Pursuing the Ministry of Charity
Sunday 20th July 2025Join us over the coming weeks as we revisit some of our permanent deacons to take a closer look at the three diaconal pillars of charity, word, and liturgy.
Deacon Lee Davies was ordained to the permanent diaconate in 2022. Together with three of his brother deacons, Deacon Lee became one of the first permanent deacons to be ordained in the Diocese of Salford, inspiring a wave of interest and vocations to this unique ministry.
Over the past three years, Deacon Lee’s ministry has experienced all the twists and turns of life, hallmarked by the death of a close family member that brought a new perspective to his life as a deacon.
Deacon Lee said: “All of a sudden, I found a way to channel that grief. It was like a lightbulb moment – like when the Holy Spirit came and called me to apply to be a deacon.”
In the midst of his grief, Deacon Lee found a way forward through his innate desire to love and support the people around him.
When his son suffered an injury whilst taking part in a half marathon, Deacon Lee decided he too would sign up to this year’s Manchester Half Marathon, to support his son through his next challenge and to raise funds for two local charities: our diocesan charity, Caritas Salford, and St Ann’s Hospice.
This “lightbulb” realisation, combined with the support of his brother deacons and parish priests, reignited that sense of mission in Deacon Lee’s ministry, motivating him to channel his own painful experiences to help those around him.
He said: “I realised that there’s always someone worse off than you.
“I was in tears in December. I was going to Cornerstone and I came off the Mancunian way. I was sitting in traffic at the roundabout and I looked and saw people sleeping in tents on the Mancunian Way. It was freezing. It was December 2024 and we’re one of the richest countries in the world and we have people living like this.
“I thought God is everywhere, he’s not confined to a church building, so wherever we can show his love, whatever small thing we can do to help others, we do it.”
Revived in his mission to reveal the love of God throughout his community, Deacon Lee is now eager to see how this can be extended to parishioners through his role a deacon.
With the seeds sown on a number of parish projects before his sabbatical, Deacon Lee would now like to see these projects through to fruition, including the introduction of an Inclusion Mass to welcome people of all nationalities, denominations and faiths, breaking down accessibility barriers to ensure all can take part.
He said: “If people can’t come to God, we’ll bring God to them. It’s about discovering what people need and finding the solutions to help them engage in their faith, whether that’s a signed Mass, quiet zone, or receiving the newsletter or readings in a different format that’s accessible to them.”
In addition to helping others overcome the barriers that prevent them from fully engaging with the life of the parish, Deacon Lee has also begun to experience a new, wonderful aspect of diaconal ministry: the liturgy.
He said: “Life as a deacon is a journey. It takes time and it’s always changing.
“This is only my fourth Mass ministering at the altar in a parish and I think it’s enriched me. It’s like a jigsaw: charity, proclaiming the word, and service at the altar.
“Before, I was only really focussing on one piece but now, I’ve got the other two pieces and it’s all coming together.
“There are things I still need to work on but the jigsaw is finally there. It’s like a breath of fresh air and I glow when I’m serving on the altar because it’s the ultimate service to God.”
After three years of balancing family, work, and ministerial life, Deacon Lee has found a way to be strict with the time he has, enabling him to identify new ways to live out his ministry.
He said: “I’ve realised that there is more that I can give, so now it’s about what else can I do?
“Being a deacon is not just about being on the altar; it could be about raising money, it could be about helping out at tea morning. It’s about giving yourself in whatever capacity to the parish and to the diocese.
“We twist and turn all the time. The deacon path is never straight but if you put your faith in God, He will show you the way to sharing that faith with others. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to church in a week, a year, or a decade – we’re here to make God visible through service to others.”
To find out more about the permanent diaconate, please click here. To speak our Diocesan Director for the Permanent Diaconate, please email stephen.scott@dioceseofsalford.org.uk.
Tagged | Diaconal Ministry | Permanent Diaconate | Vocations
