The Catholic Morning Show

Answering the Call: Diocese of Des Moines Runs Two Deacon Formation Cohorts for the First Time – Deacon Jim Houston – 08/11/2026

Episode Summary

Deacon Jim Houston, Director of the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Des Moines, joins The Catholic Morning Show to explain what it takes to become a Catholic deacon and why the diocese is now running two formation cohorts side by side for the first time in its history. He walks through the five-year discernment and candidacy process, the role a wife plays throughout formation, and the growing need for deacons across the diocese's parishes. Whether you're personally discerning a call to the diaconate or simply curious what deacons actually do, this conversation offers a clear, practical look inside the process.

Episode Notes

Deacon Jim Houston sits down with Bo Bonner and Deacon Mark Campbell — himself a graduate of diaconate formation — to talk about the vocation of the permanent deacon and what's changing in the Diocese of Des Moines.

What Deacon Jim covers:

• The three-fold ministry of the deacon — Word, Liturgy, and Charity — and how it differs from the priesthood
• Why the diocese is running two concurrent formation cohorts for the first time, driven by a wave of upcoming retirements among its longest-serving deacons (the diocese's first cohort was ordained in 1972)
• The five-year formation process: two years of discernment ("expectancy"), followed by three years of candidacy and practical training in homiletics, funerals, and weddings
• Why discernment and formation never guarantee ordination — and why that's the point

Thinking about the diaconate? Reach out to the Diocese of Des Moines Vocations Office at vocations@dmdiocese.org, or learn more about the Permanent Diaconate at dmdiocese.org.

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