WOME N’S ORDINATION CONFERENCE Vol. 40, No. 2 $2.00 Fall 2017 A Voice for Women’s Equality in the Catholic Church Ordain Women Banner Flies in Rome honoring St. Therese of Lisieux and all women called to priesthood By Kate McElwee n celebration of the feast day of St. disappointment and Therese of Lisieux, a five yard-long pain of not being purple “Ordain Women” banner was ordained with the I men when she came placed on the Sant’Angelo bridge, just in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The of the usual age of banner stayed in place for nearly two hours ordination at the time. before it was removed by authorities. Therese’s story of What I didn’t share in our media release vocation is often was that I was shaking with nerves that absent from her morning, as I prepared to drop and attach a narrative of a pure banner to the historic bridge, considered an “Little Flower,” illegal act of defacing a landmark. making her a popular model for humility I spent the weeks before the action slowly and docility among collecting supplies (raising some suspicion Catholic groups. Pope with the cleaning supplies store clerk when Francis himself claims purchasing seven wooden broomstick to have a special handles and two mop handles — the devotion to her, always carrying her Story witchy irony is not lost on me, Mary Daly), WOC's banner on the the Sant'Angelo bridge in front of a Soul in his suitcase, according to of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome Oct. 1. painting, and practicing the drop off from reports. However, a closer reading of her my terrace with a friend. Walking the mile journals and the testimonies of her sister or so from my home to the bridge early and family members, make clear that her Sunday morning and watching the police fierce love for God was complicated by a INSIDE patrol the empty streets, every part of me Church that would not honor her priestly said, “turn back!” call. From the Executive Director . Page 2 The banner drop in Rome and the many The erasure of women’s priestly vocations witnesses across the U.S. honored St. and the issue of women’s ordination from Ministry of Prophetic Obedience . Page 3 Therese and all women called to priestly Catholic spaces is nothing new. The Some Herstory . P ages 4-6 ordination. Deemed the “Little Flowers of institutional Church would have us know the Grassroots,” this day of action brought that there is no need for further discussion, Erin Saiz Hanna Farewell Letter . Page 6 WOC members in front of churches and attempting to silence voices with cathedrals, holding signs, handing out inconvenient questions. Catholic groups News & Notes . Page 7 white roses and “10 Reasons to Ordain take this charge upon themselves in the Walking with Women Called . Pages 8-9 Women” leaflets. form of harassment, bullying, “outing,” and A 19th century French Carmelite nun and smear campaigns, threatening the security Diversity & Inclusion . Page 10 Doctor of the Church, St. Therese wrote in and livelihoods of fellow Catholic disciples. her journals and confided to her sister On social media, “new feminism” groups Theological Perspectives . Pages 11-12 Celine her deep desire to be a priest. She use polite pastels and flowers to champion Book Reviews . Pages 13-14 wrote: “ I sense in myself the vocation of priest .” John Paul II’s theology of the body, Dying of tuberculosis at just twenty-four, dismissing feminist questions with Cinema Review . Page 15 she believed God made her terminally ill, traditional feminine fonts. preferring her death over the WOC Merchandise . Page 16 continued on page 14 From the Executive Director Catholic Women Priests communities on NewWomen, NewChurch is published two times a year by the Women’s Ordination page 3. Conference ( WOC ). WOC works for the This issue launches a special series from a ordination of women as deacons, priests, and group called RAPPORT , Renewing and bishops into an inclusive and accountable Roman Priestly People: Ordination Reconsidered Catholic Church. Today on page 4. Partnering with WOC, we Editors will publish more of the stories of their Kate McElwee work and share stories of call from among Diana Wear their members. Jamie Manson writes “The Associate Editor Story of Two Vocations,” on page 8, featur - Sheila Peiffer ing the three recipients of the first annual Send address corrections and all Lucile Murray Durkin Scholarship and correspondence to: their calls to ordination as young Catholic WOC Kate McElwee women. National Office P.O. Box 15057 Nickie Valdez, a feminist Catholic lesbian Washington, DC 20003 Dear WOC Member, and Dignity San Antonio chapter leader 202.675.1006 Writing from my desk in Rome, I am over - writes to us of her search for belonging on [email protected] whelmed with gratitude for you and our page 10. Eco-feminist theologian Ivone members throughout the world. Your per - Gebara has composed an original piece for National Board of Directors sistent and courageous support of our mis - this issue excerpted on page 11, where she Sheila Peiffer Katie Breslin writes about women’s ordination in the President sion has continued to inspire and re-inspire Tracy Garrison-Feinberg the movement for women’s ordination and context of ecofeminism. She offers new in - Bob Shine Beth Longo full equality in the Roman Catholic Church sights and nuances for us to consider. Vice President Jennifer O’Malley — something supposedly impossible. While there are more nuggets throughout Kelly Doss But the impossible seems impossible only this issue, our News and Notes includes a Treasurer Kate McElwee Executive Director until it isn’t. Your prophetic activism, un - letter from Board President, Sheila Peiffer, Marion Flynn wavering witness, and radical hope prove announcing my role as sole executive direc - Secretary this year in and year out. Change, when it tor of WOC and Erin Saiz Hanna’s comes, can feel sudden. Yet those who are Farewell. Erin and I worked together for paying attention, advocating and organiz - nearly seven years, sharing a lifetime of ing year after year, know the journey it memories making the impossible possible. took. Erin gave so much to WOC and her gifts and talents made our movement stronger. National Advisers When you visit Siena you will find pie- We wish her and her family the best in their Elisabeth Schüssler Theresa Kane, RSM sized rounds of something called panforte , next chapter. Fiorenza or “strong bread.” Hearty and sweet, this Anthony Padovano Jeannine Gramick, SL was both a local currency among monaster - Together we are the strong bread, the body Donna Quinn, OP Celine Goessl, SCSC ies but also pilgrims’ food for their journeys of Christ that we need in these “impossible” Rosemary Radford to Rome. Dense and caloric, you can imag - times. Uncompromising in our mission and Harry R. Halloran, Jr. Ruether ine the energy boost it would provide, both living our vocations in the world, the jour - Mary E. Hunt ney is illuminated with your graces. Thank consuming it and knowing it was tucked Andrea Johnson away in your satchel. you for your companionship. As siblings on the journey, I hope this stel - lar issue of NWNC is your strong bread: With every blessing, In principle and practice WOC values and seeks WOC members transforming the impossi - a diverse membership. There shall be no barriers ble into ministry. Our cover story features to full participation in this organization on the the path toward an “Ordain Women” ban - basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orienta - tion, national origin, or disability. ner flying in Rome, followed by reports Kate McElwee from two landmark councils of the Roman A subscription to NewWomen, NewChurch is in - cluded in the WOC membership fee of $45. WOC is incorporated under 501(c)(3) as a nonprofit or - ganization. Contributions are tax deductible ac - cordingly. WOC archives, including microfilms of NewWomen, NewChurch , are held at Marquette University. For more information, contact Philip Runkel at the Department of Special Collections & University Archives, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3141, 414.288.5903, or [email protected]. Copyright 2017 Women’s Ordination Conference All rights reserved 2 New Women, New Church • Fall 2017 Ministry of Prophetic Obedience Women Priests Gather, Discern Paths Ahead Two historic gatherings of women priests took place over the summer to celebrate movement milestones and prayerfully consider the paths ahead. Today there are more than 200 ordained women throughout the world. The Council of 2017 Discovers Celebrating the Face of the Divine Our Emerging Future Presence In, Around, and Among Us n Middleton, Wisconsin, eighty ordained Roman Catholic he Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) Women Priests (RCWP) gathered for “The Council of held their annual retreat and meeting in July 2017 in I2017, Discovering Our Emerging Future,” a first of its TCleveland, Ohio. They brought together forty-one members kind converging to discuss the movement for ordination and from fifteen states, plus Canada and Colombia. Presentations the growing organization. The group met for a weekend for included budget discussions, seminary course options for the purpose of honestly processing and assessing the continuing education, a seminar on team-building, and a video- demands, hopes, and questions they are facing. They faced based motivational workshop, combined with two spiritual the courage to see things whole and to work through sessions intended to deepen our appreciation of our special calling. problems until truth, justice, or reconciliation emerges. The The highlight for many was the opportunity to talk about our community cultivated “the early fruit”—the understanding spiritual lives as priests, our ministries and how they shape us, and that as a community, a priestly sisterhood, we share strength, our deepest impressions of the graces we have received since being affection, and a common purpose to perfect ourselves.