Sr. Colleen Gibson, S.S.J., writes about St. Phoebe, the deacon whom St. Paul commends to the Church in Rome. (Global Sisters Report)
Growing up, I never heard about St. Phoebe. She, like so many women of the early church, was lost to me for a long time.
The female doctors of the church — Catherine, Teresa, Thérèse, and, later, Hildegard — were beacons whose wisdom, faith and example I was drawn to. As a young adult, I grew to know and love Mary Magdalene, the apostle to the apostles, as well as a number of other women saints, who, each in her own way, invited me to be more fully myself and more fully engaged with my faith.
Share this Article
“
Witness
“I first arrived in Zambia almost 35 years ago. My deepest urge has always been the proclamation of the Gospel. Making Jesus known, loved, and meaningful to people’s lives is my absolute joy. For a long time, I considered myself an apostle and an evangelist. Truly, though, in these ministries, I feel as though I have served as a “deacon” without the formal title.”
Sr. Guadalupe Mancilla, CMS
Pastoral Minister and Religious Sister, Lusaka, Zambia
“
Witness
“This work is essential for challenging the status quo, deeply exploring the Church’s history of the female diaconate, and courageously asking important questions. I also believe that the inclusion of women’s voices and experiences will increase emotional, mental, and physical safety for other women in church spaces.”
Krista Varney
Domestic Violence Advocate, Grand Prairie, TX
“
Witness
“I know that women are being called by the Holy Spirit and women are living diakonia in creative, ordinary ways today. Now, as a mother of a toddler girl, I want to discern with the Church on how to make way for her to discern her own future calling, should the Spirit call her.”
Ana López
Spiritual Director and Theology Teacher, Los Angeles, CA
