Writing my St. Phoebe Day reflection gave me the opportunity to reflect on my long and winding journey of discerning my vocational call to ministry, and how that was impacted by my own exposure (or lack thereof) to women leaders in the Church. While I consistently felt drawn toward ministerial roles and academic study of religion, it was not until I worked for a diocese and saw women in leadership there that I began to imagine that I, too, could have a career in ministry in the Church. 

While this does not necessarily mean a personal call to the diaconate, I believe the prospect deserves serious consideration and discernment. I have come to appreciate that each individual reflects different aspects of who God is, and I believe that having women's voices heard from the pulpit could open us up to a more complete picture of the divine. Perhaps it could also make it easier for future generations of Catholic women to imagine themselves as leaders in the Church.