When Ellie Hidalgo served as a pastoral associate at Dolores Mission Church in East Los Angeles, the priest asked her to lead Liturgy of the Word and Communion services on Thursdays to give him a day off. “I would often use stories of people acting with courage, loving their neighbor, serving as good Samaritans and living out Gospel values,” she says, reflecting on the homiletic approach she developed over 12 years. “Storytelling builds community. It builds identity.”

Inspired by St. Phoebe—a pioneering woman deacon esteemed and commended by St. Paul to serve the early Christian community in Greece and Rome, and whose feast day is Sept. 3—Ellie joins “Preach” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., to discuss St. Phoebe’s ministry and its impact on contemporary debates within the Catholic Church regarding women’s ordination to the diaconate, a live topic in the ongoing Synod on Synodality.

As co-director of Discerning Deacons, Ellie offers practical strategies for expanding lay preaching opportunities. She encourages clergy to invite women to preside at Liturgy of the Word and Communion services, share testimonies during homilies and participate in parish faith-sharing groups to bring diverse perspectives from the pews—especially those of women—into their homilies.

Get this week's Scripture readings and a transcript of Ellie’s homily

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