Q. What is a deanery?
A. It is commonly known that the Universal Church – the one Catholic Church present throughout the whole world – is divided into dioceses which, as a rule, are defined by territory. Thus, the Diocese of Lincoln is that portion of the people of God who live in the state of Nebraska south of the Platte River. It is also common knowledge that dioceses are further divided into communities called parishes which are also defined territorially. People who have permanent residence within the territorial boundaries of a parish belong by default to that parish.
What is less known is that between the level of diocese and parish there is an intermediary level of territorial organization usually called a “deanery” (sometimes it goes by the name “vicariate forane”). Simply put, a deanery consists of a group of several neighboring parishes within a diocese. The Diocese of Lincoln is divided into 15 deaneries, and each deanery consists of anywhere from five to 14 parishes. Also included in the deanery are any priests who reside or minister within the territory of those parishes (e.g., a priest at the seminary in Seward belongs to the same deanery as the parish in Seward). For each deanery, the bishop freely appoints a “dean” from among the priests who belong to that deanery.
There is an important difference between how the Church understands the role of parishes and that of deaneries. Parishes are considered to be real communities to which members belong. They are like a spiritual family with a common sacramental life and a common shepherd (the pastor). Deaneries, on the other hand, exist for instrumental reasons. They are not meant to be real communities like parishes, but they exist to help parishes or priests work together when possible or necessary. A common example in the Diocese of Lincoln is a penance service during Advent or Lent: all the priests of the deanery will come to the same parish at the same time to make confessions easily available for all the members of that parish.
Besides the fostering of common activity among neighboring parishes, Canon Law specifies out several responsibilities belonging to the dean of each deanery. These responsibilities are aimed at helping the bishop govern and care for the priests and parishes within the deanery. Deans ensure that priests are fulfilling their responsibilities, caring for their rectories and church buildings, keeping good sacramental records, and administering the finances of the parish prudently. They also help keep an eye out for any priests who might be struggling in his assignment. One important way in which deans carry out these responsibilities is by a yearly visitation of each parish within his deanery.
Related: find your deanery
In summary, deaneries and deans exist as an intermediate level of ecclesial organization between a diocese and its many parishes. They have an instrumental function, helping a bishop in his duty to govern a large territory comprised of numerous parishes and priests, while also allowing neighboring parishes to coordinate their activities when necessary or useful.
This question was answered by Fr. Jim Morin, Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln and professor of Theology at St. Gregory the Great Seminary.
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