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- Church Initiation: All inquirers (men applying to enter diaconate formation) must be fully initiated
members of the Catholic Church (i.e., baptized, confirmed, and have received Holy Communion).
Further, all men who have participated in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and have
received full initiation into the Catholic Church must wait at least five years before applying for the
diaconate.
- Age: The age of those men interested in applying to diaconal formation must be between 35 and 60
years old at the time of application.
- Marriage: All married inquirers should be part of a stable and loving Catholic marriage for no less than
five years before making their application. (Any potential applicants who may be experiencing serious
difficulties in their marriage should postpone applying for the diaconate until those issues are completely
resolved.) Their marriage must also be canonically valid, proof of which must be made by the
presentation of a Catholic certificate. Further, all married inquirers must obtain the written consent from
their wives before being admitted into Aspirancy Formation. Upon the death of the wife, a man will
enter the celibate state for the remainder of his life.
- Single Men: At the time of the application, all single men who seek entry into diaconal formation must
have been celibate for a minimum of 5 years and must remain celibate throughout their formation
process and for the rest of their lives (remain unmarried). No exemption is granted for this rule;
therefore, all single men must have a clear understanding of the celibate life they are called to live. An
engaged man may not therefore apply to the formation program.
- Financial stability: All inquirers should have sufficient financial and employment stability when they
submit the pre-application form and throughout the entire formation process. In either case, the applicant
may be asked to submit proof of stable employment. If a potential applicant is experiencing some form
of hardship or lack of employment during the time of his admission process, he will be asked to
postpone his application request and resolve his situation, before being considered for admissions into
the program.
- National Status: All inquirers must be American citizens (native born or naturalized), permanent
residents or possess an appropriate visa that allows them to be legally present in the United States. All
inquirers must also possess a valid social security number before applying for Aspirancy. It must also be
noted that all diaconal aspirants/candidates must have legal status in the United States before applying
for admission into the program. Further, the diocese will not sponsor any potential candidates for
immigration status.
- Pastor’s Recommendation: All inquirers must receive the written recommendation of their pastors
before attending a night of inquiry.
- Parochial Involvement: All inquirers must live within the boundaries of the Diocese of Brooklyn and
Queens, belong to one of the diocesan parishes and have a substantial record of parochial service before
applying to Aspirancy Formation. A substantial record of service is defined as active involvement in the
parochial life, ministries, or apostolic groups of his parish for a minimum of three years. Anyone
planning on moving out of the Diocese should not apply to the Diocese of Brooklyn Diaconate program.
- Educational Background: All inquirers must be high school graduates or have earned the appropriate
equivalent (either in the United States or their native country). Some college background is also
preferred. Proof of High School completion, college studies, degrees or transcripts obtained either in
United States or abroad must be submitted with their application.
- It is expected that a minimum of 5 years of diocesan diaconal service will be given post ordination.
