"Bishop Stowe blesses 3 women in ceremony recognizing lay ministry roles"

"Nearly four years since Pope Francis changed canon law to allow women to be installed as lectors and acolytes, some dioceses are now moving ahead with ceremonies to formally recognize women in those instituted lay ministries.

'I waited long enough to get any direction from the USCCB,' Bishop John Stowe said, referring to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has yet to promulgate new guidelines and norms on the expanded lay ministries.

Stowe installed three women as acolytes during Mass on Nov. 24 at the Cathedral of Christ the King in his Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky. Following his homily, Stowe imparted a blessing onto the acolytes, who typically assist priests in distributing Communion and preparing the altar during Mass.

'It was a nice day to recognize the ministry that these women have already accomplished,' Stowe told National Catholic Reporter. 'I would have liked to have done it sooner.'

Diane Zekind, one of the acolytes blessed by the bishop, said it was fulfilling to be recognized for a ministry that she has been performing at her parish, St. Clare Church in Berea, Kentucky, for 14 years.

'It was an awesome moment,' Zekind told NCR. 'I think it was a great way to set an example for others to be involved with liturgical ministries, that women can serve in a number of areas, and how others should be involved with it.'

At least one other diocese has installed women as lectors and acolytes in the absence of guidance from the U.S. bishops...

On Aug. 27, the San Antonio Archdiocese held a special Mass at Our Lady's Chapel in Assumption Seminary to install five women in those ministries. The women had completed formation training through the archdiocese's Lay Ministry Institute.

'Your role is crucial in helping the community encounter Christ,' San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller said during his homily in which he emphasized the importance of those ministerial roles in the life of the local church.

'Through your proclamation of the Scriptures and your service at the altar, you will make the presence of Christ known, inviting the faithful to a deeper communion with Him,' the archbishop said.

Though the pope allowed for women to be formally installed as acolytes and lectors with his motu proprio letter Spiritus Domini in January 2021..."