This is the day God has made let us rejoice and be glad in it as we celebrate the priestly ordination of Diane Burroughs and the diaconate ordination of Jill Striebenger.
Diane Burroughs will be ordained a priest today in ARCWP. “My life has been a journey toward this moment, she writes, “each twist and turn has been a stepping stone to the next, including a Masters in Theological Studies.
When I found the House Church of Mary and Joseph, led by Fr. John and Rev Dena I knew I was where I needed to be. After giving homilies there for about a year and a half John’s illness became worse and they relocated to Michigan to be with family.
The House Church Community of Mary and Joseph decided to continue, and invited me to preside at liturgies there I now stand with the House Church of Mary and Joseph and the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests who have supported and encouraged me on this journey to ordination.
Jill comes to ARCWP with education and background in: military, business, marriage, mothering, disability advocacy, and intellectual pursuits in history, theology, and mythology. It is her lived experiences as a woman in the world with a life-long practice of prayerful spirituality that has led her to ordination.
Her sacred practices helped her to realize that we do not need to go through another person to find God. The Holy One’s presence is within us and can be found everywhere.
In preparation for her diaconal ordination, Jill completed courses with People’s Catholic Seminary in contemporary theology, spirituality and ministry . Currently, she serves as a prayer leader at MMOJ and will co-preside at Liturgies on Zoom in the coming year.
Diane and Jill chose the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes for their ordination because of their devotion to Mary. Mary appeared to Bernadette on February 11, 1858 at a grotto near Lourdes, now one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world. People from every corner of the globe come there to pray for healing for all kinds of ills.
In the Gospel of Luke, Mary, mother of Jesus, proclaims a passionate liberation song about God turning the world upside down for the excluded and marginalized so that justice will flourish. Her prayer, known as the Magnificat, reminds us that the Spirit works through us as we confront racism, sexism, ageism , violence and poverty. Like Mary, we believe “nothing is impossible with God” including women priests in the Roman Catholic Church
Catholics today are challenging an unjust man-made Church law that prohibits women’s ordination. Like the Community of Mary and Joseph here in Ocala, they are creating inclusive faith communities with women priests where all are welcome. As ARCWP ordains women for public ministry, we are bending the arc towards gender equality in the Roman Catholic Church.
Our international women priests’ movement ,which began in 2002 with the ordination of seven women on the Danube is flourishing. In 2021, there are a total of 282 members spread across Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia.
Now, let us celebrate the ordination of Jill and Diane who are called to proclaim the Gospel and preside at sacraments in inclusive communities and ministries where love heals and miracles happen every day.
Our Lady of Lourdes pray with us and pray for us. Amen.
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