Coming Soon: Deaconesses

Justin Kissel · Post by **Justin Kissel** » Sat 30 October 2004 8:11 am

http://www.ana.gr/anaweb/user/showplain ... service=10

While considering this development, I'm curious as to whether anyone has information on St. Nektarios as it relates to deaconesses?

Aristokles · Post by **Aristokles** » Sat 30 October 2004 8:44 am

Is this a "development" or a return to an old office of admittedly questionable need today? I find it hard to believe that even with support for this in the Church in the past, that this won't be slurred or changed into something else.
Moreover, one would think the COG could at least get its story straight as to why this is needed!

The church High Clergy also re-examined the matter of the ordination of deaconesses, a practice common in the Church during the 4th and 5th centuries which was later faded away. The synod decided that bishops could decide at their own discretion to ordain certain high-ranking nuns if no priest was available, for example in isolated monasteries. It was stressed that the role of deaconesses should be social, for example the granting of last rites to the sick. According to the Archbishop of Peristeri, deaconesses should "play a role in society and not in the monastery".

I DID particularly like the archbishops Vatican plans being nixed by his synod...teehee.

Demetri

George Australia · Post by **George Australia** » Sat 30 October 2004 8:08 pm

Orthodox6 wrote:
a question: Does "last rites" (which sounds like a Catholic term, and not an Orthodox one, by the way) include to their understanding of the vote, the administration of Holy Communion? Surely not!! (I hope not!!)

Why not? This would certainly not be an innovation. Deaconesses routinley administered Holy Communion to the sick female faithful, and attended to the social needs of women and children, and educated them as we see in the life of St. Olympia the Deaconess ("Lives of the Spiritual Mothers- an Orthodox Materikon", Holy Apostles Convent, Co, 1991. pp224-226)

St. Nektarios of Pentapolis ordained Subdeaconesses who also administered Holy Communion. In a letter to the Metropolitan of Athens to explain this, he wrote:

St. Nektarios of Pentapolis wrote:
"...Concerning the Subdeaconesses, I inform you that they are primarily sextons at the sanctuary. Their clothing was made according to the Holy Vestments that the Readers of the city churches wear. Since there are no Deacons in a nunnery, and in this particular one, there are no priests either, I am therefore unable to take care of the cleaning of the church. The sanctuary has absolute need of dedicated personnel who will clean the consecrated vessels, change the coverings and linens of the Holy Table, move the Holy Ciborum and do all the general work of a sexton in the sanctuary. For this reason I considered dedicating two, so that they would be able to take turns. In extreme need, they carry the Holy Eucharist to extremely ill sisters in a small glass specifically made for such a purpose. Except in this extreme circumstance, which is done out of necessity, these sisters are simply sextons."
Letter of St. Nectarios to the Metropolitan of Athens 10th October 1914
quoted in "St. Nektarios- The Saint of Our Century" Chondropoulos, Kainorgia Ge, Athens, 1997, p234

George Australia · Post by **George Australia** » Sat 30 October 2004 8:32 pm

Orthodox6 wrote:
Without crossing the house to pull my copy of that book from the shelf, I'm guessing from memory that St. Olympia was a helper of St. John??

Interestingly, St. Olympia was Ordained to the Diaconate by another Nektarios- Patriarch Nektarios of Constantinople (died AD397).

Seeker · Post by **Seeker** » Sun 14 November 2004 3:54 pm

St. Phoebe the Deaconess at Cenchreae near Corinth. - Pray for us!

Martyr Susanna the deaconess of Palestine - Pray for us!

Blessed Theosebia the deaconess, sister of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa. - Pray for us!

Holy Women Olympias (Olympiada) the deaconess of Constantinople, and Virgin Eupraxia of Tabenna. - Pray for us!

Aristokles · Post by **Aristokles** » Sun 14 November 2004 9:34 pm

Seeker,

Well "said" $/\$ I am duly admonished.

Demetri

Katina · Post by **Katina** » Mon 17 January 2005 4:21 pm

Let's not forget that the Russian Orthodox Church was considering the reestablishment of deaconesses before the Russian Revolution. I'm all for it as long as it is done within tradition and doesn't attempt to equate the deaconess with the deacon. The deaconess more or less was phased out when there were fewer and fewer catechumens. Now that we are once again in a non-Christian era, the restoration of the deaconess seems appropriate.