Witnesses
"You will be my witnesses."
(Acts 1:8)
The preparatory process for the Synod of Bishops on the Amazon involved 87,000 people bearing witness to their laments, hopes and dreams for their communities and the Church they love.
At the synod in Rome, bishops repeatedly affirmed that women are already doing the work of deacons in the region, and they asked that this ministry be seen and recognized.
The Synod formally requested to share their “experiences and reflections” with a papal commission on women and the diaconate, and Pope Francis immediately responded, saying:
“I pick up the challenge. A glove has been thrown down. The women have put up a sign: ‘Please listen to us. May we be heard.’ And I pick up that gauntlet.”
Here, we gather to listen to women serving in ministry today who are ready to be received as deacons in the Church. We also share prayers and hopes for our Church’s discernment, as we seek to bear collective witness to the movement of the Holy Spirit.
Filter your results:
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Witness
“Being able to be educated on who St. Phoebe is and giving others the chance to meet her, being part of a community of women who promote an inclusive model of the church, and seeing my own community come alive and heal from division provides a vision of what can and will be possible one day in the Catholic Church.”
Kathleen O'Brien
Maryknoll Bay Area Regional Coordinator in the Mission Formation Department
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Witness
“I have witnessed these women become Catholic high school teachers, professors, writers, administer parish life and leaders of prayer services. Women have been my peers and supervisors, except in diaconal ministry. I continue to hold out hope that women’s gifts for ministry and service can and will be acknowledged by the church.”
Fr. Tom Cwick, SJ
Pastoral Minister, North Side, St. Louis, MO
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Witness
“I am grateful as a pastor and a part of the BCCs here to learn and journey together with others. As a priest in our community, I am proud to be a part of this ministry to uplift women who are struggling. It is great joy and fulfillment. In my personal life, I have experienced the richness of acknowledging and uplifting the witness of women in the early Church and also in our Church today.”
Fr. Vincent Dsouza, SJ
Pastor and Base Christian Community Leader, India
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Organization
“Following our celebration, members of the planning team answered questions from attendees and took photos with those who were supportive of our celebration or who heard about our celebration from our outreach prior. Our community is deeply grateful for the opportunity to not only celebrate St. Phoebe, but further for this opportunity to uplift women in our community and to continue to learn about and to pray for the ongoing Synod.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
San Diego, CA
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Witness
“It is meaningful to reflect upon my journey and the many ‘Phoebes’ who have accompanied me on my journey into the Church, my journey as a lay Franciscan, my journey in synodality and uplifting women in the Church. I dream of a Church that can be a moving force in serving all people and helping each person recognize and use the gifts given by the Holy Spirit. ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ can only be accomplished if the gifts of ALL people, regardless of gender, age, race and ethnicity, are included and welcomed.”
Wendy Mellenthin
Our Lady of Nazareth Parishioner and Co-Chair of Synod Process
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Witness
Seeing women deacons would serve as a vast, yet strikingly modest, step in the right direction to help loosen the unnecessary (can we say unjust?) thorn in the Church’s side. It would open doors allowing the full range of gifts (of women) to heal, accompany, and refresh others. It would bring about the kind of renewing of spirit that we often pray for in our Church.
Fr. Martin Ngo, SJ
University Teacher and Content Specialist, Los Angeles, CA
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