Questions about Ordination and Priesthood

just us chickens...

Perhaps try contacting a department witin one of the archdiocesan websites. Here is a link to the education dept. on the Antiochian website:
Department of Christian Education Contact Information | Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese

Wish I could be of more help.

Im a former seminarian from Holy Cross. I can try to answer any questions that I can about the process.

George95 said:

I'll go ahead and ask my questions here in this thread:

1. What does one have to do to be a Deacon?
2. What are Deacons able to do?
3. Are you required to be at a specific church?


That's all for now.

Click to expand...

1. One generally has to attend at least some seminary training, or a similar program, such as the St. Stephen's course.
2. Deacons assist Priests and Bishops during the liturgical services (litanies, censings and the like) They should also be involved in the active ministries of the parish (visiting the sick, teaching catechism, helping with events)
3. Yes. Every ordained clergyman MUST be attached to a specific Church. Priests and Deacons serve as the representative of the Bishop. They are not allowed to do anything without the Bishop's permission. There are cases when the Bishop will require a Deacon to be somewhere a particular day. But the assumption is that unless the Bishop has directed otherwise, the Deacon is "under the command" of the Priest in charge of the parish he is attached to.

Nikolai has it right about the duties. You have your home parish, but the deacon gets his marching orders from the Bishop. So he might assist an older priest who can do everything but needs someone to do some of the extra "lifting" on one week, then serve at a parish who has a visiting priest the next.

Ive been looking at the deaconate program now that continuing as a seminarian is no longer possible. Both Holy Cross (GOA) and St. Stephan's (Antioch) are similar, 3 years with a couple of weeks during each summer at a seminary.

there are some deacons on here as well that might help you out with any diaconal questions

Are you active altar server/reader now? If not, start there.

George95 said:

Bringing this back up, I meant to do it a while ago.

What is required for one to become a deacon, I read on the HCHC(Either that or GOARCH) website there is a 1 week program that you do, but couldn't find anything else.

Click to expand...

definitely something to bring up to your priest I would say. mostly because once you are ordained, if you are not married, you are single for the rest of the time you have that office.

and I agree, start as a tonsured reader or serving in the altar, and discern from there.

Don't mean to get off topic, but must one be tonsured to be a reader? I once read/chanted at the Salutations and also at Matins, and I've never been tonsured before.

Click to expand...

pretty sure you do, you start at the lower ranks of clergy and kinda work your way up, as it were. at least that is the norm.

George95 said:

You mean to be a Chanter as well? Hmm, I know some of the GOYAn's at our church will sometimes read during Lent, and I don't think they've been tonsured.

Click to expand...

yeah, you start at the lowest level of clergy and go up from there, so you should prolly talk to your priest next time you seem him.

George95 said:

Don't mean to get off topic, but must one be tonsured to be a reader? I once read/chanted at the Salutations and also at Matins, and I've never been tonsured before.

Click to expand...

You have to be made a Reader before you can become a Priest. You don't need to be a Reader just to Read. If you're at church and there's a Reader available, he should do the reading over someone who isn't a reader, but to just read the epistle, (or the other things) you don't need to be tonsured.

So yes, if you're going to be a Priest, you'll be a Reader at some point (possibly just for a few minutes or a day lol) but just to read/chant - no.

If you're considering being a Priest it's not a bad idea to discuss being made a Reader with your Priest.

George95 said:

Bringing this back up, I meant to do it a while ago.

What is required for one to become a deacon, I read on the HCHC(Either that or GOARCH) website there is a 1 week program that you do, but couldn't find anything else.

Click to expand...

The HCHC program and St. Stephans are similar. They are typically 3 year programs and each summer you spend two weeks at the campus. The rest of the year, you work with your bishop and priest to learn the normal activities.

There is a short form to fill out and you need to get approved by your priest and your bishop to be accepted into the program.

Reader Chrysostom

They should be able to travel and do services for small parishes.

ArmyMatt said:

definitely something to bring up to your priest I would say. mostly because once you are ordained, if you are not married, you are single for the rest of the time you have that office.

and I agree, start as a tonsured reader or serving in the altar, and discern from there.

Click to expand...

Being a tonsured reader is an amazing experience