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Witnesses
St. Mary's Catholic Church
Pompton Lakes, NJ
May 1, 2024

At our parish, St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes, NJ, we celebrated St. Phoebe with a St. Phoebe-focused Liturgy of the Word celebration and witness reflection from a woman from our parish. We had many interactive parts of our Liturgy of the Word, including a call and response and the opportunity for participants to share the name of a woman in their own lives who influenced their faith journey.

This was an incredibly empowering experience for those of us who were involved in planning our celebration. We hope to continue this journey together by potentially starting a St. Phoebe Circle. Our experience together was such a blessing, and we will continue to reach out to others amongst us to uplift the witnesses of women in our community on our journey together.

Witness
“This work is essential for challenging the status quo, deeply exploring the Church’s history of the female diaconate, and courageously asking important questions. I also believe that the inclusion of women’s voices and experiences will increase emotional, mental, and physical safety for other women in church spaces.”
Krista Varney
Domestic Violence Advocate, Grand Prairie, TX
Witness
“I know that women are being called by the Holy Spirit and women are living diakonia in creative, ordinary ways today. Now, as a mother of a toddler girl, I want to discern with the Church on how to make way for her to discern her own future calling, should the Spirit call her.”
Ana López
Spiritual Director and Theology Teacher, Los Angeles, CA
Witness
“If women were able to serve as deacons, it would magnify the grace and love of God and make it more widely available.”
Judith Oberhauser
Retired Chaplain, St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN

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