compartir
Testigos
Dermis de Jesús
Member, Philadelphia Phoebe Circle and Parishioner, St. Vincent de Paul Church (Philadelphia, PA)
July 2, 2024

Mary, our Blessed Mother, Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters; Veronica (from the Catholic tradition), Mary Magdalene…these are women whose stories I have heard and some that I have proclaimed since my early years as a confirmed Catholic.  These are women in whom I have seen pieces of myself throughout my development as a devout Catholic. These are saints who have inspired my spiritual journey along with those closer to my times, like Mother Teresa and the Servant of God, Sister Thea Bowman.

I, however, had not sat with the words in Romans 16; 1-2, until I attended prayer services with Discerning Deacons:

“I commend to you our sister…receive her in the Lord…for she has been a benefactor to many…”

I felt a recognition of these words deep in my being. I thought of the Phoebes in my life:  my grandmother Isabel, my religion teachers- lay and nuns; my mentors in youth groups, my role models in young adult ministries; the mothers of the Church in my Germantown, Philadelphia parish; my own mother, and then I even dared to look at myself. 

I find joy in service as something that I am called to do, whether I am interpreting, proclaiming, praising in song and dance, teaching or offering reflections; distributing communion, visiting the sick, supporting individuals in mental health crisis and women confronting abuse; counseling parents of neurodivergent children or holding and feeding babies in the intensive care nursery. I just want to be of service, taking Jesus to everyone and encountering Jesus in everyone, for the glory of God, and in gratitude for what God has done in me. 

Therefore I march on, celebrating St. Phoebe and discerning diakonía, locally and nationally, with many more like me, for many more like me, guided by the Holy Trinity. We are serving the discernment, listening, rethinking, imagining, hoping, praying, doing…for a Church that truly welcomes everyone who surrenders to God’s love. 

«
Testigo
“Being able to be educated on who St. Phoebe is and giving others the chance to meet her, being part of a community of women who promote an inclusive model of the church, and seeing my own community come alive and heal from division provides a vision of what can and will be possible one day in the Catholic Church.”
Kathleen O'Brien
Maryknoll Bay Area Regional Coordinator in the Mission Formation Department
«
Testigo
“I have witnessed these women become Catholic high school teachers, professors, writers, administer parish life and leaders of prayer services. Women have been my peers and supervisors, except in diaconal ministry. I continue to hold out hope that women’s gifts for ministry and service can and will be acknowledged by the church.”
Fr. Tom Cwick, SJ
Pastoral Minister, North Side, St. Louis, MO
«
Testigo
“I am grateful as a pastor and a part of the BCCs here to learn and journey together with others. As a priest in our community, I am proud to be a part of this ministry to uplift women who are struggling. It is great joy and fulfillment. In my personal life, I have experienced the richness of acknowledging and uplifting the witness of women in the early Church and also in our Church today.”
Fr. Vincent Dsouza, SJ
Pastor and Base Christian Community Leader, India

Reciba Nuestro Boletín Informativo

Aquí es donde compartimos noticias relevantes, eventos y oportunidades para participar en la labor. 
*Únicamente enviaremos el boletín una vez cada semana, y nunca compartiremos o venderemos su información.

Reciba Nuestro Boletín Informativo

Aquí es donde compartimos noticias relevantes, eventos y oportunidades para participar en la labor. 
*Únicamente enviaremos el boletín una vez cada semana, y nunca compartiremos o venderemos su información.