I have just seen a documentary about the role of women in the early church. It focused on three in particular mentioned in the
Gospels Mary Magdalene, Johanna and Salome. It was very interesting. In Israel there is a large tomb hewn from rock that was used by an early Church congregation. It was stated that it was the oldest known church in Israel. On a wall there is a prayer in Greek to Salome asking for the healing of a sick member of the Church. Also in some Catacombs a late fourth century mural has be discovered depicting a Female Bishop with the Gospels and the Holy Spirits fire descending on her. According to the programe some congregations had female Bishops until a Pope ordered them to stop ordaining them. It was stated that Constantine was responsible for stopping women from being in active roles because he wanted a powerful masculine church in order to push his political programes through.
