Discovering Christ the Servant: A Spirituality of Service

Because Jesus came not to be served but to serve (Mk 10:45), his Mystical Body, the Church, is essentially a servant Church. It's precisely through this service that she carries out her mission.

The ancient diaconate was instituted, and has been restored in our time, not simply to stand alongside priestly, religious, and lay ministry but to imbue and empower each with a renewed sense of service. Indeed, the Greek word diakonia, which is translated in English as "service," can also be translated into the Latin word ministerium, translated in English as "ministry." Thus, when we look at episcopal ministry, priestly ministry, religious ministry, or lay ministry, service is essential to all.

Service is not something we do but someone we give: our very selves. It is an act of love rooted in a divine love already poured out for us. This book provides a radical but thoroughly consistent rethinking of the Christian life that takes up the tradition and builds upon it in a way that is both old and new.

"In Discovering Christ the Servant, Deacon Cerrato has provided a concise yet detailed spiritual roadmap leading to a deeper understanding of lay service. What surprised me was his approach: developing a lay spirituality of service by looking through the lens of diaconal service. Absolutely brilliant!" From the Foreword by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers

About the Author

Deacon Dominic Cerrato is Director of the Office of the Diaconate for the Diocese of Joliet, Editor of Our Sunday Visitor's The Deacon magazine, and Director of Diaconal Ministries. He has taught theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Duquesne University of the Holy Ghost, and Holy Apostles College and Seminary. He has nearly 30 years of experience in catechetical and pastoral ministry on both the diocesan and parish levels.

Deacon Dominic possesses a BA in Theology from Franciscan University, a MA in Theology from Duquesne University, where he also completed his Ph.D. coursework. In 2009, he was awarded a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from the Graduate Theological Foundation.

Ordained in 1995 as the first permanent deacon of the Diocese of Steubenville at the age of 35, Deacon Dominic is a national speaker, author, and retreat master. Beyond scholarly papers and popular articles, he published the following books: In the Person of Christ the Servant (St. Ephraem Press, 2014), Encountering Christ the Servant: A Spirituality of the Diaconate (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2020), Discovering Christ the Servant: A Spirituality of the Service (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2022). Recently, he was appointed by Pope Francis to an international papal commission to study the question of women and the diaconate.

Deacon Dominic and his wife Judith have been married for 40 years and they have seven children and many grandchildren.