Basic Requirements for Admission to the Diaconal Formation Program

For the class of 2028, applications will be accepted beginning Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.
The application due date is Monday, May 2, 2022.

For admission to formation, applicants must complete a detailed application and their wives must complete a questionnaire. See documents list at the bottom of this page for the application and questionnaire files.

• Age requirements to enter diaconal formation:
  • The minimum age is thirty (30) years by the due date of the application.
  • The maximum age is fifty-nine (59) years by the due date of the application.
• Married Applicant Requirements:
  • In a marriage that the Catholic Church considers valid for at least five (5) years by the due date of the application,
    • Marriage validity and duration are verified by an official marriage certificate issued by the parish where the marriage occurred or an official notation of marriage on the baptismal certificate of the applicant.
  • For any prior marriages of either applicant or wife:
    • either death certificate for the prior spouse(s)
    • or a decree of nullity from a diocesan tribunal for the prior marriage(s)
    • Required to verify the current marriage is valid. 
  • Demonstrated evidence of a stable marriage:
    • Letter of recommendation from someone who has known the couple for several years
    • Marriage inventory tool (e.g. Prepare/Enrich)
    • Interviews with a deacon couple 
    • Attend a Marriage Encounter weekend prior to the start of formation
  • Support and consent of the wife:
    • Handwritten letter from the wife to the Bishop submitted with the application.
    • Substantiated in the letters of recommendation received
• Single Applicant Requirements:
  • The single applicant must be living in a mature, celibate state.
  • If the single applicant is a widower, three (3) years should elapse between his application and the date of his spouse’s passing (National Directory 178, note 8).
• Convert/Revert Requirements:
  • Five (5) years should elapse between a convert applicant’s entry or a returning Catholic’s reentry into the church and the application due date.
• EIM Compliance: Completion of the “Ethics and Integrity in Ministry (EIM)” workshop by applicant (and wife, if married) is required prior to entering formation.
  • A criminal background check is done early in the first year of formation.
• Health Requirement:
  • Applicant should be in good health, capable of integrating the rigors of a strenuous academic formation program with family responsibilities, work duties and ministry commitments.
  • Physical examination within six (6) months prior to the application date and have the examining physician submit to the diaconal formation program a report (the report form for the physician to complete can be found in the application).
• Financial Stability Requirement:
  • Permanent deacons must be financially stable and self-sufficient. For most deacons, diaconal ministry is done part time; deacons are not paid for their ministry.
  • Applicants must demonstrate a source of income for support of self and family, including providing for their retirement needs.
  • A financial background check is done early in the first year of formation.
• Education Requirement:
  • Graduation from high school or the equivalent (GED) is required. This is demonstrated by a diploma, transcripts indicating completion, or other equivalent documentation from the school.
  • A certificate of completion of diocese classes called Basic Teachings of the Catholic Faith must be submitted by the time formation begins.
  • Applicants must commit to completing all studies required during the five years of the formation period.
• Citizenship/Legal Residence
  • Applicant must be a U.S. Citizen
  • or have proof of legal residence in the United States,
  • and have residency within the Diocese of Austin, whether a U.S. or legal U.S. resident.
• Service Character Requirement:
  • The applicant should have a reasonable knowledge of and desire to pursue the service role of the deacon in the church – what Pope Paul VI called “a natural inclination of service" (Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem, II, 8). Discerned by
    • Applicant’s record of ministry
    • Pastor’s input
    • Interviews with the formation team
    • note: Due to the demands of formation, active ministry at the parish may need to be reduced during formation.
• Spiritual Character Requirement:
  • Formation is an intense spiritual journey into a deeper prayer life in accordance with church teachings.
  • Applicant will submit a letter of recommendation from a parishioner with whom the applicant has shared a ministry.
  • Applicant will meet monthly with a spiritual director to guide his discernment and formation progress.
• Commitment Requirement:
  • Applicant must make a strong commitment of time to
    • prayer
    • study
    • ministry
    • 5-year formation program
    • making formation a priority
    • If married, the spouse must also understand and agree to this commitment.