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Glite Dictionary
diaconal

diaconal

1 9.9
Relating to the work and duties of a helper in a Christian church
  • adjective
  • /ˌdaɪəˈkɒnəl/
: diaconal
  • diaconal ministry

Examples

  • All were 1000% in favor of strict priestly (and diaconal) celibacy.

    Blog text (3)

  • There is no point in TEC C&C suggesting that the lay, diaconal, priestly, and episcopal ministers of this Church must work only through policy-making bodies.

    Blog text (4)

  • The diaconal role includes visiting members of the congregation who are ill or in need.

  • Many parishes rely on diaconal staff to assist with charitable outreach programs.

  • As part of their diaconal duties, they organize events to support the local community.

Surface Forms

diaconal positive

Morphology

diaconal = deacon (semi-transparent) = deacon + al

The word is formed with the common adjective suffix -al from 'deacon', but the spelling reflects an older Latin form, so the connection is clear but not perfectly regular.

Etymology

The word diaconal comes from the Greek word diakonos, meaning 'servant' or 'helper', and is the same root as the English word deacon. So diaconal describes the job or duties of a deacon in the church, the serving and helping role.