World Church · November 5, 2026
Diocese of Roermond ordains new permanent deacon after five years
The Diocese of Roermond has ordained a new deacon. Henk Charlier was ordained as a permanent deacon on Saturday in the Roermond Christoffel Cathedral. This marks the first time since 2021 that a permanent deacon has been ordained in the Limburg diocese.
Initially, there were plans to ordain two deacons, but the other candidate withdrew for personal reasons, according to the Diocese of Roermond.
Charlier was ordained to the permanent diaconate by Bishop Ron van den Hout. Unlike a transitional deacon, who prepares for priestly ordination, a permanent deacon receives only the diaconate ordination.
Permanent deacons are men, both married and unmarried, who do not become priests but serve the Church as deacons. Due to their ordination, they are permitted to perform various ecclesiastical tasks.
During the homily, Van den Hout called upon the new deacon to be a sign of hope and peace. He emphasized the importance of service, which he believes should not be limited to liturgical life.
“Service is not only liturgical work. Service is also an attitude that should characterize us as Christians in society and in the power dynamics that exist in our Church and our world,” he stated.
According to Van den Hout, the deacon also has a special role in establishing and maintaining connections between the Church and society.
Meanwhile, in the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam, a deacon ordination also took place on Saturday, where multiple individuals were ordained as deacons, with one becoming a permanent deacon.