The New Nuns, Laywomen and Catholic Feminist Activism, 1953-1992

Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2012 Redefining Sisterhood: The New Nuns, Laywomen and Catholic Feminist Activism, 1953-1992 Alexandra Elizabeth Michaelides Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Michaelides, Alexandra Elizabeth, "Redefining Sisterhood: The New Nuns, Laywomen and Catholic Feminist Activism, 1953-1992" (2012). Dissertations. 311. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/311 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 2012 Alexandra Elizabeth Michaelides LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO REDEFINING SISTERHOOD: THE NEW NUNS, LAYWOMEN AND CATHOLIC FEMINIST ACTIVISM, 1953-1992 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM IN HISTORY BY ALEXANDRA MICHAELIDES CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MAY 2012 Copyright by Alexandra Michaelides, 2012 All rights reserved. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project proved to be a great joy and an exciting hurdle that could not have been accomplished without the help and guidance of so many individuals. I cannot thank Dr. Susan Hirsch enough for her insight, edits, and encouragement. Her help as an advisor and professor has been invaluable. I also must thank her for recommending me for the graduate assistantship at the Women & Leadership Archives at Loyola, which led me to this dissertation topic. I would also like to thank Dr. Timothy Gilfolye and Dr. Lewis Erenberg for their comments and help. Future incarnations of this project will be much improved because of their suggestions. Prior to working at the Women & Leadership Archives, I was unaware of the extent of Catholic nuns and laywomen’s activism to improve the status of women in the church and society. Working at the archives with Sister Ann Ida Gannon was an unparalleled learning experience and pleasure. She is the inspiration for my work, a role model whom I strive to emulate, and a dear friend. I will always treasure the numerous lunches with her and her fellow women religious at Wright Hall. Much of the research was completed at the WLA, and I am grateful to directors Aimee Brown, for her prompting me to delve further into the subject of Catholic feminism, and Elizabeth Myers for her assistance and meticulous organization. In addition, I must thank the WLA for providing me with a research grant. I am also grateful iii to the staff at Marquette University Raynor Memorial Library for their assistance. In addition, I am in debt to Sister Donna Quinn, Sister Patricia Crowley, and Fran Belmonte, whom allowed me to interview them and share their stories. I appreciate their time and encouragement. Throughout my tenure as a student at Illinois Wesleyan University, Purdue University, and Loyola University Chicago I was privileged to have a wonderful group of caring and thoughtful professors and mentors including Dr. April Schultz, who first introducing me to women’s history, Dr. Kathleen O’Gorman, Dr. Nancy Gabin, Dr. Prudence Moylan, and Dr. Ann Harrington. Each has contributed to my education in significant ways. My dearest thanks to Cindy Czerwin, Carla Fisher, and Christie Flynn, whose never-ceasing enthusiasm for this project and unshakable friendship helped me in more ways than I will ever be able to express. I am also truly lucky to have the friendships of Kay Dirling, Niki Marini, Loring Pfeiffer, Krissy Pochettino, Scott Randolph, Renee Searfoss, Missy Smock, and Cindy White, who provided assistance and irreplaceable comfort and laughter. I also must thank Raina and Dave Bloom, Liz Matelski and Courtney Lentz for generously allowing me to stay with them while completing my research in Milwaukee, the women religious in Chicago who befriended me, and Dr. Marilyn Robertson. I am grateful to my loving and cheerleader-like family, Tom and Jackie Michaelides, Papou, Lindsey and Demetri Michaelides, and Phil Pusateri. I’d also like to thank my grandparents, Gus and Jenny Flesor and Betty Cardella, who were unable to see iv this project to completion, but whose high expectations for me were inspiring. I have to especially thank my parents, Anthony and Demetra DeMonte, whom initially suggested that I explore feminist women religious for my dissertation, and their endless, incalculable support. Also, in my debt is my dear sister, Elizabeth Pusateri, who I cannot thank enough for listening and brainstorming with me at every step in this process. Finally, I have to thank my husband and best friend, Chris Michaelides, who has lived with the project (and the stacks of photocopies and books) right along with me. His encouragement and assistance mean the world to me. Without his support, this dissertation would not be possible. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT iii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1: ORIGINS OF THE CATHOLIC FEMINIST MOVEMENT 20 CHAPTER 2: “IT WAS IN THE AIR”: CATHOLIC FEMINISM ON THE RISE, 1965-1976 56 CHAPTER 3: COURTING CONTROVERSY: WOMEN RELIGIOUS AND THE FIGHT FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS 90 CHAPTER 4: THE NATURE OF WOMAN: GENDER ROLES IN TRANSITION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY AND THE CHURCH 137 CHAPTER 5: “WOMAN CHURCH SPEAKS!”: THE FIGHT FOR WOMEN’S ORDINATION, A NEW PRIESTHOOD, AND WOMEN-CHURCH 171 CONCLUSION 212 WORKS CONSULTED 219 VITA 233 vi INTRODUCTION The involvement of American Catholic women in the feminist movement after 1960 is considered an anomaly. To many, Catholic feminism is an oxymoron. Until recently, I also assumed this. I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school. I was required to attend mass at least once a week with my family and also with my school, as well as to take a religion course every term. Yet, throughout all of my Catholic education, I was never introduced to the activism of women religious or the possible compatibility of feminism and Catholicism. Though I study American women’s history, much of what is written on second wave feminism ignores the reform efforts of Catholic laity and women religious. My perceptions radically changed after meeting lay women and women religious who identified themselves as both feminists and Catholic through the Ann Ida Gannon Center for Women and Leadership. It is from this initial shock that my curiosity and fascination grew and I saw the potential for research. In “Redefining Sisterhood,” I examine Catholic feminist activism during the 1950s through the early nineties, exploring the origins of Catholic feminist consciousness and activism, the development of lay and women’s religious activism in and outside of the church over four decades, and how the movement’s goals and optimism changed. I hope to present a better understanding of a much-ignored movement, to provide evidence 1 2 for their importance in women’s history, as well as to contribute to the discussion about post-World War II American Catholicism. This investigation is essential for understanding the trajectory of the second wave feminist movement into the 1980s and ’90s and the feminist backlash, in addition to further illustrating the deep effect of the feminist movement on American society. Catholic feminists fought to eliminate or revise what they perceived as sexist language, traditions, and rules within the church. Activists most fervently worked for the ordination of women and a more egalitarian church that included women as leaders and a non-sex specific language in referring to God. Though Catholic feminists had limited success within the formal structure of the church, their triumphs or failures should not be viewed in these terms. While this dissertation examines feminist attempts to alter the Catholic Church, I also pay attention to theoretical discussions about faith, gender, and the proper role of the church, grassroots efforts to build women’s communities, and the consciousness-raising of Catholic women and ex-Catholic feminists alike, events and successes that rarely made the news. For example, despite tension between feminism and organized religion, organizations like the Chicago Catholic Women worked to attract estranged ex-Catholic feminists back to the Christian faith by redefining Catholicism and establishing new female-centered ceremonies. In “With Sisterhood,” I identify the origins of lay and women religious feminist perspectives, what issues were of importance to Catholic feminists, and how their goals and tactics evolved. I work to identify the influences and events that radicalized women 3 to embrace reproductive rights legislation, challenge papal and local church officials, and conceive of an alternative church for women. In light of their controversial stance regarding abortion and their less controversial demands for sexual equality, I also attempt to answer how these women resolved their differences with their faith and their church. Just as the larger feminist movement changed American consciousness, there were political, institutional, and personal implications to Catholic feminist activism and theoretical arguments. Examining these issues and questions provides a greater understanding of American Catholicism and Catholic feminism, but also a more complete picture of the second wave feminist

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