Celebrating St. Phoebe with Vespers
In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul commends St. Phoebe to the church in Rome, introduces her as a deacon (diakonos) of the church at Cenchreae, and asks that they “receive her in the Lord” (Romans 16:1-3).St. Phoebe was a woman of great courage and deep love. She answered God’s call to minister to God’s people during the earliest days of the Church, when persecution against Christians was strong. She earned the trust of Paul, who depended on her to handle communications with the ecclesial community in Rome.St. Phoebe’s feast day, September 3, is in the current Roman Martyrology. Her day’s liturgical status is not of a feast or a memorial but that of a “commemoration.” Her liturgy is celebrated in Eastern Rite and Orthodox Churches. Growing her devotion is one way to help restore her memory and instate a liturgy to commemorate her in our tradition.
We will host evening vespers prayer service on September 3 to honor St. Phoebe and all women who have served as spiritual exemplars from biblical times to today. Parishioners Angela Dimler and Michele Deslauriers will preach at vespers. We hope you will join us for an evening of reflection, worship, and prayer for the Synodal discernment in October.