Venancio Aragonez, a candidate for the permanent deaconate, quickly discovered that his place near the altar would change him deeply.
“The institution as an acolyte has changed me with a great sense of responsibility in the service of the altar,” Aragonez said. “Helping and supporting the priest has allowed me to witness, up close, the veneration and reverence that goes into the consecration of the Eucharist.”
Aragonez is one of 20 men nearing the final stage to becoming a permanent deacon in the archdiocese. In November 2025, those completing their five-year journeys will be welcomed as permanent deacons into the Church, following the lengthy process requiring discernment, support and dedication. Deacons are ordained ministers within the Catholic Church, visible signs in an unpredictable world, of what it means to be a servant of Jesus.
Deacons work with their parish priest and staff to support their parishioners' many and varied needs through service and by living their faith through example.
“This is a call of service that all of us who are part of the formation candidacy program to the permanent diaconate are discerning,” said James Robb, another diaconate candidate. “Since being instituted as an acolyte, my desire to serve the bishop, our priests and the Church has grown even greater.”
After a candidate enters the formal diaconate formation program, a thorough program that spans five years, they begin a path that is deeply transformative.
The first two years, known as the aspirancy, centers on deepening their relationship with Christ his Church. This is a time for continued discernment and initial study to ensure each candidate is prepared for the next step of their diaconate journeys.
One critical milestone in a candidate’s journey is being instituted as an acolyte.
After aspirancy, candidates begin a three-year candidacy, where they are immersed in theology, liturgical training and service. Candidates will eventually be instituted as an acolyte, a role that gives them greater responsibilities at Mass, which include assisting the priest on the altar, offering Holy Communion and serving as a visible example of what it means to be a servant of Jesus.
More than performing tasks, the role of an acolyte is about being a humble servant, a quality that is key to a deacon’s role.
“I assist Father Brian Buettner, my pastor at Saint Thomas More, with preparing the altar and the sacred vessels for the Liturgy of the Eucharist,” Robb said. “My love of the Eucharist, the True Presence, has grown as I have been able to assist him at the altar.”
Another candidate, Justin Linck, said serving at Mass, especially as an acolyte, has increased his awareness that his service is another way of honoring Christ’s sacrifice.
“The priest is the only essential minister at the Mass, and the sacrifice is perfect with him alone serving,” Linck said, “but the other ministers, the deacons, acolytes and other servers, each add, in their own way, to the honor that is given to our Lord's sacrifice.”
It's not just the candidates who commit to their God-inspired calling to become a deacon. Candidates' wives play a key role.
“Praying the Liturgy of the Hours with my wife has brought us closer together,” Robb said. “It has deepened our love for each other, and I would encourage all couples to pray together.”
The journey to becoming an ordained permanent deacon culminates with their ordination, the final step marking the beginning of a life dedicated to serving the Church. For the men currently on the journey, Nov. 7, 2025, is ordination day.
Deacon Norm Mejstrik, director of Permanent Diaconate for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, stressed the importance of deacons in the Church’s mission. Mejstrik also urged the laity to pray for candidates as they head into ordination, as well as to pray for future candidates who might be discerning the diaconate program.
“The Deacon Formation Class of 2025 is in their last year of formation,” Mejstrik said. “God willing, the candidates will be ordained as permanent deacons.”
Eliana Tedrow is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
Photo: Archbishop Coakley celebrated the Rite of Institution of Acolytes Mass for the Deacon Formation Class of 2025 on Aug. 23 in the St. Francis de Sales Chapel at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Oklahoma City. Photo Chris Porter/Sooner Catholic. Deacon formation timeline