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Testigos
parroquia Saint Joseph
Seattle, WA
May 1, 2024

At our Sunday masses on September 3, 2023, we at St. Joseph Parish in Seattle, WA celebrated the feast of St. Phoebe by explicitly centering the role of women throughout our liturgies. We had an icon of St. Phoebe in the center of the church, sang a hymn about St. Phoebe, as well as women from the parish sharing reflections at all three Masses and there being a special blessing at the Masses for all women.

We are excited to simply raise awareness of the existence of female deacons in the early Church. There is now no one at our parish who attended Mass that doesn’t know that there were women deacons, and that this could potentially happen again, as well. Women in ministry matter, and we are glad to be a part of this discernment. After the special blessing for women of the parish, some expressed how special it was to be blessed because it was their first time on the altar. Some mothers from our parish shared their fierce hope that maybe their young daughters will have the opportunity to serve as deacons.

Although it can feel as though many women can be hesitant to take up space or to see themselves as ministers, we have hope that will change over time. We are glad as a parish to raise awareness of the discernment of the ordination of women to the diaconate, the Synod and the ever-present, essential role of women in the Church.

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Ser testigos
“I have been blessed with women who have shared their many gifts with me. They have broken open Scripture for the people of God with their own perspective and insight. They have shown ways of leading which empower and confirm the value of each individual person. They have offered perspectives and visions of the Spirit’s call to live God’s love for all.”
Don Highberger, SJ
University Campus Minister and Hospital Pastoral Minister, St. Louis, MO
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Ser testigos
“If I could be ordained a deacon, the people would hear the Good News preached with authority at the pulpit and in the world. For me personally, it would feel like the ability to serve in the manner in which God has put on my heart to serve. As a minister of the word, liturgy and charity, I would preach the word to inspire others to love God and their neighbor. I would continue to bring communion to the sick and imprisoned, but I would also free our priests by taking on some baptisms, weddings, and funeral services that are outside of the Mass. It would feel like the fullness of what I was meant to do.”
Theresa Shepherd-Lukasik
Director of Adult Faith Formation, St. Joseph Parish, Seattle, WA
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Ser testigos
“And when I get antsy waiting, as I often do, I remember the women I met who showed me that the ‘not yet’ is an “already.” Women deacons have existed and continue to exist. Someday, I may be one of them.“
Julia D’Agostino, MDiv
Theology Student, ThM Candidate

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