A subdeacon is an ordained member of the minor clergy who serves in the altar and assists the bishop and priest during the Divine Liturgy.
If you’ve been to St. Michael’s when a bishop visits, you’ve probably noticed someone in vestments helping His Grace vest, holding his staff, and managing the service book. That’s a subdeacon. But the role goes deeper than what you see during hierarchical visits.
What Subdeacons Do
The subdeacon is the head server in the altar. He coordinates the altar servers, makes sure everything’s ready before services, and keeps the altar area in order. This isn’t busywork. Someone needs to change the altar cloths according to the liturgical season, care for the vestments, and ensure the sacred vessels are properly maintained. The subdeacon can touch the Holy Table and the Table of Oblation because he’s been ordained for this purpose.
During the Divine Liturgy, a subdeacon assists with the entrances, washes the hands of the clergy (especially the bishop’s), and helps with the practical flow of the service. When a bishop serves, the subdeacon vests him, presents the dikiri and trikiri (the two- and three-branched candles the bishop uses for blessings), places the eagle rugs where the bishop will stand, and operates the veil over the Royal Doors. He might also read the Epistle if there’s no deacon present.
Outside of services, subdeacons often serve as cantors, catechists, or take on administrative tasks for the diocese. The role varies based on the parish’s needs and the man’s gifts.
How Someone Becomes a Subdeacon
A man is ordained to the subdiaconate through a service called chirothesia, which means “laying on of hands.” This is different from cheirotonia, the ordination used for deacons, priests, and bishops. The distinction matters. Major orders (bishop, priest, deacon) involve cheirotonia and confer sacramental functions. Minor orders (subdeacon, reader) involve chirothesia and don’t.
During the ordination, the bishop blesses the orarion (the stole) and places it on the candidate, crossed over both shoulders. He lays hands on him three times and prays for the Holy Spirit to grant him faithful service, care for the church’s vessels, and love for God’s house. The newly ordained subdeacon immediately begins serving in that capacity.
Before ordination, a man needs to demonstrate consistent piety, regular confession, good character, and the recommendation of his priest. Some dioceses require an examination. And here’s something that surprises people coming from Protestant backgrounds: if a man isn’t already married when he’s ordained a subdeacon, he can’t marry afterward. He’s committed to celibacy. This is true for all clergy in the Orthodox Church. You get married first, then ordained, or you don’t marry at all.
Why This Role Exists
The subdiaconate goes back to the early Church’s need for men dedicated to serving the altar and supporting the bishop. Think of the Levites who cared for the tabernacle in the Old Testament, or the helpers the apostles appointed for daily ministry in Acts. The Church has always needed people set apart for this work.
The ordination prayer asks God to help the subdeacon preserve the holy vessels and pursue God’s will. It’s a vowed dedication to serving the sacred space where the Eucharist happens. That’s not a small thing. The altar is where heaven and earth meet during the Liturgy, where bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. Someone needs to care for that space with reverence and attention.
The subdiaconate is also a step in the clerical orders. Many subdeacons eventually become deacons, then priests. But some remain subdeacons for years or for life, serving faithfully in that capacity. Both paths honor God.
If you’re curious about this ministry, talk to Fr. Michael after Liturgy sometime. Or just watch during a hierarchical visit. You’ll see the subdeacon’s hands everywhere, making sure everything flows smoothly so the bishop and priest can focus on prayer and the mysteries. That’s the heart of it, service that enables worship.
