Hawaii Catholic Herald
The discussion over allowing women to become part of the ordained diaconate stretches back for decades, and more recently gained steam following the Church’s years-long Synod on Synodality called by Pope Francis.
Now, an organization dedicated to researching and promoting that aim is contributing to the effort by holding a series of online listening sessions this fall. The two-hour meetings will provide a space to discuss themes stemming from the synod’s final document issued in 2024.
Discerning Deacons was founded in 2022 with the mission to “engage Catholics in the active discernment of our Church about women and the diaconate and contribute to the renewal of this ministry for our times,” according to its website.
The listening sessions are scheduled for Oct. 23 from 6-8 a.m.; Oct. 29 from 12-2 p.m.; Nov. 10 from 3-5 p.m.; and Nov. 14 from 8-10 a.m. (Times are converted from Eastern time.) Find links to register at discerningdeacons.org/events.
The online meetings have been dubbed “St. Phoebe Listening Sessions.” Discerning Deacons counts as its patron St. Phoebe, whom St. Paul called a “diakonos,” or “deacon” (also translated as “minister”), in his letter to the Romans (16:1-2). Paul tasked Phoebe with delivering his letter to Rome, which required her to travel hundreds of miles from the Greek seaport of Cenchreae, where she served as a minister at a house church and which was near where Paul was residing.
Discerning Deacons finds inspiration in Phoebe’s status as Paul’s trusted messenger and minister to the Romans, noting on its website that she had to confront not just a new place, but a new people.
The virtual sessions are considered part of the post-synod implementation phase, which calls for further consideration of Paragraph 60 in the synod’s final document.
Paragraph 60 states that “by virtue of baptism, women and men have equal dignity as members of the people of God. However, women continue to encounter obstacles in obtaining a fuller recognition of their charisms, vocation and place in all the various areas of the Church’s life. This is to the detriment of serving the Church’s shared mission.”
“There is no reason or impediment that should prevent women from carrying out leadership roles in the Church: what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped,” Paragraph 60 says. “Additionally, the question of women’s access to diaconate ministry remains open. This discernment needs to continue.”
Rosanne Donohoe, a Honolulu resident who was a member of the Fort DeRussy Army Chapel’s Catholic community in Waikiki, plans to attend the Nov. 14 session. She said she is excited to participate, inspired by Discerning Deacons’ mission to elevate women in the diaconate ministry.
“I have high hopes that women will continue to be integral participants in our Catholic ministries,” she said.
“This is also my way of honoring the women who taught me at various parochial schools,” she added. “Carrying on their legacies is a responsibility of all of us who practice Catholicism.”