I wish I had a dime for every e-mail I’ve received that has started with those six words. That’s usually followed by a request for more information. How long do you study? Can I keep my job? Do you get paid? (Ha. That one always cracks me up.)

There are precious few resources on the web for men who are discerning the call to this particular vocation. Which is a minor scandal. This ministry is growing by leaps and bounds — the Permanent Diaconate is, arguably, one of the few vocational success stories to bear fruit after Vatican II — and it is attracting men at such a rate that in many dioceses deacons have begun to outnumber priests. (We will leave a debate about what that means, and what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us, for another time…)

Meantime, there are two truly exceptional online resources for men seeking information on the diaconate — and for deacons who just want an online community to call their own.

They are CatholicDeacon.org and CatholicDeacon.net. The latter is a self-sustaining bulletin board with a wide range of topics that encourage free-flowing discussion and questions and answers. Men can also post homilies.

Both websites are invaluable for the ordained, those pursuing ordination, or those who are merely curious.

Check ’em out. You’ll be glad you did.