Deacons and Sub-Deacons

[MrJim]

Tonsure - in a nutshell is cutting of the hair as an act of obedience and submission. Three types of tonsure exist in the eastern practice - baptismal, clerical and monastic. Everyone who is baptized into Christ is tonsured into the laity, the people of God. Likewise, every man who is ordained is first tonsured into the clergy. And monastic tonsure would accompany the monastic vows, within monasticism there various levels, but that isn't really important for us here.

interesting~sounds like sharp scissors are a priestly implement

 

[Kristos]

interesting~sounds like sharp scissors are a priestly implement

sharp but not pointy

 

[The Virginian]

At a time when I had practically no hair for him to 'snip', I was tonsured a Reader by my bishop. I stood at the lectern and read/chanted at my priest's discretion. And then; I stood ready to help during the Divine Liturgy. Two years later I was "ordained" a sub-deacon. It was very memorable because, not having my own,I had to borrow vestments from an OCA sub-deacon.
Regardless of this, it is the duty of both the sub-deacon and deacon to 'assist' the priest, whose role it is to assist the bishop, who according to Tradition, stands in the place of Christ for us.
It has been agreed upon that all those who enter into the clergy, will have training, either at a seminary or through a program such as the Antiochian St.Stephens Seminary correspondence (a Spring and Fall semester, with a week of training at Antiochian Village in the summer).
As is with a priest being eleveated to the dignity of 'archpriest', it is the perogrative of the bishop to elevate a deacon, and or sub-deacon to the next level of clerical orders. With the reader, sub-deacon and deacon, the local priest usually begins the process with recommendations to the bishop, based upon parish needs, or worthy service!

the sinfuland unworthy servant
sub-deacon Moses

 

[Knee V]

I can agree to call it an "ordination". But, for the sake of our non/not-yet Orthodox participants here, it should be noted that only Deacons, Priests, and Bishops have sacramental Holy Orders. A reader, I suppose, is part of the "order" of readers, but it is not on the same level as the ordination to the Diaconate, Priesthood, or Episcopacy, as those have a "sacramental" nature to them.