A Movement of Burning Hearts 

How does contemplation prepare us to be a witness of healing and hope? In July’s “We Conspire” series, reflect with Casey Stanton of Discerning Deacons on how contemplative nonviolence empowers women to lead with courage, foster communal discernment, and reimagine a more inclusive church. 

For Casey Stanton, the traditionally church-based ministry of the deacon is inherently bridge-building, connecting “the streets and the heart of the worshiping community.” From the Greek word diakonos, meaning servant or minister, deacons are leaders who are called to be deeply attuned to the needs and gifts of their communities. They bring the realities of the world into worship and carry the good news that is proclaimed in worship back out into the streets, becoming living witnesses of the gospel.  

Stanton firmly believes in the call for women’s inclusion in deacon’s ministry of service, convicted that “the Holy Spirit is calling women to be deacons.” This recognition would not only empower women to navigate their spiritual callings, but also serve to renew and advance the ministry of the broader deacons’ ministry itself. Especially given that women served as deacons in the first thousand years of Christianity, Stanton is curious how the Roman Catholic Church might change the subsequent thousand-year practice of excluding women. Stanton notes that women are already at the forefront of ministry in many parts of the world, and their formal authorization and leadership within the Church would provide invaluable resources and a powerful public witness.  

Discerning Deacons is a grassroots movement born from “hearts burning” and women finding their voices to speak aloud their spiritual discernment. As part of this movement, diverse communities were invited to engage in conversations under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The genesis of Discerning Deacons is a testament to the power of communal discernment, where key questions include: “What difference would it make in the lives of our communities if women were ordained as deacons? What would it matter for the people we love and know who feel left out of the church? What are the hesitations? What are the obstacles? Why wouldn’t ordaining women as deacons be a good [idea]?”  

While naming disappointments from the Synod process, Stanton points to the tension of “the gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be.” Drawing attention to this gap is an invitation to create a container for real decisions to be made, providing greater clarity about where we need to choose peace, when we need to choose justice, what we need to turn away from, and where we need to change. This approach allows for reducing polarization and preserving relationships during the difficult process of communal discernment within the global church, where progress often requires yielding and surrender.  

Acknowledging the pain of accepting an incomplete outcome for the sake of ongoing unity,  

Stanton chooses to trust in processes that continue to value wholeness and transformation. She concedes that the church does not have all the answers: “I will take a church that understands itself as incomplete over and against the church with all the answers every time. And that’s hard! But I want to be incomplete. I want us to be open to learning new things because it’s the church that knows it all that has destroyed so much. That church has wiped out whole peoples, and the legacy of violence done in the name of that church is what we’re trying to repair from.”  

A commitment to nonviolence is important in a world increasingly polarized and fractured. Where ideologies clash and voices of dissent are silenced, Discerning Deacons offers a beacon of hope and testifies to the transformative power of listening, contemplation, and a deep commitment to nonviolence. Fueled by love and fidelity to the Catholic Church, Discerning Deacons embodies Pope Francis’s call for “respectful, mutual listening, free of ideology and predetermined agendas,” aiming to “journey together to seek God’s will, allowing differences to harmonize.” [1]  

Highlighting Pope Francis’s final encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a profound wellspring of inspiration, Stanton says its message is a final love letter to humanity. Rooted in centuries of Christian devotion, the symbol of Jesus’s “Sacred Heart” invites us to rediscover the importance of our own hearts as providing a tangible connection to God’s presence and mercy. Stanton observes that this “heart of flesh,” as invoked by the prophet Ezekiel (36:26), keeps us “soft and capable of being broken,” preventing us from becoming calloused to the world’s suffering. The image of Jesus’s heart, beating with and through us, and the streams of mercy that flow from it, offer a path to overcome divisions caused by individualism and self-centeredness. [2]  

Discerning Deacons serves as a powerful inspiration of what the Church can become. By engaging in respectful dialogue, trusting the Holy Spirit, and embracing the call to nonviolence, the Church can heal old wounds, strengthen its mission, and truly become a beacon of hope and transformation in the world.    

References: 
[1] Pope Francis, Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future, with Austen Ivereigh (Simon & Schuster, 2020), 92.  

[2] Pope Francis, Encyclical Letter Dilexit Nos on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ, October 24, 2024, Vatican.va (official English text), accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/20241024-enciclica-dilexit-nos.html. Accessed June 16, 2025    

Reflect with Us  
What does nonviolence look like in your relationships, your faith community, and your town, neighborhood, or city? How might contemplation help you resist the urge to control outcomes—and instead meet others with courage, compassion, and curiosity? Share your reflection with us.       

“We Conspire” is a series from the Center for Action and Contemplation featuring wisdom and stories from the growing Christian contemplative movement. Sign up for the monthly email series and receive a free invitation to practice each month.