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Witnesses
St. Bridget of Kildare Parish
Seattle, WA
March 27, 2024

Here at St. Bridget of Kildare Parish in Seattle, Washington we uplifted the ministry of women at all Masses on the weekend of September 8-9, 2023. The Masses over the weekend were exclusively served by female altar servers (including some new ones!) and at each Mass a female member of our Parish Council offered a reflection following the gospel. Together we prayed the prayer of St. Phoebe and asked her to intercede on our behalf in this journey.

As a parish, we know the blessing of the many ministries and gifts that women in our parish share with all of us. Celebrating Mass this weekend to honor the witness of St. Phoebe focused attention on women’s gifts for leadership in our parish and the Church more broadly. We are proud to be a part of the conversation and discernment for women’s ordination to the diaconate.

St. Phoebe, pray for us! We will continue celebrating and uplifting her witness.
Witness
“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
Witness
“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
Witness
“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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