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Witnesses
The Church of St. Francis Xavier
New York, NY
May 16, 2024

At our parish, the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York, NY, we presented a short skit on September 10, 2023 that depicted components of St. Phoebe’s story. In the skit, St. Phoebe describes her talk with Paul, as well as her journey and ministry as a deacon, and her mission to spread the message of the early Church. As a part of the skit, she describes Paul’s asking of her to go to Rome to deliver his letter, and she exhorts all of us in the audience to continue on with our passion today in serving the Church.

After this presentation of the story of St. Phoebe, many attendees requested other events to learn more about her witness and ministry. There was so much enthusiasm in parishioners’ responses, and many said that they learned a lot! The following week, there was a note in the bulletin about the service that our pastor wrote, so that others who were not in attendance might still hear about it. People were talking about our service for weeks.

We raised so much awareness from our event, of both the ongoing Synod and of St. Phoebe and her ministry. Together, we learned of the power of the intercession of St. Phoebe, and how significant her feast day can be to carry the message of women’s roles in the Church.

We are so glad for this opportunity to learn and advocate with one another. St. Phoebe’s intercession in this journey of lifting up the ministry of women in the Church is so important to our parish. We are so glad as a community to be involved in planning and participating in St. Phoebe Day.

Organization
“We are happy to be able to share about women in the Church who lead and are heard, especially for the youngest amongst us who need to hear this message.”
South Seattle Parish Family
Seattle, WA
Witness
“I have always felt like God equips us with the gifts we need along our journey as we need. This has certainly been true throughout my life, which I am so deeply grateful for. I always say, it’s not me, it has to be God!”
Rev. Dr. Jasmin Hivale
Virgil, Ontario, Canada, Retired Prison Chaplain
Witness
“A highlight for many present was the Scripture reflection offered by a female parishioner who specifically spoke about her experience as a minister in the Church. At St. William, communal leadership and ministry are a central part of our community’s identity and values.”
St. William Catholic Community
Louisville, KY

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