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Testigos
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community
Minneapolis, MN
July 2, 2024

At our parish, St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community in Minneapolis, MN we celebrated St. Phoebe during the weekend of September 17th, 2023. At our 9am and 11am gym Masses, our liturgies were overflowing with places where we lifted up the witness of St. Phoebe and highlighted her ministry.

Before mass, two lay parishioners shared testimonies about their own experiences and calls to the diaconate, and also shared more about the story and witness of St. Phoebe. All the liturgical music throughout the Masses uplifted women. Some songs included Bobby McFerrin’s Psalm 23 and a litany of female saints. There was also a procession of female saints, including St. Joan of Arc, St. Kateri Takakwitha, Queen Esther, St. Josephine Bakhita and St. Phoebe. We also had a blessing and anointing of a St. Phoebe icon to be displayed on St. Joan of Arc’s campus after the celebration. After the icon was blessed, it was lifted high and presented to all; this moment was so meaningful as we could imagine St. Phoebe herself viewing all of us gathered together in her honor with hope and joy. 

All female Eucharistic ministers served during the liturgy, and Fr. James Debruycker, the priest celebrant for our liturgy, explained the role and history of deacons in the Church. 

At our family Masses during the same weekend, the story of St. Phoebe was enacted by a parishioner during the liturgy. For an interactive activity, children made a scroll like the scroll St. Phoebe carried to Rome and received a coloring sheet that included St. Phoebe’s name. 

After all masses, we tabled in our parish Welcome Center and gave out literature about St. Phoebe, the Global Synod and Discerning Deacons. We even gave out M & Ms with “Discerning Deacons” printed on them. Parishioners were also given the choice to opt in to receive more information about this ongoing discernment and the Global Synod. At the table, parishioners also had the chance to share their feedback and reaction to our celebration. 

Some quotes that were shared included: 

“I have waited for a celebration like this my entire life.” 

“After hearing the woman witness say, ‘I have a deacon inside of me. I can now say, ‘I have a deacon inside of me too.” 

“As an SJA male, I recognize that change is needed, wanted and deserved! I applaud and support the movement to assure women their rightful place in our church. Let’s go!” 

“Our St. Phoebe Day celebration was a Catholic mass at its best—coming together, unified at the Eucharistic table, getting nourished through meaningful ritual, prayerful and relevant songs, a challenging message on synodality from scripture, and engaging and honest testimonies from two women in our community. St. Joan of Arc parish today did what Jesus did years ago—fed souls and gave people hope.”

The energy within our community is apparent. The Holy Spirit is so clearly active amongst all of us. This was eye-opening for so many, and was just the beginning of our own journey to uplift St. Phoebe’s example, and the leadership and ministry of women in our community. St. Phoebe, pray for us!

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“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
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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
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“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

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Aquí es donde compartimos noticias relevantes, eventos y oportunidades para participar en la labor. 
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