Source: Axia Women We are glad to be able to share with you, by permission, a reflection by Abbess Katherine Weston–superior of the St. Xenia Monastic Community for over 30 years and the President of the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black–in which she considers the role of deaconesses and abbesses. Today, because of the recent and conspicuous ordination of a female deacon in Zimbabwe, I want to start to say something about ordination. In our hyper-individualistic age, the most important thing to remember is the people are elevated to meet a need of the Church. I know a man…
Browsing: Deaconess
Source: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess Harare, Zimbabwe On May 2, 2024, Holy Thursday, Angelic Molen of Harare, Zimbabwe, was ordained Deaconess Angelic in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa (the Orthodox Church in the continent of Africa) by His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim of Zimbabwe (Kykotis) in St. Nektarios Mission Parish at WaterFall. This historic event would not be possible without the approval and support of the Alexandrian Synod and His Beatitude Theodorus. The ordination of Deaconess Angelis was the culmination of efforts around the world to renew the ancient order of deaconesses in the Orthodox…
Source: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess St. Phoebe Center Zoom Event – Sunday, May 19, 7 pm Eastern (Sunday of the Myrrhbearers) Does the Church really need a female diaconate? Couldn’t lay people just do this type of work? These are questions that have been posed to us. While the St. Phoebe Center wholeheartedly supports lay ministry in the Church, we also acknowledge a place for ordained ministry as well. This seminar will focus on the question of the diaconate more broadly as well as the female diaconate specifically. We will first contextualize the issue—examining the order and its…
Source: Ancient Faith Ministries January 30, 2024 Length: 1:42:22 Have there ever been female deacons in the Orthodox Church? The answer is yes but several centuries ago. In the last decade or so, there have been calls to restore the office of Deaconess today which is a rather touchy subject in the Orthodox world. As part of our mission to Educate, Edify, and Evangelize, Ancient Faith Radio presents an in-depth audio documentary examining the call to restore Deaconesses in the Orthodox Church today. We talk with both proponents and opponents as well as those in the nuanced middle. We do not…
partiSource: St. Phoebe Center Co-sponsored with Axia Women, this event will focus on integrating girls into our liturgical celebration by addressing this issue from various perspectives—from those who plan and coordinate this ministry, to the perspectives of parents, and to the perspective of clergy on how this ministry has been received in their parishes and its value for the parish. After the panel presentations, there will be time for discussion and Q&A moderated by Dr. Teva Regule, a liturgical scholar, an expert on lay participation in the liturgy, and a St. Phoebe Center Board Member. The panel includes: Anna Kallis,…
Source: St. Phoebe Center St. Phoebe Center Anniversary Year Events We educate and prayerfully advocate for the revival of the ordained female diaconate to help serve the ministerial needs of the Orthodox Church and the world today. OrthodoxDeaconess.org IN THIS ISSUE Legacy of Rhodes Online Event May 9 Additional Anniversary Year Events Anniversary Year In-Person Symposium: November 10-12 REGISTER NOW FOR THIS ANNIVERSARY ZOOM EVENT Tuesday, May 9, 2023 7-8:30 PM Eastern on Zoom Moderated by St. Phoebe Center Chair Dr. Carrie Frederick Frost Co-hosted with Holy Cross Orthodox Press, Very Rev. Dr. Anton C. Vrame Panelists: Dr. Patricia Fann Bouteneff, Axia…
Source: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess Our September 1 Zoom event ran overtime which meant we were not able to answer all of the excellent questions posed by participants. We are pleased to be able to answer those questions here. Reasons Against Deaconesses Q: What are the reasons against having women Deacons in the Church? To me it’s a Win-Win situation! A: We agree that women deacons are win-win! We addressed common concerns or objections in a recent article: “Toward a Reasoned and Respectful Conversation about Deaconesses,” Public Orthodoxy, April 2018. Possibilities for the St. Phoebe Network Q: When I joined…
Source: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess The recording of our September 1 event, Why Are Deaconesses Needed in the Church Today is now available for viewing. The event was held to recognize St. Phoebe who is commemorated in the Church on September 3. Presentations were thoughtful and engaging. Our panelists gave us much to think about, helped us understand what influences the decisions of bishops, and offered new considerations for carrying out our mission. You may want to gather a group to watch it in someone’s home or at your parish. If you do, please share your thoughts and feedback with us at: [email protected].
Source: St Phoebe Center for the Deaconess RECORDING FOR JULY 26 WEBINAR NOW AVAILABLE “The Calls to Revive the Female Diaconate. What This Means for Renewing the Diaconate–Male and Female” WATCH THE WEBINAR DOWNLOAD THE POWERPOINT “CALLS FOR THE REJUVENATION OF THE FEMALE DIACONATE” DOWNLOAD THE POWERPOINT “WHAT DO DEACONS DO. VIEWPOINT” This webinar addressed the numerous calls for the revival of the female diaconate and how we might envision both a revival of the female diaconate and a rejuvenated male diaconate for today. St. Phoebe Center Board Member Teva Regule, Ph.D. summarized the numerous “Calls for Rejuvenation of the…
Source: St. Phoebe Center Webinar: “The Female Diaconate in a Time of Pandemic” Sunday, May 3 7 – 8 pm Eastern Daylight Time REGISTER HERE On Sunday, May 3, the Church reads from Acts 6:1-7 in which the apostles appoint others to help with ministry in the early Christian Church. This has traditionally marked the beginning of the office of the deacon. On this day, the Church also reads an account of the Myrrh-Bearing Women who, when they go to anoint Christ’s body, are told of His Resurrection and instructed to tell the disciples, beginning the Christian witness to the…
Source: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess Saturday, November 3, 2018 1 to 5 pm Saints Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church Glenview, (Chicago) IL FREE-WILL OFFERING AT THE DOOR SPEAKER: Teva Regule, Ph.D. “The Female Diaconate in the Orthodox Church? The State of the Question” PANELISTS: Randa Karadsheh Anderson, Ph.D., Carrie Frederick Frost, Ph.D., Deacon Perry Hamalis, Ph.D. ___________________ Panelists will discuss: Why Ordination? How can a revived male and femal diaconate build up the Body of Christ? Is NOW the time? __________________ In 1988, Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios I convened an International Orthodox consultation in Rhodes, Greece…
Source: St. Phoebe Center for the History of the Deaconess The Tradition of the Female Deacon in the Eastern Churches PowerPoint Presentation by Valerie Karras, ThD, PhD and Caren Stayer, PhD All Conference documents and audio/visual resources are available by CLICKING HERE. [subscribe2]