Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe’s Ministry

Service in her Parish, St. Nektarios

Archdeaconess Angelic- Phoebe continues to feel supported by her own parish:  “The people of Saint Nectarios parish are in support of me and in support of the ministry of deaconess. From the day of my ordination I face no challenge in my ministry.”

  • Her parish priest, Fr. Augustine Moeketsi supports her and wishes other churches had deaconesses, too: 
    • “It is a blessing to have a deaconess at our parish. For so many years  our women, young and old, have been longing for pastoral ministry for all women.”
    • “She is helping a lot in administration, leading the Women’s Association of our parish, women-to-women affairs, pastoral care and helping with baptisms (when baptising women and children). It is becoming easier for me with her support.”
    • “Her presence as a deaconess is a light that is shining bright in our parish, and it is my prayer that every Orthodox priest should have at least one Deaconess in his parish.”

Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe’s congregation celebrates after her ordination.

Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe at Temporal Parish of Panagia of Kykkos, on the outskirts of Harare

Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe communes children.

Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe and Father A process during her ordination.

Feeding Program for Children
  • “I am helping with the feeding programme for the needy children at my parish, and the children are very happy to have food every Sunday. We established a garden with the Sunday school children and the garden is providing vegetables for the feeding programme cooking.”
  • “Here at Saint Nectarios we established a small orchard at the church backyard with the Sunday school children. These trees will provide fruits and shade for the children in future.”

Women in the Garden

Children are served food from the garden.

Catechism
  • “We are having classes of catechism with the children as usual every Sunday after the Divine Liturgy and before receiving food.”

Children outside the church.

Women’s Programs

“I oversee the women’s programmes and am their advisor sometimes when help is needed. We do pastoral visits with the women. We visit each other’s homes to do prayers, mostly when we  notice that our fellow member is absent at church.”

Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe and the women of her parish

Celebration of St. Phoebe’s Feast Day on September 3
  • Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe and the parish children painted a St. Phoebe icon in honor of the St. Phoebe commemoration in her parish, St. Nektarios. As part of the celebration, she and the parish celebrated the “first fruits” from the garden she had planted with the children in August, 2024. 

Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe teaching the children about St. Phoebe

Children celebrate the feast of St. Phoebe at St. Necktarios

Children celebrate the feast of St. Phoebe at St. Necktarios

Children celebrate the feast of St. Phoebe at St. Necktarios

Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe Relationship with Metropolitan Serafim
  • “I give many thanks to His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim Kykotis for always being there for our ministry and he is always there to direct me to follow the correct paths and instructs me faithfully.”
  • Met Serafim’s support for her
    • Metropolitan Serafim said, “The revival of the Apostolic Tradition of the institution of Deaconesses in the missionary ministry of our Church—no one can stop it because it has as its source the Holy Spirit itself who healed the sick and found the missing.”
    • Metropolitan Serafim said, “The people in Zimbabwe and especially in the parish of Saint Nektarios where our sister Archdeaconess Phoebe-Angelic serve–they love her and they respect her.”

Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe and Met. Seraphim at her ordination

Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe and Met. Seraphim at her elevation to Archdeaconess

Representation at Church Events

All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC)

  • Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe Molen represented the Orthodox Archbishopric of Zimbabwe at the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) consultation meeting on Migration, Trafficking in Persons, and Modern Slavery in June 2024.

Zimbabwe Council of Churches General Assembly

  • Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe Molen and Rev. Fr. Augustine Moeketsi represented Metropolitan Serafim and the Greek Orthodox Archbishopric of Zimbabwe at the Zimbabwe Council of Churches General Assembly.

World Council of Churches

  • Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe Molen gave the welcome speech for a visit from the World Council of Churches on behalf of His Eminence Archbishop Serafim Kykotis in December 2024.

University Studies
  • Archdeaconess Angelic-Phoebe Molen is a student at Zimbabwe Open University, working on a degree in Geography and Environmental Studies. The St. Phoebe Center has assisted with the payment of her university tuition through our African Women’s Grant