Ep. 4.37: Renewing the Church: Archbishop May, the Permanent Diaconate, and a Parish-Based Revival

This episode explores Archbishop John L. May’s dynamic leadership during the mid‑1980s, focusing on the rapid growth and evolving identity of the permanent diaconate in St. Louis and the launch of the nationwide RENEW program. Monsignor recounts how deacons from diverse professional backgrounds stepped into new ministries, how canonical questions around marriage, assignments, and clerical identity were clarified, and how the Archdiocese formalized its first comprehensive handbook for diaconal life. The story then shifts to the origins of RENEW—its roots in Newark, its arrival in St. Louis, and the remarkable effort led by Father John J. Hughes and Sister Mary Ann Klor to train hundreds of parish leaders for a three‑year spiritual revitalization. Through personal anecdotes, historical insight, and the unfolding of parish renewal, the episode highlights a moment when laypeople, clergy, and religious worked together to strengthen Catholic identity amid cultural change.