Interfaith Worship and Communion at Castle Otttis, St. Augustine, Florida -Christmas Celebration, Wanda Russell ARCWP and Miriam Picconi ARCWP

Left to right: Miriam Picconi ARCWP and Wanda Russell ARCWP

Sunday, DECEMBER 22 at 10:00 AM there will be INCLUSIVE Interfaith Worship and Communion Services at Castle Otttis located at 103 3rd Street, St. Augustine, 32084.  Due to limited parking area, please carpool.

Sorry, there are no handicap facilities.  Please dress according to weather.  No air conditioning, heating or windows.  (It is a castle, afterall.)

For additional information call Miriam Picconi, 386-569-7311 or e-mail at miriampicconi@gmail.com.

For information about the castle and directions, go to www.castleotttis.com. 

INTERFAITH WORSHIP AND COMMUNION AT CASTLE OTTTIS - NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

Sunday, DECEMBER 29 at 10:00 AM at 103 3rd Street, St. Augustine, 32084.  Due to limited parking area, please carpool.

Sorry, there are no handicap facilities.  Please dress according to weather.  No air conditioning, heating or windows.  (It is a castle, afterall.)

For additional information call Miriam Picconi, 386-569-7311 or e-mail at miriampicconi@gmail.com.

For information about the castle and directions, go to www.castleotttis.com. 

JANUARY SCHEDULE

INTERFAITH WORSHIP AND COMMUNION AT CASTLE OTTTIS

Sunday, JANUARY 26 at 10:00 AM there will be an INCLUSIVE Interfaith Worship and Communion Service

at Castle Otttis located at 103 3rd Street, St. Augustine, 32084.  Due to limited parking area, please carpool.

Sorry, there are no handicap facilities.  Please dress according to weather.  No air conditioning or heating.

For additional information call Miriam Picconi, 386-569-7311 or e-mail at miriampicconi@gmail.com.

For information about the castle and directions, go to www.castleotttis.com.  

Dear Faith Family,

Can you believe this time next week we will be relaxing from our Christmas celebrations?  I pray we all take some time to thank our Jesus for all he has done for each of us during this last year.

During November we celebrated two lives by presiding at friends' funerals and we celebrated three baptisms of babies.  What a combination!  Welcoming three babies into our christian faith and celebrating two lives that lived long and brought great joy to all with whom they came into contact.  We were privileged to be a part of each celebration.  They are reminders to us of what we promise at Baptism and what God gives us at Baptism.  We promise to avoid evil and give praise to our creator God for life itself and for becoming a part of a faith family.  What an honor to be a part of those celebrations.  At our two funerals we had a celebration of life where friends shared something special about their loved ones.  The families' love and appreciation of each of their relatives was so touching.  Much love was shared in each family and it was an honor to be a part of the celebrations.  Thank you, God, for the opportunities!

We will celebrate Christmas this Sunday and hope you can join us.  We gather at our regular last Sunday of the month and plan to celebrate the coming of a new year and new adventures with our loving creator.

We continue to pray for you and your families and your hearts desires.  Please continue to lift us and our ministries in prayer.

Much love and peace to each of you.

Lovingly,

Wanda

Relief for Dismissed Kerala nun as Court stays her Expulsion from Convent The Nun has Claimed that her Expulsion was triggered by her Support for the Agitation against the Deposed Bishop of Jalandhar Franco Mullakal, who is facing charges of Rape. My Response: Nuns Are Silent No Longer!

The police strengthened sister Lucy Kalappura (seen in picture) security last week after she complained of a threat to her life.(Photo: ANI)

My Response: This is another example of the destructive effects of sexism and cover-up by the hierarchy of the sexual abuse of women in the Church.

I don't understand why Pope Francis did not have a conversation with Sister Lucy to ascertain the truth. 

Unfortunately, the rape of nuns is not a new story. These crimes have been reported by religious superiors, but the Vatican did little in response. (Check out article in NPR)

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/18/703067602/after-years-of-abuse-by-priests-nunstoo-are-speaking-out

"It's very hard for a nun to report she has been raped by a priest, says Scaraffia, because of the mindset that, in sex, women can always say no.

"These nuns believe they're the guilty ones for having seduced that holy man into committing sin," she says, "because that's what they've always been taught."

Adding to the trauma, she says, raped nuns who get pregnant become outcasts from their orders.These poor women are forced to leave their order and live alone raising their child with no help," she says. "Sometimes they're forced to have abortions — paid by the priest because nuns have no money." 

Why do nuns, who have dedicated their lives to service of God's people,  continue to be treated as second class citizens in their own house? 

I believe millions of Catholics stand in solidarity with Sister Lucy and all the courageous women and men who speak truth to power about sexual abuse by priests and bishops in our Church. Sister Lucy and all whistleblowers deserve our support as they challenge this clerical abuse of power, not efforts by the Vatican to silence and punish them. 

Let's all do what Jesus would do, challenge religious discrimination and the oppression of women by the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church! Nuns are silent no longer!

Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, https://arcwp.org
sofiabmm.bmm@gmail.com

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/relief-for-dismissed-kerala-nun-as-court-stays-her-expulsion-from-convent/story-uB1Mz7TFcuAI7T6MoBpI8H.html

“ I am happy truth prevailed. We have been let down by church authorities. But I have immense faith in the judicial system of the country,” said the nun. Earlier, the Vatican rejected her plea to cancel action against her. She subsequently sought an appointment with Pope Francis, which was also turned down.

“The Vatican rejected my plea without hearing me. I have submitted a fresh petition, but I don’t expect a positive decision. It always listens to people against whom we have several grouses. I feel that for the hapless nuns judiciary is the last resort,” she said. Despite her expulsion she is staying at the same convent in Mananthawady and has resisted repeated attempts to forcibly evict her. A spokesman of the FCC said it would file an appeal."

Women of the Church by Carey Landry

https://youtu.be/0-757IQQjH0

"Courageous Women" by Jan Novotka

https://youtu.be/QJXkt3bQ-p4

"The Scriptural Case for Women Deacons" by Michah D. Kiel, "Women Deacons in history",Two excellent articles with supportive scholarship

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/12/18/scriptural-case-women-deacons

St. John the Baptist and St. Olympia the Deaconess, depicted in a 19th-century Russian Orthodox icon (Newscom/Fine Art Images/Heritage Images)

The Scriptural Case for Women Deacons by Michah D. Kiel
"Translations that obfuscate Phoebe’s role while inflating those of men do a disservice by importing later church distinctions between men and women back into the New Testament period. 

"The justification for women deacons, however, can be based on more than necessity. Paul’s ministry provides our earliest window into the practice of the fledgling church, one in which men and women seem to have shared equally in the role of deacon. We can claim Deacon Phoebe and her ministry as norm-making precedent. She would not have it any other way."

"Women Deacons in History" by Gary Macy, National Catholic Reporter
https://www.ncronline.org/news/theology/women-deacons-history

"...there is ample evidence for women deacons in Christian history. Starting with Phoebe, the only deacon named as such in Scripture, numerous references to women deacons appear in epigraphs, letters, chronicles and, most importantly, ordination rites for women deacons in the Western and Eastern churches.
Ordination originally meant the selection of a member of a particular Christian community and installation of that member into a particular function within that community. Ordination did not give a person an irrevocable power that she or he could exercise anywhere...."

"The Church is Dying and I'm Not Bothered" by Brian Hehn, My Response, We, the People, Are the Hands and Feet of Christ Everyday!

https://congregationalsong.org/the-church-is-dying-and-im-not-bothered/

My Response: The Roman Catholic Church is in crisis with the sex abuse scandal, lawsuits,  the closing of churches, and its failure to respect primacy of conscience on a host of issues like women priests, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage to name a few hot button issues.  

Yet, there is  really good news too! We, the people are the church, we are the hands and feet of Christ in the world! Everywhere we go is holy ground. So, let's be happy, we are living a new story of welcome and inclusivity where there is room for everyone at the banquet table. 

In the Christmas stories, the angels remind us to let go of anxiety and rejoice because Jesus is  born. Yes, let's joyful songs and dance around the Christmas tree because Christ is born again and again through our love for others, and everyday is Christmas!

Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, https://arcwp.org

"If you’re more concerned about preserving the church than you are following God’s call at any time, you’ve lost your way and you are part of the problem. Is God not loving enough to see the church into its next step? Is God not faithful enough to stick by us this time? I believe in a God who is more faithful, loving, and compassionate than I can possible imagine…so I just don’t have time or energy to worry about the church’s longevity."




..."Most of my believing and non-believing friends are interested in these things: living a life where they do a good job at their workplace, treating others with kindness and respect, finding experiences that brings them and their loved ones joy and fulfillment, and helping others in need. Here’s what most of my believing and non-believing friends are not interested in: joining a country club, doing mission work that creates more problems than it solves, ignoring or combating science in the name of scripture, feeling guilty for struggling with depression or anxiety, and being told that loving someone isn’t the right way to live. And that, my friends, is at the core of why many of my millennial friends won’t step foot inside of a church anymore. They are too busy living imperfect yet good and faithful lives to bother with the church as it currently stands. I don’t blame them...."

Author Brian Hehn is the director of The Center for Congregational Song.

REALIZANDO LA NOVENA DE NAVIDAD EN LA VILLA COMUNITARIA-COLOMBIA Olga Lucia Álvarez Benjumea ARCWP*

En Villa Comunitaria, un Barrio Popular al Oriente de la ciudad, las Presbiteras Católicas Romanas ARCWP y ASCOMPAS, hemos realizado la convocatoria a fin de convocar a los niños/as del Barrio para la celebración de la Novena Navideña, se han inscrito 100 de ellos, y les acompañan los padres familia.

Esperamos no defraudar a los pequeños, y poder dar un regalito a cada uno. Para ello estamos invocando el apoyo y solidaridad de entre nuestras amistades que generosamente deseen colaborar, para alegrar la Navidad a estas creaturas.

Navidad no es solo fiesta y regalos, es nuestro objetivo, hacer que se viva entre todos/as la presencia de Dios en cada uno/a de nosotros/as, quien, siendo todo un Dios, se ha hecho Humano, para enseñarnos a ser humanos, trayendo la Reconciliación, Perdón y Paz, no solo para nuestro país, sino para el mundo entero.

REPORTE GRÁFICO DE LA CELEBRACIÓN DE LA NOVENA DE NAVIDAD-2019.

El Pesebre. Alrededor, estamos celebrando la Novena.

Maria Teresa (presbitera) haciendo la motivación al inicio de la Novenas. Hay muchas expectativas entre los pequeños asistentes.

Haciendo la lista de los participantes.

             Haciendo una dinámica para integrarnos e irnos conociendo.

Estamos esperando que empiece la Novena.

Una mamá da inicio a la Novena.

Lucero (presbitera)hace una lectura final y nos invita a cantar los Villancicos. Ella, es la que nos enseñará la música.

.

Maria Teresa, nos da el toque final, pero no nos queremos ir todavía.

No nos habían visto aquí estamos, en la Novena.

*Presbitera católica.

The Future of Women in the Church, A View from Dr. Ann Gilroy RSJ in New Zealand

https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2019/12/18/editor-considers-future-of-women-in-church/



My Response: I agree with Dr. Gilroy's analysis, but disagree that enough pressure by women will result in real progress in opening up key decision-making roles to women since according to canon law, these positions are linked to ordination.  It is a great idea to invite women to take their rightful place on every council and to be voting members at every decision making moment. Pope Francis should be on high alert for the next Synod to affirm that equal numbers of women will have the same voting privileges as men do. (This did not happen in the Amazon Synod)
 One path toward renewal is to establish an inclusive model of decision-making and return sacramental celebrations to the gathered communities with liturgical presiders which could be either women or men, ordained or non-ordained called to serve with these gifts. This offers a new model of a discipleship of equals similar to what we are doing in  the international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement.  In the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, the main function of our bishops is to ordain.  We are spiritual leaders like all members of our community in a circle of equals. Our inclusive faith communities aren all independent of ARCWP ,make decisions locally and are not controlled in any way by our bishops. So, unlike our institutional kyriarchal Church! Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, https://arcwp.org

by JEFF DILLON

Dr Ann Gilroy, RSJ, acknowledged that she probably had more questions
than answers when she delivered an evening talk recently to a mainly female audience in St Patrick’s basilica in South Dunedin.

Dr Gilroy is the editor of Tui Motu — Interislands magazine, which is an independent Catholic, monthly publication. Her talk was entitled “Women and the Church: The Future?”

She approached her subject by breaking it down into four parts. Her lecture was supported by a PowerPoint presentation with relevant pictures and selected cartoons to enhance her message.

In the first part, she looked at why she had chosen this topic. She explored the background to the possibility of women being more involved in the liturgy of the Church when the Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian churches in the 1980s and 1990s were ordaining women priests and ministers. In fact, in 1989 the Anglicans had selected Penny Jamieson to be the first woman bishop in the world when she became the Anglican Bishop of Dunedin, a post she held for 15 years.

By comparison, Dr Gilroy pointed out that, in 1994, Pope St John Paul II issued Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, which indicated that the Catholic Church had
no authority to ordain women to the priesthood. This had poured cold water on any aspirations any New Zealand women had to participate. She also noted that a number of other changes had taken place in society, which altered women’s role and participation.

She explored the concept of “kyriarchy” — the inclination to lord it over others — and posited that clericalism is the manifestation of kyriarchy in the Church. Despite Pope Francis identifying clericalism as a problem in the Church, Dr Gilroy contended that he had still not shown any willingness to give women a greater role.

Continuing her theme, Dr Gilroy explored what she considered was an important change in Jesus’ ministry.

As an illustration, she looked at the situation recorded in Matthew 15: 21-28. She said that it was in his interaction with the woman in the story that Jesus came to the realisation that he needed to expand his understanding of God’s
mission and provide his message to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. “There is room for all at God’s table.”

She suggested that the Church itself does not have a mission, but rather that it participates in God’s mission.

Dr Gilroy then noted that Vatican II had recommended that the Church should “read and respond to the signs of our times”. It was her view that one of the signs of the times was women asking for full, meaningful participation in the Church.

In the second section of her talk, Dr Gilroy looked at what messages the institutional Church (i.e. the ordained hierarchy) gave women.

Again, she pointed to perceived tensions within the establishment, but suggested that the hierarchy think they know who women are without actually asking women. Mention was made of some increase in the number of women being employed in certain roles in the Vatican in recent years.

However, she also noted some other examples where women had been involved in providing input into discussions but only men were allowed
to vote on some proposals, while women had no such right.

Dr Gilroy then went on to explore, in her third section, whether the opportunity of having women deacons was something that women really wanted.

She noted that, in 2016, Pope Francis had set up a commission to research early Church documents to see if there was any evidence of women deacons in the early Church. After investigation, and unsurprisingly, there was no consensus.

Of course, to open up the role of deacon to women would be highly symbolic and open up the back door to women demanding the opportunity to become ordained priests.

While Dr Gilroy would support the shift to women deacons from the point of view of justice, she also had reservations of introducing women into the clerical system as it is now. “It distorts who God is.” She does not want women to be a part of it, except to reform it.

To check the current conditions in a parish, she suggested that people could
check certain things such as whether the parish council contains an equal number of men and women, and do the members fairly represent the diversity of the parish? Does the bishop have equal numbers of women and men advisors on the various diocesan committees? Are the women of similar quality to the men and not just token women? They were some of the examples she placed before her audience.

In her last section, Dr Gilroy questioned whether women had missed the
boat as she contemplated the future.

She set before her audience a number of “imaginings” of changes in procedures that represented a way forward for her.

Her conclusion was that “the Church won’t survive without women”.

"Say Yes" by Bob Franke

https://youtu.be/x1mpQrn1PU4

"Francis Abolishes Pontifical Secret in Clergy Abuse Cases, in Long Sought Reform" by Joshua McElwee, National Catholic Reporter, An Important Step Away from Institutional Secrecy and Coverup by Vatican

My Response: In the documentary film about Roman Catholic Women Priests "Pink Smoke Over the Vatican", I called for abolishing pontifical secret in clergy abuse cases. Finally, Pope Francis has listened to  the outrage of Catholics around the world on Vatican secrecy and institutional coverups. The removal of the so-called pontifical secret is an important step toward genuine transparency and accountability.  It is long overdue. A word of gratitude goes to Marie Collins and Anne Barret Doyle for their prophetic voices raising alarms bells on this and other justice issues that impact the well-being of survivors of clergy abuse. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

20191209T1005-32355-CNS-VATICAN-LETTER-POPE-YEAR-END.jpg

Pope Francis reviews papers during the February meeting on the protection of minors in the church at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis Dec. 17 abolished the Catholic Church's practice of imposing strict confidentiality rules on the Vatican's legal proceedings in cases involving clergy sexual abuse or misconduct, in a reform sought for decades by abuse survivors and advocates.

In a brief but sweeping new instruction that goes into effect immediately, the pontiff states plainly that the practice, known as the pontifical secret, is no longer to apply to any accusations, proceedings, or final decisions involving clergy abuse.

While such matters will continue to be treated with a lower level of confidentiality, the pope also specifies that anyone who files a report, alleges abuse, or comes forward as a witness to abuse "shall not be bound by any obligation of silence with regard to matters involving the case..."

"...There's no need for this top-heavy law, especially concerning sex abuse cases," Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's leading abuse prosecutor, said at the time.

Anne Barret Doyle, the co-director of the U.S.-based clergy abuse watchdog group BishopAccountability.org, called the change "an overdue and desperately needed step" in an email.

"For decades, pontifical secrecy has been an inexcusable obstruction to civil justice," said Doyle. "Let's hope this reform is a first step toward decreasing the anti-victim bias of canon law -- a system skewed towards protecting the abuser and saving his priesthood."

Most matters handled by offices at the Vatican are kept under a base level of secrecy known as the "secret of the office," but more serious issues have traditionally been subject to the pontifical secret, violation of which can trigger severe penalties, including excommunication..."