Our community, St. Theresa Catholic Church in Oakland, CA celebrated a prayer service hosted by our Social Justice Committee to honor the witness of St. Phoebe on September 10, 2023. Two women from our group shared letters to Pope Francis expressing their feelings and hopes for women’s involvement in the Church. Participants also wrote down their prayers for the Church during the Synod while a litany of female saints was beautifully sung. Our prayers of the faithful were based on our recent synodal listening session hosted by the WINGS (Women in God’s Spirit) group at our parish. 

We were all invited to write to Pope Francis and join with others in prayer throughout October. Because of the central focus on the ongoing Synod during our celebration, participants were excited to share their own hopes and prayers for the Synod for the discernment of women’s involvement in the Church. These prayers were carried by our parishioner Lydia Tinajero Deck from our celebration with her to Rome as she traveled with the Discerning Deacons leadership team. She was able to leave our prayers, hopes and dreams at the Church of Santa Rafaela.

Many were simply glad to hear about the new developments at the Synod. As a parish, we also had a beautiful icon commissioned by St. Phoebe for our service. St. Phoebe is an inspiration to us on our journey together. She inspires us to work hard, to greet and welcome others, and to hold close to the Word of God. Because of her example, we can be active bearers of God’s love which we have experienced in our lives.

From our celebration together, we know that there are so many who feel God’s active involvement in their lives. We want to share where we feel called by God with one another! We will continue to follow the example of St. Phoebe, embodying our holy boldness and sharing God’s presence in our lives. Together, we are always empowered by the Spirit and one another.