#saint phoebe

[heresylog]

This past Sunday my (Jesuit) parish celebrated Saint Phoebe. I had never heard of her before but they has little saint prayer cards and everything. It was really exciting to hear the priest and one of the (female!!) spiritual directors speak so positively about women’s role in the church and hope for how it expands in the future.

It was also the first time I have ever attended mass and had them ask for ALL women to stand, not just mothers.

I was really spiritually invigorated by this but I low key worry my woke church invented a saint lol

not made up but also her feast day is september 3rd. interesting they chose a different day.

but yes, women used to be deacons in the early Church because it was unseemly for a woman to be baptized by a man. that went away and so did the female deaconate. which is unfortunate. st phoebe was one of the notable deaconesses because she is named by st. paul in his letters to the romans. you can read her mention in any bible in romans chapter 16 verses 1-2.

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint Phoebe

1st century

Feast Day: September 3

Saint Phoebe was a Christian woman and faithful follower of St. Paul who praised her for her assistance to him and to many others. She dependably served the early church by her many gifts and talents. Biblical scholars believed she delivered a letter from St. Paul to the Romans implying his great confidence in her.

I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. (Romans 16:1-2)

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase. (website)

[orthodoxadventure]

SAINT PHOEBE

Saint Phoebe was a devoted disciple of the Apostle Paul, serving with great dedication and complete self-denial as a deaconess of the Church in Cenchreae near Corinth.

During his third missionary journey while in Corinth, Paul learned that Phoebe was preparing to travel to Rome. He entrusted her with his epistle to the Roman Christians, in which he expressed his earnest desire to visit them again and gave this recommendation of his messenger: "I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.” (Romans 16:1-2)

[carmillacantarella]

Saint Phoebe the deacon

[valkyries-things]

PHOEBE THE DEACONESS // SAINT

“She was a first-century Christian woman mentioned by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, verses 16:1–2. A notable woman in the church of Cenchreae, she was trusted by Paul to deliver his letter to the Romans. Paul refers to her both as a "servant" or "deacon" (Greek diakonos, which means "servant") and as a helper or patron of many (Greek prostatis). This is the only place in the New Testament where a woman is specifically referred to with these two distinctions. Paul introduces Phoebe as his emissary to the church in Rome and, because they are not acquainted with her, Paul provides them with her credentials.”