The number is dropping, mirroring trends seen in religious life and the priesthood for the past half-century.

Hundreds of faithful were also present at the ordination Mass, which was more subdued than past years because of travel restrictions and limited seating due to the pandemic.

This week on “Inside the Vatican," Colleen Dulle speaks with Phyllis Zagano about the church’s history not only of ordaining women deacons, but also the conversation around ordaining them again.

While Phyllis Zagano thoughtfully draws out the theological implications of her research, her main point is historical: There is simply no precedent on which to base the exclusion of women from the diaconate in the Catholic Church.

The ordination of a transitional deacon in Kansas shows how even a pandemic can't stop one of the church's cherished rituals, even if it sets limits on participation by family and loved ones.

This is the second commission established by Pope Francis to study the question of a women’s diaconate.