Though truth be told— we’re all forgeries. Imperfect copies. But God uses us still. Remember this: the stole placed crosswise, diagonal over the heart— that sign is never taken off.
Category: Blog
“The gospel is not opinion. It is news. The news that Jesus— crucified, yet risen— is King. The one who brings peace.”
Save the Date:
CENDD 2026 Conference In person & Online:
Saturday April 25th 2026
at the Royal Foundation of St Katherine’s (RFSK) in Limehouse, East London.
Keynote speaker: Revd Canon Rosalind Brown.
“Deacons are heralds of Christ’s kingdom,”
he begins, almost whispering.
“Not masters.
Not architects.
Heralds.
James remained in Northumbria, living mainly at a village near Catterick (now in North Yorkshire) and took an active part in the preaching of the gospel and baptising throughout the region. James represented Christianity in the face of hostility from Penda of Mercia, ensuring the survival of Roman Christianity in the region. Preaching the gospel under a pagan ruler was a risky occupation, and James was often in danger of his own life.
give us strength so to hear his voice and bear our cross
that in the world to come we may see him as he is
“We need heralds of the Gospel who are experts in humanity, who know the depths of the human heart, who can share the joys, the hopes, the agonies, the distress of people today, but who are, at the same time, contemplatives who have fallen in love with God.”
Pope John Paul II
On this diaconal site, for once, St Macrina will precede her influential brother!
However, we are aware that when the groups worked well, they also acted as a channel of communication with the Steering Group, feeding back current issues and concerns DDs were experiencing. We don’t want to lose this. Any DD, DD ordinand or Enquirer is therefore encouraged to keep in communication with the Steering Group via the CENDD social media channels and email. We need to hear what is working well for you as well as the issues and challenges you face, so that common themes can be identified and we know what needs to be addressed.
Br. Margaret-Thomas is a Benedictine monk discerning a call to the distinctive diaconate. Their work focuses on liturgy, inclusion, and life at the Church’s thresholds. There’s a line I return to often — somewhere between memory and prayer — that I heard from a street preacher in Fort William: “The Church is most itself when it … Continue reading Between the Thresholds: A Benedictine Reflection on the Distinctive Diaconate
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 