Today, September 3^rd, is the feast of St. Phoebe, who is named a deacon in Paul’s first century Letter to the Romans. But you likely won’t hear about her at Mass. In fact, you likely never hear about St. Phoebe because she doesn’t appear in our lectionary on any day.

The universal calendar of the Roman Catholic Church prescribes today as an obligatory memorial for St. Gregory the Great, a Pope and Doctor of the church.  St. Phoebe could be included in the introduction to the Mass, the homily, the Prayers of the Faithful, the final announcements, and/or the parish bulletin.  If there is a church named after her, however, a solemnity mass in her honor can supersede this obligatory memorial.  

So why am I preaching about St. Phoebe today?  It’s because, we, at Catholic Women Preach and Future Church, along with other Catholic groups like Discerning Deacons are choosing to grow the devotion to St. Phoebe so that more and more of the faithful may come to know her.  

Why is it so important to us? Because we believe knowing about her can make a big difference in our church today…in terms of how we view women’s roles in the church, for women to see themselves represented by Phoebe, and for the people of God to find hope!  

As the Synod on Synodality has shown, the Holy Spirit is indeed inviting us to rethink women’s participation in the Catholic institution.  In fact, the synthesis document released after last year’s synod in Rome mentioned this to be an urgent call.  It writes:

“From all continents comes an appeal for Catholic women to be valued first and foremost as baptized and equal members of the People of God. There is almost unanimous affirmation that women love the Church deeply, but many feel sadness because their lives are often not well understood, and their contributions and charisms not always valued…women remain the majority of those who attend liturgy and participate in activities, men a minority; yet most decision-making and governance roles are held by men.”

I would dare to say that this isn’t new.  This has been a long-time sentiment that we are only now hearing because the Synod on Synodality has encouraged us to share honestly and widely our experiences of church…and in a safe environment as we share with a presupposition of goodwill as fellow missionary disciples on a journey.  

As we head into the second synod meeting in Rome this October, we pray that conversations around women’s roles continue.  However the manner the bishops and synod delegates do this in Rome, we, too, must hold these conversations with one another.  

Therefore, I share with you today, my reflection on St. Phoebe.

St. Phoebe is a recognized saint in the “Roman Martyrology”, the official book of the Catholic Church, for centuries.  Her name and the little we know about her appears in Romans 16, verses 1-2.  Paul writes:

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of (the holy ones) and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. (NIV)

Paul had chosen Phoebe to deliver his letter to the Christian community in Rome! This tells me that Paul recognizes Phoebe’s role in the church of Cenchreae and basically asks the church community in Rome to also do the same.

We don’t know if Phoebe was moving to Rome and Paul wrote a letter to endorse her or if Paul needed an envoy to the community there and chose Phoebe as his emissary.

Regardless of the reason, we know that Paul recognized Phoebe as a leader and found her role to be of importance.

The recognition by Paul of Phoebe’s role and the trust he had in Phoebe is significant to me…and probably to other women servant leaders. In this passage is a model of what we would want from our church -- men in authority acknowledging women’s real – but unrecognized – co-leadership and co-responsibility.

Paul calls Phoebe a sister in Christ, a deacon and a benefactor.

We may debate what that term deacon means in this context and whether or not it’s an ordained role, but the fact remains that Phoebe was named a deacon. The Greek term is diakonos which means one who executes the commands of another, a servant, minister.

To read of a woman in the early Church named a deacon, whom Paul recognized and entrusted as an equal partner in ministry, is both life-giving and affirming.

As a lay woman in the church today, I have struggled to find my place as a servant leader in this institution despite the many ways I serve using my time, talent and treasure.

When I discerned a call as a young adult, I joined a religious community because that was what was represented to me as a model for how women answer God’s call to serve.  And when I discerned out, I was lost a bit. The call never left, and I continued serving the church in various ways. However, I did feel that I gave up this visible place in the life and structure of the church.  Over time I also felt a “glass ceiling” and a bit of impotence in my ability to fully participate in the life and governance of an institution that I love and to which I give fully.  

Luckily and blessedly, our diocese in San Jose, California, has a formation program for the laity that is equivalent to the men being formed as permanent deacons.  It is called Advanced Lay Leadership -- it follows the foundational 3-year lay leadership program that also the men who apply for diaconate must do.

During the four years of formation, I really felt part of the team as I got to know many of the ministers in the diocese --- priests, deacons, religious sisters and all the laity who love and serve the people of God.

At the completion of formation, our diocese recognized us as outstanding resources for the diocese. We are known to our Bishop, and we are tapped from time to time to serve but, AS A WHOLE, I would say that the Advanced Lay Leaders are unrecognized servant leaders of the church.

In fact, when our formation was near its completion, the men about to be ordained were written up on the diocesan paper and, they and their wives, were invited by the Bishop to dinner at his home.  

At the rite of ordination, the men with whom I went through formation were received and commissioned as servant leaders by the church.  There, it was announced that they were found worthy to serve, asked the faithful to receive them, and asked us, together with all the angels and saints, to pray for them.  Through this rite, they received the sacramental grace for their ministerial journey.  

It was deeply painful to be excluded from a rite that included all these graces.

Knowing about Phoebe, the role she played in the early church, and Paul’s recognition of her, however, affirms my call and gives me hope!

Hope that one day women like me who are answering the call to serve can also be recognized and be instituted as servant leaders.

Hope that one day we may receive the sacramental grace the church offers.

Women may not be entering religious life anymore, but there are hundreds of women who give themselves fully in service to God and God’s people. And we’re receiving our formation through diocesan programs, theological institutes, or graduate studies in universities.    

There’s something new evolving and our institutional church needs to respond to the signs of the times.

Let us make visible the women who are serving the church today in many and varied committed leadership roles.  

We ask the hierarchy to recognize us as Paul recognized Phoebe.  See us as your sister in Christ, deacon/servant/minister, and benefactor – called to be givers of our time, talent and treasure to bring forth with you a world of justice, love and peace.  

Let us trust in the Holy Spirit who we know always calls ministers for her church and always acts on the world since the beginning of time.

Until then, my sisters in Christ, we continue to serve.  For we know that God sees us, recognizes us, and gives us all the graces we need.