Bearers of Hope: Journeying Together Toward St. Phoebe Fall

At our last Discerning Deacons team meeting, co-director Casey Stanton opened us in prayer by inviting us to contemplate the image of this quilt, created by Anathea Portier-Young, PhD, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School and PROCLAIM Course Developer and Faculty Member. This breathtaking piece, full of different concentric and overlapping shapes, full of vibrant pinks, blues, purples, and varying prints, was commissioned as a commemoration of Duke Divinity School’s Centennial in 2026–2027. It is also a special testament to Duke Divinity School’s Women’s Center, the first center on Duke’s campus dedicated to the support of women students. 

As our team prayed with the quilt, we named its expansiveness, vibrancy, diversity and all of the ways its disparate yet connected pieces represent our profound unity as the Body of Christ. This quilt serves as an inspiration for our work in fostering a community that simultaneously creates a home for those deeply committed to women’s flourishing and leadership in the Church, and that seeks to journey faithfully with the Church during the Synod Implementation Phase, responding to the movement of the Holy Spirit. 

Throughout this summer, we have been partnering with Father Martin Ngo, SJ, and his team at Loyola Productions to release the second season of Called to Serve, a short video series released on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube that highlights stories of women who are discerning and living their call to serve the Church in a multitude of ways. This season’s theme, “Bearers of Hope,” weaves together the testimonies of leaders from across the Discerning Deacons community who, with their varied backgrounds and experiences, embody something specific – a deep, authentic hope fueled by their faith and their connection to our wider community. You view both Season 1 and 2 of Called to Serve on our website here.  

As we prepare to enter into St. Phoebe Fall, beginning with our celebration of the Feast of St. Phoebe on Thursday, September 3rd, who do you want to bring along to join this growing community committed to uplifting women’s leadership and gifts for ministry in the Church? Who do you know that needs to hear this message of hope? Who in your orbit has not yet heard the good news of Paragraph 60?  Who do you know shares similar dreams of a church that honors and uplifts our unity and diversity as the Body of Christ?

Now is the time to invite others into this sacred work of dialogue, listening and learning alongside one another during St. Phoebe Fall, beginning on September 3rd and continuing onward.

There are a multitude of ways to participate, from joining us in prayer on St. Phoebe’s Feast Day, to hosting or attending a St. Phoebe Forum, to inviting others into online Synodal Listening sessions. The opportunities to connect, to be involved, and to invite others into this sacred work abound. 

Our evening celebration on the Feast of St. Phoebe this year will specifically uplift themes of co-responsibility and shared mission, reminding us that we are all indispensable in this stunning tapestry, full of unique stories of service and ministry, that as Dr. Portier-Young’s quilt depicts, represents the beautiful multiplicity that is the Body of Christ.