Sage Mother

A sage mother is a class of priest in Orthodox Atovism and the highest religious rank that female paritioners can attain, aside from sainthood.  

Authority

Sage Mother's are high ranking priests, equivalent to bishops in the orthodox higharchy, but with different duties. Every Atovist Orthodox church must have a Sage Mother, but a single Sage Mother can, and typically does, preside over multiple parishes. A Sage Mother can preside over as many local congregations as the Solgrad Assembly approves. This is typically between the range of five to twenty.  

Duties

Administrative

Sage Mothers handle administrative duties over the churches they're assigned to, ensuring that the parish priests are maintaining consistant attendance, following assembly guidelines, and reporting donations appropriately. Sage Mothers are the only church officials entrusted with overseeing the transport of tithe from local churches back to Solgrad, which is typically done in armored caravans once per year or bi-anually.  

Communal

Outside of those official duties, Sage Mothers are also expected to fulfill a communal role, which takes up a majority of their time. As their name implies, they take a parental role in their communities as a "mother to motherless." It's their duty to find housing and care for orphaned children in Atovist communities, usually by funding orphanages with tithe money. Sage Mothers may also serve as nurses and midwives.  

Famous Examples

Some Sage Mothers have left a mark on the history of Vildrel. Here are the most well-known.  

• Mother Catherine: The first Sage mother who served the church from 23 to 55 SE - She was one of the people responsible for organizing the Atovist church in its earliest years.
• Mother Isabel: The sage mother of from 1724 to 1802 - She is considered the mother of modern medicine, who massively improved standards of education and care for physicians of Estaria.