Australian Diaconate Survey 2025
The most wide-ranging diaconate survey ever conducted in Australia has revealed challenges and opportunities for this growing vocation in the Catholic Church ‘down under.’
by Deacon Tony Hoban, Australia
In preparation for the recent national meeting of diaconate formators, surveys were conducted about the diaconate of bishops, formators, men in formation, ordained deacons and wives of deacons.
The response rate was highest from deacons with 21% of all current deacons answering the survey.
The results revealed a range of challenges for the diaconate in Australia as well as great opportunities.
Some key challenges: – Some bishops surveyed spoke of a lack of candidates for diaconate in their diocese, (despite there being little or no promotion of this vocation to attract such men). – Some men in formation were frustrated by the lack of a clear path or program towards ordination. – Of ordained deacons, more than a third who answered the survey, were challenged by their relationship with either their bishop or parish priest. Almost a quarter spoke of one of the main shortcomings of their own formation being lack of practical skills to administer sacraments or inadequate liturgical formation. – Wives of deacons spoke of their concern about the time required of their husbands for church duties, which sometimes has challenging impacts at home.
Some key positives and opportunities: – There was support amongst bishops surveyed for online formation to be made available in their diocese which would lessen the burden on rural and regional diocese to run formation with local resources alone. The formators network in Australia is looking to build on a pilot already offered in Queensland where the Archdiocese of Brisbane has supported regional dioceses by allowing online (and occasional in-person) attendance at their monthly formation sessions. There is a plan to expand this model so that it can be offered in other parts of Australia, reducing one barrier to smaller dioceses offering a formation program. – More than half the deacons surveyed were happy with the ministries they perform and which vary from liturgical to many other areas such as in prisons, hospitals, visits to the sick and aged, and in learning institutions. – The academic aspects of their formation were valued by many deacons. – Less than 15% of deacons surveyed mentioned pastoral supervision as part of their ongoing formation, meaning there is a great opportunity for more to undertake this mandated form of support. – Many wives want to be more involved in formation sessions and to connect more with other deacons and wives. – Most wives of deacons, when asked they would you most want to say to the wife of a man in diaconal formation, had words of encouragement and support, but with warnings that life will be different than before and some boundaries need to be negotiated.
There are currently about 220 (permanent) deacons in Australia. While the numbers may be smaller than in North America and in some European countries, the numbers continue to grow from a slow base in the 1990’s. In some dioceses the number of deacons is around 10% of all clergy.
The author: Deacon Tony Hoban (with his wife Annette) lives in Marsden Park in the diocese of Parramatta, Australia. He is President of the Australian Catholic Deacons Association (ACDA) and Vicepresident of the IDC.