What are some of the titles (and thier meanings) for the wives of priests and deacons?

Probably OK to use "missus" (Mrs)

Paňi is the term used in the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese and the Ruthenian and UGCC byzantine Catholic churches. I think also in the Ukrainian Orthodox in America (under the EP).
I think the full term would be Paňimatka or Paňimatushka.
In the OCA and other Russian Orthodox based churches the priests wife goes by Matushka.
It is pronounced MAtushka.
In the Greek Churches she is called Presbyter,
pronounced with a v not a b.

I am fairly certain you can call the deacon's wife Paňi, hence Paňi Rose. Also, in the OCA I believe the deacon's wife can be called Matushka.
If I am wrong feel free to correct me. Same goes for the Greeks?
And Paňi I have heard prounounced pawny or pawnyee. I can pronounce it, it is harder for me to try to explain, ň is pronounced like the ne in news and connect it with the i you get a sound that you don't really use in English.

Like the "n" sound in "onion."

And the Greek would be "presbytera," not "presbyter," right? I mean, that would connote something else entirely...

Pani Rose, if you're Melkite, how come you use the "Pani" title? What do the wives of most Melkite priests and deacons use?

Logos Teen

Dear Logos Teen,

You are right about the Greek form of address "Presvytera". I know in Antiochian circles and it probably carries in Melkite Circles the form of address to be "Kouhriya".

Forgive my spelling on the above. I believe that since Pani Rose is from a Ruthenian background, the use of Pani would be appropriate. Also the Greek form for a Deacon's wife is "Diaconissa".

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

"Pani" is actually a formal way to address any lady. Common forms for clergy wives are "Pani Matka" and "Pani Dobrodivka".
DD

We call our priests wife Khouria, with the end not like eeya, but aaya.

Andrew

Yes, the Melkites also use Khouria as do the Antiochians.
DD

Ok, I forget the A!! Stupid typo!Every Liturgy we pray for a Presbytera. And presbyeter is a priest.. I have my head in my stats book and I took a break and made a typo. Thank you for clearing that up!
I looked it up and from the orthodoxwiki site
Albanian= Priteresha
Finnish=Ruustinna
Old Icelandic=Prestkona
Romanian=Preoteasa
Serbian=Popadiju

At the American Carpatho Russian Cathedral in the bulletin from the Nativity they go out of their way to add the ň and not just an n. That's where I heard it pronounced differently than the pawn-knee.

I will definitely have to remember that when I meet an old Icelandic priests wife...

Yeah, what do you say to a young Icelandic priest's wife?

The wives of priests have generally had a title of courtesy such as pani, pani matka, matushka, etc. The wives of deacons are generally not accorded a unique title. In the pastoral handbook of Pittsburgh it states, "The deacon's wife has no proper title." I believe Van Nuys has the same rule in theirs.

Since most OCA parishes were originally Greek Catholic (right?) I would have thought priests wives would be called Pani and not Mastushka.

Dear John, S.

Not "most", but some were, it's true.

I think most priests and deacons wives usually let it be known how they like to be addressed, and it doesn't often have as much to do with the historical foundation of the parish, as much as their own personal preference.

the unworthy,
Elias

In the Melkite tradition, the title is deaconess or diakonissa. I don't hear it very often, but it brings me much strength and pride (in the sense of honor, not in the sense of vanity) when I am addressed that way. I wish it were used more regularly.

Father Elias bless me a sinner.

Thanks for your post.

In Christ,

John

The Indian Churches usually call the priest's wife kochamma - "little mother".

For the life of me, right now I can't recall what we call the deacon's wife in my mother's 'mother tongue' (so I guess until I remember, I will have to settle for "not much")...

My son-in-law's mother is the wife of an Antiochan Orthodox priest. She is called Matushka.

Mary Jo

My wife is referred to as Diakonisa. The priest's wife is usually referred to as Pani. Some Russian churches call the priest's wife Matushka; the Greeks call the priest's wife Presbytera.

Hi John,

Our "OCA" Church was originally from The Russian Tradition, never part of the Greek Catholic Church.

Here is an informative piece on OCA History: OCA INFO [oca.org]

In Christ,
Ray Musicbear

Thanks for the link Ray.

The OCA website is wonderful... I visit often. Very well-done!

I find the history of Rusyn Eastern Christians in the USA fascinating.

I wonder how many Ruthenian Greek Catholic Churches helped form what is now the OCA and how many remain? How many parishes did the Russian Orthodox Church have in the USA before St. Alexis Toth took the Rusyn Greek Catholics back to Orthodoxy? Is the Rusyn Plainchant alive and well in the OCA? What is the legacy of the Rusyns in the OCA? Lots of questions from a history buff.

I know our Greek Catholic Parish (www.byzantinecatholic.com [byzantinecatholic.com]) has a daughter OCA parish in Burr Ridge, Ill. In fact, I believe the Burr Ridge OCA parish is Vladyka Job's home parish.

In Christ,

John

Penthaetria when I hear deaconess or diakonissa I am taken back also. It is kind of mind boggeling. I have gotten use to Pani from it being used on the web. When I am referred to as sham'mas' that one also stops me in my tracks.

I think the deacons and deacons wives will agree, that when the husbands were ordained, the whole family changed in some way. The grace of ordination poured forth over the whole family as it did the deacon in some way. When I had to opportunity to speak with wives from my husbands class after his ordination they all said the same thing...they changed to.

The best way to explain that is Deacon Stan was very timid in his singing, not a strong voice at all. As soon as he was ordained and returned to St. Georges, he began with the Liturgy and out of no where came this strong wonderful voice we had never heard before. So there is a definate annointing that takes place. It is mind boggeling to me anyway.

Pani Rose

Or by the title that some of my married colleagues refer to thier wives by,(when they are not in ear-shot) "The Matriarch" .

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Or perhaps, according to Rumpole of the Bailey: "she who must be obeyed". :p

Kozbar,

You got it, that is what they are implying.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

John S.,
Probably the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese and the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholics are closest in Liturgical tradition. www.acrod.org. [acrod.org.] They are first cousins once removed. By now any OCA parishes that came over with Alexis Toth are third cousins
Perhaps the biggest thing you might see in an OCA parish that has a more Carpatho background is the priest wearing low back vestments and a tetrapod set up like the Ruthanian parishes versus the three icons on stands like in the Russian tradition.

From my own experience we have a small local parish that was founded in the 1890's by Rusyn coalminers. may have been on and off GC but lastly OCA without an assigned priest. When I first went there with a Greek Orthodox military chaplain the people all sang prostopienie. The last time I heard them after they got a full-time priest it was all OCA St Vladimir seminary style and all the old icons were replaced with strict byzantine russian style.

Initially,yes they would have used the term "pani". Due to the decades under Muscovite influence, the descendants of the formerly Galician Ukrainian and Subcarpathian Rusyn Greek Catholic faithful in OCA churches today only know the Muscovite "Matushka".

FYI

Ungcsertezs

Prostopinije is functionally nonexistent in the OCA. This wasn't always the case; even until the 70's and 80's you could find the random parish that used it (like St. John's in Passaic). There still might be some isolated pockets where some prostopnije is preserved, but overall OCA parishes have choirs and sing Russian choral music. Occasionally, choral settings of prostopinije will find their way into OCA choirs or into well-known music collections (like the SVS books), but they're usually chosen because they're "pretty" rather than out of any identification with the Rusyn heritage.

While some of us think that it would be adventageous for the OCA to revive the congregational chant traditions of the vast majority of its founders, namely Rusyn prostopinije and Galician samoilka, most people are either unaware, uninterested, or hostile towards these musical traditions.

Dave

About the word "matushka" -- how is it pronounced? I have heard that this title for a priest's wife is very close in sound to another word in Russian that is very naughty. I do not want to make that kind of a gaff, so can someone please advise?

Honey.
Lovey.
Dear.
Ma'am.
Boss.
My gal.
My love.
Sweetie.
Cutie.
Darling.
My lady.

All from the priest, of course.

Dear Joe,

Can you beat my title for my Boss at home - "She who must be obeyed?"

Sometimes when I MIGHT say something untoward at home, I simply say, "Yes" or "No." When I'm asked why the brevity of my replies, I paraphrase the Scriptures to say, "Anything else (might come) from the evil one . . ."

Alex

Dear Harmon,

It is "Mah/toosh-ka" with the accent on the "Mah" as in "Mahi Mahi" or just plain "Ma."

In Russian, swear words are invariably related to another's mother for some reason and so the terrible curse words that begin with "Mat" with the softened "t" as "tyeh." (What do you expect from barbarians? )

That is why you have to be careful.

Alex