deaconess
6
8.7
- noun
- /ˈdiːkənɪs/
:
diaconisa
- My parents were devout Christians, my father being an elder and my mother a deaconess in the village church.
Examples
-
I was under the impression that ancient deaconesses concerned themselves with ministry to other women and not at the altar.
Blog text (17) -
Are you saying that, traditionally, deaconesses could do everything that present-day deacons do?
Blog text (17) -
I leave you with a few words written about Deaconess Anne shortly after her move to California.
Blog text (10) -
That's how they got together, over at the New England Deaconess Hospital.
Fiction book (1994) -
One city official wrote, "I didn't know Deaconess Anne well, but I believed in her."
Blog text (10) -
I'll have to ask my pastor or deaconess about that worship planner, even if it's just for myself.
Blog text (9) -
Some daughters of artisans and craftworkers became novitiates or prospective deaconesses as a step toward becoming teachers, nurses, or orphanage "mothers."
Academic text (1990) -
My mother has served as a deaconess at our church for over a decade, helping with community outreach.
-
At the annual conference, the deaconess delivered a heartfelt speech about her experiences in ministry.
-
In many churches, a deaconess plays a vital role in supporting the congregation and assisting the pastor.
Synonyms
9
7.2
A church member who is not a priest and helps the minister with office work and services
A member of a Protestant church who helps the minister with services and visits sick people
How Senior
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word deaconess comes from the Greek word diakonos, meaning 'servant' or 'helper', and the ending -ess, which shows a woman. You can see the same root in deacon, so a deaconess is a woman who serves or helps the church.