What is a Deacon?

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 A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church. There are three
groups,or "orders," of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops,
presbyters and deacons. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the
Church and to the world of Christ,who came "to serve and not to be served."
The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue
of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries,
is to be a servant in a servant-Church. 

All ordained ministers in the Church are called to functions of Word,
Sacrament,and Charity, but bishops, presbyters and deacons exercise these
functions in various ways. As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the
Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of
Sacrament,deacons baptize,lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages,
and conduct wake and funeral services As ministers of Charity, deacons are
leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshaling the Church's
resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating
the injustices or inequities that cause such needs. But no matter what
specific functions a deacon performs, they flow from his sacramental
identity. In other words, it is not only WHAT a deacon does,but WHO a
deacon is, that is important.