Deacons are men and only men, just as Catholic priests are only men. This is an ontological fact. A Deacon is a liturgical minister to assist the Bishop, that is their origin. It is ontological. It is sacramental. A woman can no more be a Deacon than Bruce Jenner can be a woman.
In the early Church, any women called Deaconesses were the wives of Deacons.
Any role of "service" that they provided was to women being baptised by immersion and to assist in other situations to preserve the modesty and dignity of the woman and the priest or bishop or deacon.
They did not provide Sacraments, unless baptism as any layman can do under an emergency. They did not assist at the Holy Sacrifice any more than any other layman or woman. They did not preach. Anyone who says otherwise is ignorant or a liar.
The Church studied the issue under the International Theological Commission in 2002. Women are not deacons. It was reported on then by Zenit, it was no secret. The answer was "No!"
No woman ever wore a dalmatic. If anyone tells you that the fresco of the woman at right praying in the orans position is a deacon and is wearing a dalmatic they are either ignorant or they are a liar. There is no evidence anywhere that a woman was ever "ordained" as a deacon, nor can they be, it is ontologically impossible - they don't have the parts!
Deaconesses were either wives of Deacons or they were holy woman, widows and others who gave their lives for a life of service to Christ and His suffering. They evolved with different charisms and they came to be called Nuns! Deaconesses in the early Church performed no liturgical function. They did not preach at Mass as that would have been a direct violation of St. Paul's own command.
Holy Orders is priesthood and diaconate, A woman making final vows as a Nun does just that, makes solemn vows. She receives no Sacrament.
Anyone telling you any different is a liar.
If anyone, even a Pope, should come along and attempt to change the nature of the ontological priesthood to include women deacons he will simply be unable to do it because it cannot be done.
And he will be a great deceiver.
http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/pope-tells-women-religious-vatican-will-study-women-deacons.cfm
