Being ordained is an unforgettable experience. As part of our filming at the Washington National Cathedral for the upcoming public television documentary WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL: New Century, New Calling, we interviewed Rose Duncan, one of five deacons ordanied in the Cathedral that day.

When did you start thinking about the priesthood?
I was probably in my late teens when women started to be ordained in the church and I was curious. But I put it on the back burner. But at a certain point this came to a head. One day while saying the confession, I got to “things left undone” and I realized the “left undone” was really my entering into a serious discernment period looking at whether ordained ministry was something I should consider seriously. And I found myself in the formal process in the Diocese of Washington.

Today you are an ordained deacon. What does that mean?
After graduation with your Masters of Divinity, as part of the process of ordination to the priesthood, you’re first ordained as a deacon of the church. Deacons are really servers of the people. I think it's an important part of the process of ordination that, even though we are going to be priests in a few days, we remain servers of the people, that we are connected to God's people and serving them. Very often you find deacons working with outreach, working with the homeless and trying to meet the needs of those who come to our doors.

What are your thoughts as you look forward to ordination?
No one comes to ministry or through discernment without the support and love and prayers of individuals and communities. On the day of ordination all the presbyters, all the priests of the diocese and priests who are present from other diocese will be present to lay hands on us. I can't even find words to express what that moment will be like. I can't even imagine the power of it. All these people coming together representing the church, laying hands on us, representing ordinations that go back, in terms of apostolic succession, all the way to the disciples. It's a gift. The people who helped me get to this place, who gave of their time, it's all been a wonderful gift. Ordination is really a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit just plays out through people. That's how God touches us all.

Looking beyond, what do you expect of your ministry?
I will hopefully be expressing to others the compassion and love and grace that I have experienced as God's gifts to me, and that has nothing to do with denominations. It's about where we meet people, how we show love and compassion to our brothers and sisters - wherever they are, wherever we are. We must serve justice and uphold the dignity of every person. It's about each person, each life. It's about God's creation and who we are.