A woman over sixty who violated this rule was excommunicated until she renounced her impure passion. There is a dispute as to exactly what this means since it is not certain if this is the feminine form of the Greek word for presbyters. At any rate this canon denies women access to the altar. The Apostolic Constitutions form the largest canonical and liturgical collection from this epoch. Its tradition, like the others, maintains that widows should be assisted by the Church along with orphans, strangers and the destitute.
Baptism is strictly a priestly act.
Women are admonished not to perform baptism, a fact that once again points to the possibility that women did just that. The office of deaconess is mentioned rarely in this body of literature. Deaconesses should come either from the ranks of the virgins or the widows. Limitations are set on the duties of the deaconesses. There are some important shifts in The Apostolic Constitutions.