St. Phoebe Study Circle (Status of Women in Christianity)

"By virtue of Baptism, women and men have equal dignity as members of the People of God. However, women continue to encounter obstacles in obtaining a fuller recognition of their charisms, vocation and place in all the various areas of the Church’s life. This is to the detriment of serving the Church’s shared mission. [...] This Assembly asks for full implementation of all the opportunities already provided for in Canon Law with regard to the role of women, particularly in those places where they remain underutilised. There is no reason or impediment that should prevent women from carrying out leadership roles in the Church: what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped. Additionally, the question of women’s access to diaconal ministry remains open. This discernment needs to continue."
- Paragraph 60 of the final document of the Synod on Synodality[1]

St. Phoebe is the only person in scripture that is named as a diakonos (deacon or minister) in connection to a specific church, the church at Cenchreae. [Rom. 16:1-2] She carried St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans to Rome. As the trusted courier of this theological letter, she likely read it aloud and explained its contents to the Roman church, making her the first interpreter of the book of Romans. This shows St. Paul supported a woman in an important ministerial role in the early church. Unfortunately St. Paul's writings, taken out of context, have been used by some to restrict women's leadership and voice. By promoting knowledge of St. Phoebe, Rom. 16: 1-2, and the history of the women's diaconate, we hope to contribute to a cultural shift towards appreciating and respecting the wide variety of women's contributions, including leadership roles in Christianity.

We study the history of the female diaconate, including evidence of diaconal ordination of women fulfilling the requirements of the Council of Trent [2], the current roles of women in the Roman Catholic Church, Christian churches and the ripple effects in wider society. A book we study is Women Deacons - Past, Present and Future [https://sites.hofstra.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2019/07/2011-Women-Deacons-Past-Present-Future.pdf] Though not directly affiliated, we support the work of Discerning Deacons, an organization that engages Catholics in the active discernment about women and the diaconate.

This group is open to people of any faith or no faith who have an interest in improving the status of women.

"I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me [St. Paul]."

Romans 16:1-2
New International Version

[1] https://www.synod.va/en/news/final-document-of-the-xvi-assembly.html
[2] https://sites.hofstra.edu/phyllis-zagano/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/12/Catholic-Women-Deacons-Part-01.pdf

Icon of St. Phoebe ©2023, Suzanne Massie. Used with permission (non commercial-no derivatives).