Teaching Women to “Preach” at Saint Mary’s College

Twenty-seven women from 18 dioceses in the United States and Canada gathered at Saint Mary’s College this summer for the inaugural in‑person residency of PROCLAIM, a new lay‑preaching formation program operated by Discerning Deacons and funded through a 1.25 million dollar Lilly Endowment grant. The weeklong residency marked a milestone for the 22‑month program, which began last fall with online coursework. 

The residency unfolds as Catholics continue to debate the question of women in the diaconate. PROCLAIM’s parent organization, Discerning Deacons, accompanies Catholics in “prayer, study, and conversation” about women “ministers of the Word.” Both Saint Mary’s and Discerning Deacons emphasize that PROCLAIM operates “fully within canon law,” forming women only for preaching in settings the Church permits. The Church currently excludes women from the diaconate. 

The program began in September 2025 with online courses, formation companions—including Holy Cross Sisters—and regular Zoom circles where participants practiced preaching reflections. The Saint Mary’s residency added workshops on the history of women’s preaching, canon‑law norms, and pastoral practice. Participants also took part in a “Preaching Slam” at the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, where three women “stood before the large congregation [and] offered liturgical, traditional, and creative reflections” and concluded the week with a “liturgy in which the women blessed one another … and were sent home to preach in their own ministry contexts.”