Here at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks, CA we celebrated St. Phoebe within the context of our community’s Hispanic prayer group which is composed of adult parishioners from our community. Throughout the month of September, our prayer group’s weekly meetings had a dedicated time for women to share witness talks with the group. We met four out of the five Fridays in September, and throughout the month three separate women witnesses were able to share. Our fourth meeting was a chance for an “Open Mic” where other women from the group shared about their own mission and vocation to serve the church. Our three witnesses who shared included the wife of our parish’s deacon, as well as the leader of the prayer group and a staff member from St. Paschal Baylon. 

Each woman shared how the Lord had called them to their ministry, and how they have grown in the various human, intellectual, spiritual and pastoral dimensions of their ministry throughout their years of service. The experience was incredibly edifying, and we hope to have a similar form of celebration this year. We will also prepare with additional discernment and prayer for those women in the group who are currently in the process of hearing God’s voice who calls them into a deeper commitment in their ministry. It was a wonderful experience here in our community bearing witness to the leadership and ministry of women in our very community in honor of St. Phoebe.