Coming up: ‘Deacons, Women and the Call to Serve’

So this is about to happen:

The current Vatican commission exploring the possibility of women deacons has raised a number of questions about their role in the church. As ordained ministers who are neither priests nor lay people, the actual role of deacons in the parishes where they minister remains unclear to many Catholics. What are deacons, and how has their role changed over history?

Could women deacons revolutionize pastoral ministry and transform the church? How can the diaconate better meet the changing needs of the faithful today? Join us for a roundtable discussion sponsored by the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture and America Media featuring:

• Nancy Dallavalle, theologian and vice president for mission and identity at Fairfield University
• Deacon Greg Kandra, blogger at Aleteia’s “The Deacon’s Bench,” multimedia editor at Catholic Near East Welfare Association.
• Rita Ferrone, contributing editor at Commonweal and blogger at “Pray Tell Blog”
• George Demacopoulos, theologian and founding co-director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University
• James Martin, S.J.,  moderator, author and editor-at-large for America Media

RELATED: Gauge how much you know about the diaconate by taking our new quiz.

Series online schedule (all videos will remain available once they debut):

Nov. 28:   Segment 1: The Diaconate—History and Present Practice

Dec. 5:     Segment 2: Women Deacons and the Papal Commission

Dec. 12:   Segment 3: The Diaconate and the Future of Ministry

I’m excited and humbled to be asked to be a part of this, and looking forward to some lively, engaging conversation when we gather for our discussion tomorrow. Pray for us!

 The material will be posted online starting November 28, so watch this space.