Discerning a Call to the Permanent Diaconate?
The Diocese of Salina invites men who are prayerfully considering a vocation as a Catholic Permanent Deacon, and any interested spouses, to attend an upcoming Diaconate Information Presentation.
These one-hour sessions will provide an overview of:
- The ministry of the permanent diaconate
- Formation and academic requirements
- The application and discernment process
Information Session Schedule (All sessions begin at 10:00 AM)
| Manhattan | March 7, 2026 – St. Thomas More Parish (Tower Room) |
| Salina | March 21, 2026 – Diocesan Chancery (Conference Room) |
| Oakley | March 28, 2026 – St. Joseph Parish (Parish Annex) |
| Hays | April 25, 2026 – Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish (Parish Hall) |
Applications are due June 1, 2026. No applications will be accepted after this date.
Men who feel the Lord may be calling them to serve His Church through the permanent diaconate are warmly encouraged to attend.
Please pray for these deacon candidates: “Lord God, remember our deacon candidates. You have called them to discern your will in their lives. Help them to respond courageously to their vocations. Bless their families. Help us to encourage and strengthen them through our prayers that they may serve your Church in holiness. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.”
Am I being called by God to be a deacon? That is the first and foremost question that a man must begin to answer in determining whether or not to make an application for the diaconate. This discernment begins with prayer, self-reflection, and more prayer! This continues in consultation with our spouse, family, or friends. And the discernment does not end after acceptance into the program, but continues throughout aspirancy and candidate formation until a man’s ordination day. The diocese and, ultimately the bishop, also discern the question, “Is this man being called by God to be a servant in our diocese?” The question may not have the same answer as the applicant’s, the aspirant’s, or the candidate’s and it too may not be answered until ordination day.
If you think that you are a man being called by God, please look throughout the Office of Deacons’ webpages for information regarding the application process, aspirancy, and formation. Especially, the links below. Or, if you are a family member, a parishioner, or a member of the general public, please feel free to also look around and learn about the Church’s clerical state of the diaconate.
The Diocese of Salina is anticipating beginning a class of aspirants in September 2026, which will meet until June 2027, at which time the bishop will select those aspirants into candidacy who he feels may be called into formal formation. Those candidates will begin formation in September 2027 and will continue formation until May 2031. Ordination will take place in June 2031.