Sharing the fruits from our season of listening

“A Church that teaches must be firstly a Church that listens.” Pope Francis

Discerning Deacons has responded to Pope Francis’ call for a synodal church. During the summer of 2021, more than 1,500 Catholics from Canada, India and the United States gathered via video conference and in-person to actively discern the question of women and the diaconate in our Catholic Church.

This report conveys the ideas, hopes, and concerns raised in these discussions.

Report was prepared by Laura Boysen-Aragon and Casey Stanton, with contributions by Ellie Hidalgo, Lisa Amman and Luke Hansen. With thanks to Certified ToP® Facilitators Laura Johansson and Maria Teresa Gaston who led ~60 hosts in a series of consensus workshops as we sought to grow our capacity to walk together in a listening, discerning, participatory endeavor. Additional thanks to Jack Rogers for his work on graphic design. 

Download the Report

 

Share this Article

Witness
“I felt seen in my call to pastoral care, to teaching, to preaching—just as clearly as my ordained colleagues are seen in theirs. I felt valued. Not invisible. Not dismissed. I don’t know what the future holds—for me, or for the role of women in the Church. But I know this: I have hope.”
Jolaine M.J. Liupakka, PMin
Coordinator of Middle School & Confirmation, St. Thomas Becket, Eagan, MN
Witness
“If I were a deacon, I would have the support of other deacons and a community where I could draw strength through prayer and discernment. Women would have the privilege of speaking about Catholic social teaching from the ambo. I do believe women as deacons would renew the face of the Church.”
Beth Brinkmann Cianci
Volunteer with the Ignatian Spirituality Project, Boston, MA
Organization
“We are happy to be able to share about women in the Church who lead and are heard, especially for the youngest amongst us who need to hear this message.”
South Seattle Parish Family
Seattle, WA

Receive Our Newsletter

Newsletter signup

Processing...

Thank you for sign up!

This is the hub where we share relevant news, events and opportunities to participate in the work. 
*We will send the newsletter only once each week, and we will never share or sell your information.