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St. John XXIII Parish

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mass Schedule
    • New To St. John 23?
    • Contact & Directions
    • Giving
    • Calendar
    • Bulletins
    • Staff Directory
    • History
    • Site Search
    • Resources >
      • The Archdiocese of Chicago
      • To Teach Who Christ Is
      • Catholic Charities
      • The Vatican
      • United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
      • Justice for Immigrants
  • Sacraments
    • Anointing of the Sick
    • Baptism
    • Confirmation
    • Eucharist / First Communion
    • Holy Orders
    • Marriage
    • Reconciliation
    • Special Services >
      • 3-Year-Old Blessing
      • Annulment Resources
      • Funeral Arrangements
      • Quinceañera
  • Ministries
    • Spiritual Life
    • Music Ministry
    • Pastoral Care
    • Service
    • Youth and Young Adult Ministry
  • Parish Life
    • What's Happening
    • Councils >
      • Parish Pastoral Council
      • Finance Council
      • Building Committee
      • UCYM Board
      • Pope John XXIII School Board
    • Protecting God's Children
    • Events
    • Renew My Church
  • Education
    • Becoming Catholic
    • Religious Education
    • Adult Faith Enrichment
    • SPRED
    • Equality For Women In The Church
    • Archdiocesan Women's Committee
    • Women In The Diaconate
    • United Catholic Youth Ministries
    • Pope John XXIII School

Women In The Diaconate

Women Deacons in the Catholic Church:
A Parish Conversation About an Open Question

In 2009 a parishioner of St. Nicholas, Chris Murphy, spoke with the pastor explaining that he felt called to enter the Deacon Formation Program. After consulting with staff and Pastoral Council, the pastor scheduled a series of parish-wide listening sessions at the beginning of 2010. Participants were invited to share their thoughts and feelings about sponsoring a parishioner into the Deacon Formation Program. In May of 2010, four adult formation sessions were provided for those who were interested in learning more about the role, tradition, and history of deacons in the Church. In the course of these sessions, we learned that the issue of ordaining women to the diaconate is an open question in the Catholic Church.

In the summer of 2010, a steering committee was formed to further explore the issue of women and the diaconate. In the fall of 2010, a female member of St. Nicholas, Lynne Mapes-Riordan, expressed a desire to explore a perceived call to the permanent diaconate; Chris Murphy entered the first year of the Deacon Formation Program. Since that time, the steering committee has continued to focus on the issues surrounding the ordination of women to the permanent diaconate.

In January 2011, the steering committee, including our female inquirer, and the pastor met with Bishop Francis Kane, Vicar for Vicariate II to discuss this issue. The committee then prepared a written position paper and submitted it to Cardinal Francis George (follow the link below). On September 16, 2011, the steering committee was accompanied by our pastor to a meeting with Cardinal Francis George. It was a very positive and productive meeting. The Cardinal was open-minded on the issue of the ordination of women to the diaconate. He affirmed the strength of several points in our position paper. He also raised some theological issues that he feels have not yet been resolved. Cardinal George agreed that there would be benefits to having women deacons in the Archdiocese of Chicago and that it would be helpful for Rome to make a final decision on this issue one way or the other. He said he would take this issue to Rome – to both the International Theological Commission (which has looked at it in the past) and to Pope Benedict during his next visit. In December, he arranged a one-on-one meeting with our female inquirer as part of continuing the conversation.

The steering committee has begun to publish a series of pamphlets to educate parishioners on the key issues surrounding the ordination of women to the diaconate, and to keep parishioners informed of any conversations with the Cardinal or the larger Church (follow the links below). We hope that we have begun an ongoing parish conversation that will bear fruit in the parish and the local Church as part of the conversation of the universal Church.
  • Position Paper to Cardinal George
  • Pamphlet #1: Women Deacons in the Catholic Church: An Open Question
    Folleto #1: Mujeres Diáconos en la Iglesia Católica: Un Asunto sin Resolución
  • Pamphlet #2: Women Deacons in the Catholic Church: An Open Question
    Folleto #2: Mujeres Diáconos en la Iglesia Católica: Un Asunto sin Resolución
  • Bibliography of books, articles and other source material related to the queston of women in the diaconate

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“Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs” In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.  -- From the encyclical "Laudato Sí"
​by Pope Francis

Contact us

St. John XXIII Parish

​St. Nicholas Campus

806 Ridge Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
Fax: 847.864.7810
Phone:  847.864.1185

St. Mary Campus
1012 Lake Street
Evanston, IL 60201
​Phone: 847.864.0333

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