A RESURRECTING, REMEMBERING AND RE-ENACTING: REJOICING IN WOMEN DEACONS OF THE FIRST MILLENNIUM

St James, Piccadilly, 18 January 2003

by Henry Pinsent in Network no 73 (March 2003) pp. 22.

For a full presentation of the script used for this ceremony, and for illustrations, click here!

Isolated from the bustling Saturday throngs milling along Piccadilly or making purchases at the market in the forecourt, St James's hosted a ceremony based on texts from more than a thousand years ago, re-enacting firstly the ordination of a woman deacon and subsequently her baptising of an adult female. This moving ceremony was prefaced by an impressive range of testimony from those scattered around the church, playing the roles of more than thirty women for whose service as deacons evidence has been compiled.

This was a very effective and dramatic way of highlighting John Wijngaards' book (reviewed elsewhere in this issue of Network) and conveying to those who were not yet familiar with its contents the proof that women had been called to this ministry in the ancient Byzantine rite of the Catholic church. Since the church has asserted that the orders of the diaconate and the priesthood are `in the same league', there certainly seems at the least to be a case to answer!

As a result especially of the commitment of Lala Winkley, the whole occasion was impeccably presented, and it is difficult to think how it could have been performed better. The initial impact of so many women (some of whom, beneath their veils, were very familiar), dotted around the church, presenting their testimonies, in role as deacons, followed by their going forward together as a living icon screen, foreshadowed the ordination and baptism reconstructions. The Baptism ceremony in particular, the intimate nature of which demanded the office of a woman deacon, helped a modern audience to realise the kind of impact experienced by those baptised into a world where they knew they might have to suffer for their faith. While the deacon was re-enacting the anointing of the catechumen, many of the `deacons' who were looking on seemed to have a quiet smile, possibly identifying with the feelings of those who were performing the ritual.

The commentary, devised by John Wijngaards, together with the Bishop's prayers from an early ordination rite, provided a necessary and unobtrusive source of information. I'm sure that everyone left not only better informed about the role of the diaconate and women's essential place within it, but also motivated to inform others about this forgotten aspect of church history.

Henry Pinsent

A Woman Deacon anointed in Piccadilly

Between the silence and the blessings,
A busker sings operatic arias in the street outside.
Between the memories of sacrifice and the anointing,
Fall broken promises and betrayal.
Between the dusty wooden floors and the proud high ceiling
Rings the voice of truth.
And we stand together,
Suspended between the outstretched hands
Of those fulfilled and those denied fulfilment,
Praying for the strength to work together,
Showing those with vocation
That they can.
While spearheading the march on the temple,
Ready to knock over the dealers' tables
And embrace their frightened resistance,
As we carry them forwards
Into a shared future they do not even know they want -
Where we are allowed to recognise God's light
Where God decides to shine it,
Rather than where some people
Want us to see it shine.
Between the prayers of the hope-filled
And the curse of the rigid,
Between the light of truth and joy
And the cold hard empty pew,
There is a dance
An anointing grace
And a gentle driving force
That the church cannot resist
And that we all share.
So do not fall between the traps of despair and frustration
Take notice of the voices from the past
Their authentic words point to the future
And the future is closer
Than you think.

Ian Smith

Read here John Wijngaards’ publication list.