Deacon Apparel in The Diocese of Syracuse

Beginning on the First Sunday of Advent (December 1, 2024), Bishop Lucia has implemented a policy for the entire Syracuse Diocese that all its deacons will wear gray clerical shirts and collars when acting in their official capacity as a deacon for his parish, for the larger diocesan community, and/or the larger Catholic community outside of the diocese.

The clerical attire that our priests wear now and our deacons will begin to wear this December, outwardly symbolizes their unified commitment to service and faith, that they are approachable and ready to assist those in need in the ministries for which they are ordained. Both within the Church and in the secular world, there is a cultural understanding of what the clerical shirt and collar symbolizes and identifies. But to clearly differentiate deacons from priests, our diocesan deacons will be wearing gray while priests will continue to wear black. Let us continue to hold our bishop, priests, and deacons in our prayers, as they service our diocesan family of faith.