Call to Action/USA : Letter of Support in response to LCWR Statement

Dear Supporter, Sr. Pat Farrell, on behalf of LCWR, has just issued a statementfrom the nun's meeting this week. You can see Call To Action's supportive response from the Nun Justice Coalition below.  What I love about Sr. Pat's statement is that the sisters are modeling a way forward for the church that stands rooted in dialogue, not dogma. It puts people before policies. The sisters recognize that every Catholic voice--including yours and mine--is a valued part of the church. People often ask me what a renewed church will look like. I have to say, I think we've seen a glimpse of it this week: Catholics who feel empowered to speak for justice, coming together across the country in prayer vigils Sisters, some of the best leaders of our church, gathering together in a model of shared leadership and accountability to the people We have a palpable sense of hope because we know that in solidarity we can accomplish anything  Check out some of the tremendous news coverage from this week [NBC, NYTimes, USA Today] and be sure to visit thecoalition page for inspiring photos and videos from the vigils.  Thanks to everyone who has written a letter, participated in a vigil, or prayed for the sisters. We are becoming a better church, thanks to you. Sincerely, Jim FitzGerald, Executive Director _________________________________________________ NUN JUSTICE COALITION STATEMENT (CTA is a member of the coalition) Catholics Commend Nuns on Response to Vatican St. Louis, MO – Over 900 Catholic nuns gathered in St. Louis for the much-anticipated annual meeting of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). After four days of discernment, Sr. Pat Farrell, current president of LCWR, announced “open and honest dialogue” would be their next step with Archbishop Sartain who has been appointed to oversee the mandate.  She went on to say that dialogue “may lead not only to increasing understanding between the church leadership and women religious, but also to creating more possibilities for the laity and, particularly for women, to have a voice in the church.”  “Today, the sisters stood in their integrity and, once again, responded to the needs of the people,” said Erin Saiz Hanna, spokesperson for The Nun Justice Project and Executive Director of the Women’s Ordination Conference. “As a young woman of faith, I find hope in their statement for the role of women in our church, and that dialogue is possible.” "We commend the sisters on their prayerful discernment and response to the Vatican,” stated Jim FitzGerald, spokesperson for the Nun Justice Project and Executive Director of Call To Action. “Their actions speak to their faithfulness and the reasons why Catholics across the country support them." LCWR is an umbrella group representing 80% of the 57,000 nuns in the United States, which recently came under fire from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).  The CDF issued a statement accusing LCWR of promoting "radical feminist themes" and "corporate dissent," causing outrage among Catholics around the globe.   Thousands of faithful Catholics have rallied in support of the nuns in more than 100 vigils nationwide. This past week, thousands of Catholics attended the latest 37 vigils held across the country. To show solidarity, the groups each sang the church hymn “We Are Called” and uploaded photos and videos of their actions at nunjustice.tumblr.com