During a prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral Tuesday, the Episcopal bishop of Washington directly confronted President Trump while he and Vice President J.D. Vance were seated in the front row.

Mariann Edgar Budde asked Trump for “mercy”, citing feelings of fear among LGBT and immigrant communities.

Shortly after being sworn in as US President on Monday, Trump said he would make it “official policy” that there are “only two genders – male and female.”

He also vowed to end illegal immigration into the country and said millions of “criminal aliens” would be deported.

Speaking to press afterwards, Trump said he “didn’t think it was a good service”.

For good reason.

Female deacons in the early Church were not priests but those holy women who assisted the Church mainly by helping other women (widows, orphans) whose husbands had passed away or who otherwise might have no one to depend on for assistance. Dorcas in Acts chapter 9 was, according to sacred tradition one such person.