Articles
The Deacon in Desolation
9 months ago Gigi Duncan Comments Off on The Deacon in Desolation
Listening to and sharing with others are beautiful parts of the diaconate ministry. However, opportunities to live out our ministry rarely come with advanced notice. From hallways in the workplace to aisles in the grocery store, the indelible sacred character we received at ordination may be called upon wherever and whenever. At the same time, Read More
Finding a Priesthood in the Diaconate
9 months ago Gigi Duncan Comments Off on Finding a Priesthood in the Diaconate
One of the more overlooked treasures of our vocation as deacons is the way we participate, truly and uniquely, in the one priesthood of Christ. At first hearing, such language can raise eyebrows. The Church, after all, maintains a clear distinction between the diaconate and the presbyterate. The ministerial priesthood belongs to bishops and priests Read More
The Four Senses of Scripture
9 months ago Gigi Duncan Comments Off on The Four Senses of Scripture
There is a difficulty in allowing God’s word to form us. We must listen to Scripture — must dwell in the word. Clergy, including deacons, must face the immensity of Scripture itself and the unique responsibility of preaching Scripture. When practicing lectio divina, one might ask how much is God speaking and how much is Read More
Text and Context
9 months ago Gigi Duncan Comments Off on Text and Context
In October 2005, I completed my doctoral degree in preaching and communication. Since that time, I have been blessed to be able to teach deacon candidates and seminarians the ars praedicandi, the art of preaching. Preaching is one of the greatest joys and most significant responsibilities of ordained ministry. In the introduction to the U.S. Read More
Beyond Box-Checking
9 months ago Gigi Duncan Comments Off on Beyond Box-Checking
We all realize that ordination is only the starting gate and not the finish line when it comes to diaconal ministry. Still, for those involved in diaconal formation, it’s fair to say that there’s a strong desire to exhale after the ordination of a cohort! Yet we quickly realize that the grace of the sacrament Read More
Rejoice and Be Glad
9 months ago Gigi Duncan Comments Off on Rejoice and Be Glad
As a Catholic, it was exciting to wait for the white smoke to waft over the Sistine Chapel and the ringing of the great bells that signify “Habemus papam.” It is an ancient ritual that somehow connects the past to the present. I was overcome with a feeling of joy and belonging. Then I noticed Read More
Non-Communicants in the Communion Line
9 months ago Gigi Duncan Comments Off on Non-Communicants in the Communion Line
The purpose of the Communion rite is the distribution of Communion. Yet, at any given Mass, a priest, deacon or extraordinary minister holding a ciborium at a Communion station may face a person who has advanced with lips closed and arms crossed, as if shivering on a cold day. The gesture has become an unofficial Read More
Balancing the Stole and the Stroller
11 months ago Gigi Duncan Comments Off on Balancing the Stole and the Stroller
I didn’t hear the call to the diaconate in silence or solitude. I heard it in the bustling kitchen of our modest home — a baby on my hip, stirring mac and cheese with the other hand. Toys underfoot, laundry downstairs, hungry toddler meltdown imminent. At the time, I was a full-time lawyer, married to Read More