At our parish, St. Basil’s Catholic Parish, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, we celebrated St. Phoebe with a prayer service uplifting the witness of St. Phoebe and reflecting with one another. Additionally, at Mass during that weekend, we included intercessions as a part of the prayers of the faithful for increased women’s participation in the Church. For the service, our altar was beautifully decorated with an altar cloth made by women in Mali and Burkina Faso, and our sanctuary was beautifully adorned with flowers and candles, and an icon of St. Phoebe was also placed at the center of the sanctuary.

As part of our prayer service one of our members presented a reflection that linked “the signs of the times” from Vatican II to the current synod and the “signs of the current times.” Together we prayed, sang, and shared, including ongoing discernment about the past, present and future role of women in the Catholic Church.

It was clear from our shared celebration that women from the community were eager to share information, learn and build community with one another. This was such a great learning experience for all of us, and even more so, a chance to build momentum and connection. We are grateful for the support of Discerning Deacons, and excited to see where this journey of prayerful discernment takes us, together!