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“I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy ones, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a benefactor to many and to me as well.” Romans 16:1-2
When St Ambrose University hosted the conference Francis at Ten: A Papacy of Possibilities last March to celebrate and honor Pope Francis and his 10 years of service as the leader of the Catholic Church, I was introduced to St Phoebe in a breakout session facilitated by two prayerful and enthusiastic women. According to St Paul in his letter to the Romans, Phoebe is a deacon and a benefactor, meaning she was his co-worker in the kingdom and obviously supported the needs of the early Christian community in important ways.
During the breakout session, we prayerfully reflected on the roles of women in the Church and our own experiences of service to God’s people. Having served as a lay minister in the church for 35 years including the last 9 years in campusministry at St Ambrose, I was touched by the affirmation of my call and filled with hope for a future Church that recognizes the gifts and contributions of women.
This Wednesday, Sept. 6th , we are joining over 160 Catholic parishes, universities and retreat centers in commemorating the feast of St Phoebe. We’ve invited alumnus, Sarah Adams, ‘20 to share her reflections at Mass as we pray for the upcoming global Synod in Rome and reflect on the Church's discernment about women’s participation, including the diaconate.
