St. Chloe is commemorated as a co-worker of the Apostle Paul. Tradition tells us that Chloe was from Corinth and stood by the Apostle in his missionary ministry. We don’t know exactly who “Chloe’s people” are, but it is possible that as a wealthy patron of the early Church, she hosted a gathering of believers in her home. It is significant that Paul calls her by name, rather than a husband or son - presumably as a way of giving credibility to the report, rather than simply naming it as a rumor. However it came about, when divisions arose in the Church her household or community sent word to Paul, asking his advice and intervention. It was because of this that St. Paul wrote his Epistles to the Corinthians.
Today, this longing for a unified Church remains a living legacy for Orthodox women. Faced with division, her community sought healing and wholeness—and had the courage to act so that reconciliation might take root. Because of their act, we are given one of St. Paul’s most moving epistles, with its enduring vision of love and of what it means to belong to the body of Christ, joined together in fullness. In the ancient Church of Corinth, she was commemorated on the Sunday after February 13.
What do we do as Orthodox women when we come to spaces of tension or disagreement together? What do we do when those who are our sisters in Christ have wildly different opinions about something we hold dear?
Euodia and Syntyche’s story reminds us that this is not always easy. As coworkers with Paul for the sake of the Gospel, they “struggled beside” him with the same goals, yet points of tension still broke out. While we are given no clues as to what these points were, we can imagine that it must have felt irreconcilable for Paul to take the time to mention them.
The words Paul uses seem key here. He asks them to be “of the same mind in the Lord.” This unity of thought and mission he sought for them was centered around one thing: Christ. Whatever difference of opinions, viewpoints, and approaches they held were able to be held in tension, as long as together they started and ended with the goal that truly mattered: to serve Christ in love and be a beacon of light and healing to the world.
That’s just one of the many reasons we love gathering as Orthodox women across jurisdictions: we get the chance to learn from each other and be mutually enriched in our different traditions, all worshiping the same God. When we can see the many ways that Orthodox faithfulness takes shape across vocations, seasons of life, and types of service, we each grow stronger in our own callings and find encouragement to offer our gifts more fully to the Church and the world.
“Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and greet his mother—a mother to me also.”
Romans 16:13
With this short and powerful commendation, Paul introduces us to a woman who likely stood as witness to some of the most dramatic moments of Christ’s life and the life of the early Church. The Mother of Rufus is commonly believed to be the mother of the same Rufus mentioned in Mark 15:21:
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.
If she is indeed the wife of Simon of Cyrene, and the mother of Alexander and Rufus, then this woman whose name has been lost to history was probably a supporter of Christ’s ministry, a witness to his death and resurrection, and a foundational patron of the early Church. We can imagine that her husband’s experience of carrying Christ’s cross changed them all irrevocably, binding them with His suffering in a deep and tender awe.
Each of these women can be found in Heather’s icon of Women of the New Testament. If you are able to support our current fundraiser, we would be deeply grateful. As a sign of our appreciation, we are pleased to offer you a high-quality 8×10 print of this icon, produced on heavyweight, acid-free cardstock with a matte finish, ready for framing. With a gift of $100 or more—or a monthly commitment of $10 or more—we will send you this icon as a reminder of the shared calling that your generosity helps sustain.
TOMORROW! Connect with Orthodox women in the Pacific Northwest seeking a deep life of faith! In our first-ever regional gathering, we'll hear from Contemplative Prayer Practitioner Jennifer Anna Rich, author of the Substack 'be still ... contemplative prayer for busy people', and co-founder of the St. Gavrilia Circle of Light.
Sunday, May 17th, 7pm Pacific
Open to all Orthodox women in the Pacific Northwest
Online via zoom.
In this webinar, Dr. Hermina Nedelescu will draw from neuroscience and the Orthodox tradition to discuss intentional, embodied practices that support healing and well-being after trauma. Together, we’ll practice integrating movement, prayer, and deep listening as ways to remain grounded and resilient as Orthodox women.
We hope you can join us!
(Orthodox women only, please.)
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