“For years, the Church has been researching and discerning the role of women in the diaconate. As soon as St. Paul VI renewed the diaconate in 1967, the question was raised by bishops, and those discussions have continued under every pope since. Pope Francis has intensified the process through two Papal Commissions. Discerning Deacons is supporting the Church’s discernment in a prayerful way, much like the early ‘deacon circles’ that led to the renewal of the diaconate at Vatican II.”