Dorcas

Dorcas (Greek: Δορκάς, romanized: Dorkás), or Tabitha (Imperial Aramaic: טביתא/ܛܒܝܬܐ, romanized: Ṭaḇīṯā, lit. '(female) gazelle'), was an early disciple of Jesus mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 9:36–43, see discussion here). She lived in the port city of Joppa, today absorbed by Tel Aviv. Acts describes her as being known for her "good works and acts of mercy", sewing clothes for the poor. When she died, the widows of her community mourned her and sent urgently for Peter (Acts 9:38), who was in nearby Lydda. As evidence of her charity, they showed him some of the clothes she had sewn, and according to the biblical account he raised her from the dead. She is celebrated as a saint by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and some Protestant denominations.