses for those who are
married, undergo a program designed to respond to the human, spiritual,
intellectual and pastoral dimensions of the diaconate in our times.
Under the direction of the Archbishop of
Philadelphia, and with fidelity to Vatican and National Norms, the
Department of Permanent Deacons seeks to prepare deacons who will serve our
Archdiocese through the ministry of the word, of the altar and of charity.
In order to carry this out, the Department
is committed to a Program of Formation which provides: