Strengthening and Diversifying the Clergy

In order to have a stronger and sustainable Clergy, it must be diverse. Our goal is to include all people, men and women with diverse backgrounds, as equal partners in the Church, as they already are in the eyes of God. Here are some of the questions this Focus Group is exploring:

• How can we include women in highly visible diocesan-wide leadership roles? How can we increase women’s voices and their votes in matters of church governance?
• How can we address the diminishing number of clergy and seek a way forward by encouraging women and men called to serve in the Church?
• We aim to promote discussions between laity and clergy about women serving in the diaconate and married men and women serving as priests.
• How do we work with the diocese to better understand the attitudes of the laity about a variety of church issues, and how the laity can help support the priests in every parish, through surveys and active listening sessions?