From the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Congregation for the Clergy.

The national directory addresses the dimensions and perspectives in the formation of deacons and the model standards for the formation, ministry, and life of deacons in the United States. It is intended as a guideline for formation, ministry, and life of permanent deacons and a directive to be utilized when preparing or updating a diaconate program in formulating policies for the ministry and life of deacons. This volume also includes Basic Standards for Readiness for the formation of permanent deacons in the United States, from the bishops' Committee on the Diaconate, and the committee document Visit of Consultation Teams to Diocesan Permanent Diaconate Formation Programs.

To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent and stable order of ministry in the United States, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University undertook a contemporary study of the diaconate in the United States. Building on studies completed in 1981 and 1995 as well as annual research that CARA has conducted for the USCCB since 2005, CARA designed a comprehensive study of deacons, their wives, diaconate directors, and bishops to explore all aspects of this ministry. This book explores trends in the diaconate as well as current and emerging opportunities and challenges in the ministry. Deacons and their wives, diaconate directors, and bishops share insights about how those trends impact diaconal ministry today and into the future.

The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the USA, 2nd Ed., is an essential document for dioceses to grow and sustain the permanent diaconate. Reflecting on fifty years' experience since the establishment of the permanent diaconate in the United States, this National Directory, second edition, harmonizes diaconal formation and ministry practices. The second edition focuses on the identity of the deacon as "a living icon of Christ the Servant within the Church" (Basic Norms) and emphasizes the deacon as a minister of Word, Liturgy, and Charity in the Christian community. The norms in this second edition are required for use and go into effect on June 9, 2022.