Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, D.Min.
(media) 859-684-4247, rhythmsofthedance@gmail.com
Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, 703-505-0004, sofiabmm@aol.com
Partners called “to minister side by
side”
On Sat. Nov 1, 2014, at 2 PM the Association of
Roman Catholic Women Priests will ordain a woman priest and two deacons at St.
Andrew UCC 6908 Beneva Rd. Sarasota, Fl. 34238.
The presiding bishop is Bridget Mary Meehan of Sarasota, Fl. All are
welcome. Judith Bautista will be ordained a priest and local women, partners Sally Brochu and Janet Blakeley, will be
ordained deacons.
There is good news in Sarasota! Two Catholic grandmothers and partners are going to be ordained deacons.
Janet Blakeley and Sally Brochu, partners for 20 years, co-preside
regularly at Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community (MMOJ). They are
shining forth love, emotional honesty, mutual partnership and the values of the
Gospel.
Today one of the hot-button issues of our time
is gay rights. In sacramental community we are healing the soul wound, the
grave dishonesty that has been so damaging to gays and lesbians in our church.
In the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests we are leading the
church in affirming the full equality of gay women by publicly
ordaining Sally and Janet as deacons.
The Vatican is considering a groundbreaking change in
their attitude toward gays. In a recent document they stated that homosexuals
had "gifts and qualities to offer" and raised the issue of greater
acceptance of same sex couples. http://www.aol.com/article/2014/10/13/vatican-document-challenges-church-to-change-attitude-to-gays/20977155/?icid=maing-grid7%7Clegacy%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D544776
Now will the Vatican take the next step
and let their gay priests out of the closet and accept them as they practice their
priesthood? Will the Vatican give LGBT the public recognition of
honoring the holiness of their being and the gifts they bring to the people of God?
The Vatican must not only change its tone but also its teaching on
homosexuality and welcome all to the Banquet Table of God's love.
From South America,
ministering to the caregivers of the vulnerable
To be ordained a Priest:
Judith Bautista (senda.interior@gmail.com)
of Colombia is an educator, popular song writer, musican, poet and
therapist. She provides pastoral care for caregivers who live and face
difficult situations in the areas of violence in her country. Judith is 47 years old. She has spent 27 years dedicated to spiritual direction and
pastoral care. As a religious for nine
years, she ministered to women and youth. In the church of the poor, she
continued nourishing her lifelong encounter with God through her studies in
Bible, theology and human rights and by becoming close to the suffering and
needs of those around her. “My call to the priesthood was always present. Now
I’ve found through ARCWP that it can happen. God’s people can continue living
fully and in joy. I can live my Baptism together with my brothers and sisters.”
To be ordained a deacon:
Janet Blakeley, 80, of Nokomis, a suburb of
Sarasota, raised three children and a second family of grandchildren. Janet
earned a Master’s degree in Clinical/Pastoral Counseling from Emmanuel College
in Boston. In addition, she has graduate courses in Scripture and Theology from
the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, Lay Ministry Training Institute,
Boston, Andover-Newton Seminary, Boston College and Boston University. She has
spent a lifetime in various ministries – church musician, parochial school
administrator, parish adult education leader, volunteer in Haiti and spiritual
director. “Sally and I love our life at Mary, Mother of Jesus Inclusive
Catholic Community and we look forward to serving there. We see it as a
tremendous blessing to be moving toward full involvement with ARCWP. Thank you
for holding onto the dream until we could be part of it.”
Sally Brochu, 73, of Nokomis has three children,
10 grandchildren and recently four great-grandchildren from a 32-year marriage.
Involved in parish life, Sally was invited to attend the Center for Parish
Ministry in Maine, a three-year commitment of learning and preparation for
ministry. She earned a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from Emmanuel
College in Boston. After fulfilling Clinical Pastoral Counseling requirements,
Sally became a Board Certified Chaplain through the National Association of
Catholic Chaplains. She worked as the Director of Pastoral Care for a Catholic
Regional Medical System in Maine for 10 years. “I loved working with a
compassionate and professional chaplaincy team and our ministry to so many
people at their times of need, but I also observed and experienced some of the
inner workings of a hierarchical church that has lost its way. It became clear
to me that there needed to be another model of church. To find it in ARCWP is
remarkable and exciting as we work together to build a new model of Church with
Jesus as the center and the Spirit guiding us forward.”
In
ARCWP we embrace liberation theology, feminist and mujerista theology, Judith
Bautista, our South American candidate for priesthood, lives in Columbia, a
country whose people have endured much suffering. Judith provides pastoral care to the
caregivers who minister to people whose lives have been shattered by violence
and trauma.
“In Latin America indigenous people inhabiting
land lying above oil and mineral deposits are killed or displaced; those
organizing for a living wage and collective bargaining are killed and
disappeared; anyone working to reduce poverty, ecological disruption and the
violence and militarism essential to international and development agreement
risks exile or assassination.” (www.soaw.org)
No comments:
Post a Comment