Take Action to Support Roy Bourgeois, Man of Conscience, Priest of the People, Prophet for Justice in the Catholic Church"The Vatican Cannot Dismiss the Issue of Gender Justice in the Catholic Church"

Yesterday we received the sad news that Maryknoll has chosen to dismiss the voice of one of their own who has spent over 40 years of ministry following his conscience and standing up for the oppressed. 

Fr. Roy refused to be silenced when his conscience dictated that he speak out, you can support him by sharing his story and continuing to have conversations about the unjust power structures in the church.

Erin Hanna, Donna Rougeux, Ree Hudson, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, Janice Sevre-Duszysnak at Vatican
photo UPI)

1.       Share the story. Fr. Roy Bourgeois has written a booklet about his own faith journey and discernment of conscience.  He encourages you to use his story as a conversation starter with your own friends, family and community.  You can also send copies of the book to your friends, priest, local news editor and others in your community.

2.       Support Fr. Roy.  Send letters of support to Fr. Roy during this difficult time to: P.O. Box 15057 Washington, DC  or 2135 W Roscoe Suite 1N Chicago, IL 60618

3.       Pledge to continue the conversation.  This holiday season, pledge to share Roy’s story with family and friends and to talk with them about the roles of women in our church community. SIGN ONLINE PLEDGE: http://www.change.org/petitions/share-fr-roy-s-story-pledge-to-break-the-silence-on-women-s-ordination-this-holiday-season-2

4.       “The Vatican and Maryknoll can dismiss me, but they cannot dismiss the issue of gender equality in the Catholic Church. The demand for gender equality is rooted in justice and dignity and will not go away.” ~ Fr. Roy Bourgeois 

Our prayers are with Roy Bourgeois, man of conscience, priest of the people, prophet for justice in the Catholic Church. In his response to the Vatican Dismissal, Roy wrote: " As Catholics, we profess that God created men and women of equal worth and dignity. As priests, we profess that the call to the priesthood comes from God, only God. Who are we, as men, to say that our call from God is authentic, but God's call to women is not? The exclusion of women from the priesthood is a grave injustice against women, our Church and our loving God who calls both men and women to be priests.When there is an injustice, silence is the voice of complicity. My conscience compelled me to break my silence and address the sin of sexism in my Church. My only regret is that it took me so long to confront the issue of male power and domination in the Catholic Church."
http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2012/11/vaatican-dismisses-fr-roy-bourgeois.htmlSee More

Let us support Roy Bourgeois, a courageous prophet, with our prayers and by breaking the silence about women's ordination in solidarity with over 150 women priests who are living justice in inclusive communities now in the United States, Canada, South America and Europe. 
Janice Sevre-Duszynska, ARCWP, 859-684-4247, rhythmsofthdance@gmail.com
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, 703-505-0004, 703-671-6712 sofiabmm@aol.com
 www.arcwp.org