SEATTLE (OSV News) — Permanent deacons in the Archdiocese of Seattle are now allowed to wear gray clerical shirts with a Roman collar when actively engaged in ministry in a public setting.
Archdiocesan policy had previously prohibited the wearing of a Roman collar by deacons, except for special situations, like street ministry, with the express permission of the Office of the Vicar for Clergy.
Ministering on the streets
Some deacons requested and received that permission. Their experiences ministering on the streets of Seattle raised the idea for this change, said Deacon Eric Paige, the archdiocese’s director for deacons.
“Originally, wearing the Roman collar when on the streets was about ensuring our safety,” he told Northwest Catholic, Seattle’s archdiocesan news outlet. “But then we discovered that wearing the collar while serving those on the margins created the opportunity for encounters that would never happen otherwise. We asked, ‘Why not make this possible in other settings like prison ministry, hospital ministry and committals?’”
Before considering the proposal, Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne asked the Office of the Vicar for Clergy to consult deacons and priests throughout the archdiocese and to discuss the topic with dioceses across the country.
‘Many benefits and few problems’
This consultation turned up “many benefits and few problems,” Deacon Paige said, and Archbishop Etienne approved the policy change, which took effect Dec. 26.
In implementing this policy, the Archdiocese of Seattle joins a number of dioceses that permit deacons to wear a Roman collar. Many of those dioceses, but not all, ask their deacons to wear gray shirts.
In the Archdiocese of Seattle, deacons are encouraged to exercise good judgment around wearing the collar, doing so only when it will help their ministry or when they are actively engaged in ministry, Deacon Paige explained.
“Most dioceses that implemented this policy found that people became familiar with deacons wearing gray shirts quite quickly,” he added.
Kate McEntee DeWeese is editor of Northwest Catholic, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Seattle. This story was originally published by Northwest Catholic and is distributed through a partnership with OSV News.
