Nancy Katz and her sister are in the far left, then Barbara Zeman, Janine Denomme on the floor, Joan Houk, and then Marty Meyer-Gad on the right.
Surrender
It was an electrifying experience – energy, anticipation, joy, the movement of the Spirit was pulsating throughout a church filled to capacity.
Yet, it was a celebration in contrasts:
presence and hiddenness,
robust song and absolute stillness,
tears of joy and tears of letting go,
where the spiritual realm and nature became one.
Ordination, April 10, 2010 in Chicago.
Janine had stated that only 30% of people with her type of cancer at stage IV live five years. So the reporter asked, “Why would you ordain her?” My reply, “It’s not important the length of time, but rather to live in the time one has, no matter how short. I must ordain Janine because I cannot deny the People of God her blessing and her service. Janine brings life to other people.”
Janine and Marty have been preparing for this day of ordination. They were to process in together—“Here I am. I am ready.” However, this past year has been a continuing process of letting go for Janine. Her body has forced her to give up control. Having no clear vision of her future has led her to a deepening surrender and trust in God. When her legs said “no” to walking the aisle, she surrendered. With Marty pushing Janine’s wheelchair, the two became an icon of the humble, servant priest. Elsie presented the ordinands. Janine’s partner, Nancy, spoke of why Janine should be ordained a priest, and Janine’s mother, Mary Joan, said that Janine is called to be a priest, and Janine is priest. Bruno, a proud husband, in deep respect told us about the many groups who have invited Marty over the years to pray the invocation at their public events and services, and how her prayers are always specifically appropriate to the group. Janine and Marty were chosen for priesthood.
As Janine became more exhausted, once again she was asked to surrender. Her wheelchair moved to a stairwell where she was taken to a little room at the top of the steps. When she did not return for the beginning of the ordination rite, everyone was filled with concern for her. Lying on padding on the floor, unable to even sit up, Janine, surrendered her expectation of being in the sanctuary-nave part of the church where she would be able to see the faces of friends and community during ordination. Sound floated up the stairwell, but walls prevented sight. With Janine’s family around her, ordination began.
Marty prostrated face down with forehead resting on her hands, pressing any feelings of control over the situation into the hard floor, and surrendering her life to God. Janine lay on her back gazing up, letting go in total surrender of her life now. “Christ, have mercy…pray for us…all you holy men and women, pray for us.” Following the Litany of the Saints, the bishop asked the assembly to assist in calling forth the Spirit upon the two women—they stretched one hand out over Marty while the other hand was directed upward over Janine.
Directions: no representatives of the community would come forward to lay on hands. Instead, all would extend both hands in complete silence while the bishop lay hands on Marty, and then on Janine. Marty sat in a chair for the laying on of hands. The bishop went to the upper room, knelt down and lay hands on Janine. As she returned to the assembly, the stillness was so encompassing—it seemed that everyone was holding his or her breath. At last, the Prayer of Consecration broke the quiet.
As Monique and Judith vested Marty, Barbara and Alta went to the upper room and gently spread the chasuble and stole over Janine. Marty’s hands were anointed, followed by the anointing of Janine’s hands in the upper room. Vested for sacrament and anointed for service, the new priests were introduced to thunderous applause.
The teen acolytes, gracious and joyful young people, were reverent as they prepared the altar and received the gifts. During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, new priest, Marty, led the Prayer of Consecration with such a presence at the altar, and with a strong confident voice. Members of the assembly were enthusiastically responsive so that the words of institution reverberated from the walls. Everyone in the diverse assembly was invited to the communion table, and all came forth to become one in Christ.
At the end of the liturgy, CORPUS, WOC and FCM presented gifts, and Ree thanked everyone for making it a wonderful celebration, especially the music ministry. The music was inspiring and uplifting as it was so well done.
Following the liturgy, I heard these two comments:
(1) “Although I could not see or hear Janine, I felt her presence so strongly among us!”
(2) Janine was hidden—we could not see her or hear her—she represents for me the hidden women, the voiceless women in the scriptures. She has a story, just as they had stories. This was a most profound experience for me—for me, Janine is the model of the “Anonymous Woman.”
Reflection by Joan Houk
1 comment:
This was a deeply touching article, Joan. I was there at the ordination, knowing Janine from St Gertrude's. I was so sorry that she was not ordained in front of our eyes, but as you say, she represents the hidden women. That makes a lot of sense. Marty was so gracious during the liturgy. This was my first encounter with women priests and I am committed to support this movement. Be well and be blessed.
Sajeev.
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