Episcopal Deaconesses

History, photos and stories of these unsung heroes of the Church
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In the Episcopal Church, Deaconesses were faith-filled women who were the early pioneers of servant ministry. Being "set apart" as a deaconess was one of the few ways women could serve the Church in the years before the ordination of women.

It's been recorded that four deaconesses were ordained by Bp. William Whittingham of Maryland in September, 1857. At the time, women in the USA were not ordained as deacons. In 1970, the last of some 500 deaconesses were ordained. That same year, when General Convention voted to allow women to be ordained as deacons, the deaconesses were automatically included in this group.

Lesser Feasts & Fasts (2022) commemorates many historic deaconesses, and deacons.

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Meet the Deaconesses
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Resources

• ​Deaconess Readings for Liturgical use
• Historical dates
• ​Year Books of the New York Training School for Deaconesses
• Proper for Deaconesses
• Deaconess Commemorations at the Sisters in Faith website, by Deacon Patricia Marks. ​

Presentations

• Presentation on Deaconess Harriet Bedell, by Deacon Tracie Middleton.
• Presentation on Deaconess Adeline Blanchard Tyler, prepared by Deacon Daphne Noyes for Episcopal Women's History Project.  ​

History

• Unlocking the History of the Deaconesses, by The Living Church, 2022. The 100-year-old book,The Memorial Book of the Retirement Fund for Deaconesses, offers details to the early days of Deaconesses.​
• 1916 Alumnae Bulletin, New York Training School for Deaconesses.
• The Deaconess and her ministry in the Episcopal Church, National Conference of Deaconesses, 1949.
  
• Prayers for the Order of Deaconesses 1949; 2019.

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September 22: Episcopal Deaconesses Feast Day
General Convention 2022 passed Resolution A008, authorizing this commemoration for trial use for the triennium 2021-2024; in Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018. 
The Episcopal deaconess movement describes a ministry of women who were set apart for service by their bishops, beginning in 1857 and ending with the ordination of women as deacons, authorized by General Convention in 1970. Read the full text. Download the Bulletin insert.

Procession of Deaconess candidates, NYC, 1914
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Know of a deaconess we've missed? Please contact Deacon Anne, webmaster.