Here at St. Therese Parish in Seattle, Washington we uplifted the witness of St. Phoebe during the weekend of September 10, 2023 at our parish Masses. Our liturgy featured hymns highlighting St. Phoebe, a reflection offered by a lay woman, a discussion about St. Phoebe and the ongoing Synod the week before and prayer cards and other informational materials available at the social hour after Mass.

Parishioners responded enthusiastically to our celebration! One parishioner shared her hope that, “Now my daughters can envision an active role for themselves in the future because they saw you share your reflection.” Prior to our celebration together, many parishioners were not familiar with St. Phoebe and her witness and ministry. We hope that we can continue the momentum that we started with our celebration and continue the conversation regarding women’s participation in the Church.

In preparing for our celebration, those involved in planning were able to demonstrate how change within the Church does not need to be cause for division, but rather can bring our community together. The Church has experienced change before; we should not fear! We will continue on this journey alongside one another.