{"id":3503,"date":"2021-06-03T00:53:43","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T00:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discerningdeacons.org\/?post_type=witness&p=3503"},"modified":"2021-06-03T18:30:11","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T18:30:11","slug":"margaret-rose-byrne","status":"publish","type":"witness","link":"https:\/\/discerningdeacons.org\/es\/witness\/margaret-rose-byrne\/","title":{"rendered":"Margaret Rose Byrne"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

“The flock, especially women in need of ministry, would be\u00a0more effectively shepherded if women were\u00a0clearly and visibly available as deacons. It would also\u00a0allow the perspective of the female half of the human race to image Christ in preaching, thus giving a more complete picture of the Gospel.”<\/p>\n

Margaret Rose Byrne<\/strong> is a retired engineer in North Garden, Virginia.<\/em><\/p>\n

A poem by Margaret Rose Byrne<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Sandy\u2019s Knees<\/b><\/p>\n

Toward those who went before:
\n<\/span>Sandy and four of her friends
\n<\/span>Established cross-country track
\n<\/span>For girls<\/span><\/i>, due to Title IX,
\n<\/span>In my high school.
\n<\/span>The coach was unhappy,
\n<\/span>But could only be obnoxious.
\n<\/span>Sandy was pushed too hard
\n<\/span>And she was left
\n<\/span>With badly injured knees.<\/span><\/p>\n

Toward those who went before:
\n<\/span>I entered high school
\n<\/span>The year after Sandy graduated.
\n<\/span>I had academic and athletic
\n<\/span>Opportunities because of
\n<\/span>Sandy and girls like her.
\n<\/span>I also was part of opening
\n<\/span>Opportunities myself, many of them
\n<\/span>After I graduated from high school<\/span><\/p>\n

Toward those who went before:
\n<\/span>Whenever I encounter
\n<\/span>Resistance and unfair treatment
\n<\/span>Because I am a woman,
\n<\/span>I try to remember:
\n<\/span>I am doing for someone else
\n<\/span>What Sandy did for me.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

A personal reflection by Margaret Rose Byrne<\/b><\/p>\n

In high school, I ran cross country, indoor track and spring track. I was able to do so because of the opportunities that Sandy and her friends opened up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After graduating from high school in 1981, I studied engineering and became an engineer. I saw both discouraging and encouraging events.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, in 2000, I had to accept disability retirement because of Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. While in retirement I began writing poetry. The poem \u201cSandy\u2019s Knees\u201d is one of my poems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have been privileged to observe and participate in great improvements in the acceptance of women in the field of engineering. The field went from a near-standing start in 1977 to women being at all levels of engineering now, including management.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, the field is still predominantly male, and problems such as the persistent stereotypes of engineers as male still exist. (These concerns are noted in the research of the Society of Women Engineers.) However, the contrast between the initial rejection and the current relative acceptance is striking.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am sharing my story now because I believe that the Church, as it discerns the diaconate for women, could learn from the engineering profession\u2019s recent success in admitting and including women. How and why did they do it, and how could the Church profit from this experience?<\/span><\/p>\n

I am not personally interested in becoming a deacon. My call is to engineering. But I desire to help pave the way for women called to the diaconate, as Sandy paved the way for me.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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