Saint Olympiada or Olympias,
whose memory we celebrate on July 25, was a deaconess
in the early church. The office of deaconess is described
in the New Testament and Phoebe was called a deaconess in
Romans 16: 1. This office is codified in the
"Didascalia" written in the first half of the 3rd
century and in the "Apostolic Constitutions" written
in the later part of the 4th century. It is also mentioned at
the 4th Ecumenical Council which met in Chalcedon
in 451.
At first, only widows who had been married only once were
admitted to the office. Later, virgins were also admitted. The
age of admission varied through the years from 40-60 years of
age. Once admitted they were not allowed to marry.
Deaconesses were ordained in the altar by a bishop by the
imposition of hands. They were robed in a stichar and an
orarion (deacon's stole). They were addressed as
"reverend", "Most honorable" or "most
pious". The episcopal prayers of ordination of a deaconess
have not been revoked by the Orthodox Church and they can still
be found in the books.
The deaconess had specific duties. Among them was to instruct
privately female candidates for baptism, to assist at their
baptism which was by total immersion, they did the anointing
with oil at the baptism as it was not considered proper for the
male clergy to touch a woman, they visited and cared for the
sick, they were present at interviews of women with the bishops
or priests, they dismissed women catechumens from the church
and kept general order in the women's section of the church (men
and women were segregated as they were up to about 25 years
ago in some churches in America), and they did other duties
delegated by the bishop like helping the poor. They were in a
sense the educators of women in the faith and social workers.
Deaconesses were ordained in the Eastern Church as late as the
12th century. The office was disused in the Western Church
somewhat earlier.
Female Diaconate
Restored by Greek Holy Synod.
Deaconess: