(Though the term Saint Paul uses to describe her is somewhat ambiguous, the Orthodox Church has long presented Phoebe as a deaconess in its prayers, hymns, and iconography, which often shows her holding a diaconal censor.) We still have detailed records of some of these women: Saint Olympias, the friend and confidant of Saint John Chrysostom Saint Nonna, the mother of Saint Gregory the Theologian Saint Irene of Chrysovalantou, an abbess of the ninth century. There are also ample records of women who were deaconesses in the Christian East, starting with Paul’s esteemed benefactor Saint Phoebe in the middle of the first century. From these texts, we know that deaconesses were ordained at the altar during the Divine Liturgy, that they received the Eucharist with the other ordained orders and had an orarion (deacon’s stole) placed over their necks, and that their bishop laid hands on them. From the third century on, there are several extant texts that include or mention ordination rites for deaconesses. There is ample evidence of a female diaconate through the twelfth century in the Orthodox Church-a fact of great importance in a tradition that zealously values precedent. We know at least one thing already: it will not be a novelty. We are also waiting to see if another Orthodox church will follow in Alexandria’s footsteps, and to find out what the female diaconate will look like in other parts of the world. The Synod of Alexandria has not yet published an official description of their duties, but it has informally suggested that these women will assist with missionary work, such as catechism and baptism, as well as conducting services in mission parishes that have no regular priest. Second, the autocephalous Orthodox churches throughout the world are self-governing, which means that any one of them could decide to revive the female diaconate tomorrow and ordain a deaconess the next day.Īs my Catholic sisters and brothers await the report from Pope Francis’s commission, we in the Orthodox Church are waiting to learn more about the ministry of the new deaconesses in Africa. First, our church is fragmented: we do not yet have established international mechanisms for theologians and historians, or even hierarchs, to communicate with one another. That we were unaware of support for the female diaconate in Africa is evidence of two Orthodox realities. Rarely does anything happen this fast in the Orthodox world. These moves by the Synod of Alexandria surprised those of us in the United States working on this issue-we did not know the female diaconate was even under consideration by the African church. Later last year I was astonished when one of the self-governing churches of the Orthodox world, Alexandria, decided to revive the female diaconate in Africa and proceeded to consecrate five women as deaconesses this past February. I was especially attentive to this development because I am a supporter of the renewal of the order of deaconesses in my own church-the Orthodox Church. On top of them you will spot the famous Meteora monasteries.I watched with interest in August 2016 when Pope Francis made good on his promise to convene a commission to study the female diaconate. As you approach the town of Kalabaka, the nearest big town near Meteora, and the picturesque village of Kastraki you will see a complex of giant sandstone rock pillars that climb up into the sky. In 1988, the Meteora monasteries have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and the Meteora-Antichassia area is part of the Natura 2000 network hosting some rare species of birds and flowers. Today only six monasteries are active with a small number of monks or nuns who reside on Meteora. Meteora is a great place to experience, a spectacular landscape and byzantine monasteries perched on top of steep rocks that house priceless artifacts and wall paintings. The Greek word Meteora means “suspended in the air” and this phrase aptly describes these remarkable Greek Orthodox monasteries. Many centuries ago, on these gigantic rocks with the breathtaking landscape reaching heights of more than 600 meters, it was formed one of the most important monastic communities of Greece. Few kilometers northwest of the town of Kalabaka, the impressive rocks of Meteora are rising from the plains of Thessaly been one of the most amazing places in Greece. Meteora monasteries – the miracle of Greece. PRIVATE : 1 day Meteora Tour from Volos by Mini Bus.PRIVATE : Full Day Meteora Tour from Kalabaka or Kastraki.Panoramic Morning Meteora and Monasteries Tour.PRIVATE : 1 day Meteora Tour from Thessaloniki by Train.2 days Meteora Tour from Thessaloniki by Train.
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