Event
mini-bible study with discerning deacons
The Good News of Women and the Diaconate according to the Gospels A 2-session bible study with Lizzie Berne DeGear, BCC, PhD When? Wednesday, September 8th
August 30, 2021
Blog
Standing with our courageous mothers
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” -Matthew 15:23 Today’s Gospel has some of my least favorite words in it. It’s a
August 4, 2021
News
A note from Luke Hansen
Dear friends of Discerning Deacons, I’m writing today to let you know that I’m in the process of shifting from a full-time position on the
July 26, 2021
Event
Discerning Deacons hosts a virtual liturgy and gathering on the Feast of St. Phoebe, Friday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. ET
Download a Worship Aid Click here to register for the Zoom liturgy. We invite Catholics to gather virtually to pray for the intercession of St.
July 15, 2021
News
Phyllis Zagano writes about Pope Francis and women’s work in the Church, including the possibility of ordination as deacons (La Croix International)
Legions of female church workers at every level in parishes and chanceries, at episcopal conferences — and even at the Vatican — welcomed and welcome
July 15, 2021
Event
WATCH VIDEO: Deacon William T. Ditewig speaks on Dachau, Diaconate Circles, and the restoration of the diaconate at Vatican II
Click here to watch a video of the event. In this second event in a series of educational webinars hosted by Discerning Deacons, Deacon William
July 12, 2021
News
Walking Forward Together: Mauricio López speaks about synodality in the Church
[On July 3, I was able to attend a powerful, inspiring conference on synodality, held in-person in Miami. Mauricio López, a prominent lay leader in
July 7, 2021
News
Emily Southerton preaches about her vocation as a chaplain and our shared baptismal call to be priests, prophets and kings (Catholic Women Preach)
“A prophet is not without honor except in (their) native place and among (their) own kin and in (their) own house.” Mark 6:4. Hearing this
July 4, 2021
Event
WATCH VIDEO: Discerning Deacons interviews Dr. Phyllis Zagano
“Sustaining Faith and Hope: Luke Hansen and Dr. Phyllis Zagano in conversation” Click here to watch a video of the event. Wednesday, June 16, 7:30
June 21, 2021
Featured Event
Download a Worship Aid Click here to register for the Zoom liturgy. We invite Catholics to gather virtually to pray for the intercession of St. Phoebe, listen to powerful testimonies from Catholic women engaged in diaconal ministry, and express our collective hope that the Church would “receive them in the Lord,” just as St. Paul […]
Featured Event
Click here to watch a video of the event. In this second event in a series of educational webinars hosted by Discerning Deacons, Deacon William T. Ditewig, Ph.D., the author of several books on the diaconate, and the former executive director of the Office for the Diaconate at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, speaks […]
Featured News
Today we release a short introduction to two women seeking ordination to the diaconate in the Boston region: Philomėne Pèan and Kelly Meraw. Both of them are working in full time positions to serve members of their communities and churches, and feel a longing to be ordained as deacons. This would, they say, be a […]
Featured News
In an address to deacons and their families in Rome on June 19, Pope Francis’ first point of emphasis was the distinction of the diaconate from the priesthood — that deacons are ordained “not unto the priesthood, but unto a ministry of service.” “This difference is not insignificant,” he said. “The mere fact of emphasizing […]
Featured News
Can women receive sacred orders? Let us consult several authoritative sources. Canon 1024 of the Code of Canon Law states, “A baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly.” In 1994 Pope John Paul II said, “I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is […]
Featured News
Today we release a short introduction to two women seeking ordination to the diaconate in the Boston region: Philomėne Pèan and Kelly Meraw. Both of them are working in full time positions to serve members of their communities and churches, and feel a longing to be ordained as deacons. This would, they say, be a […]
News
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