History lesson on lay deacons and women

On RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland on Oct 11, Fr Fintan Monahan, secretary of the Archdiocese of Tuam, announced the introduction of laydeacons due to the priest shortage.

When asked if women were eligible, he replied in the negative, stating that deaconship in the early Church was exclusively a male institution. Disingenuous and incorrect.

I respectfully suggest that before the Catholic Church let loose some of its spokesmen it require that they take a crash course in early Church history.