Abundant life in Christ Leads to Contemplation of Feminine Face of God

In today's Good Shepherd Gospel, Jesus is saying to each of us: "I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly." Jesus is the source of our nourishment and it is through personal relationship with Jesus and through the community, the Body of Christ that we experience this fullness.

We can glimpse God's presence in a fuller way now as we explore the feminine awakening in which women and men from different religions and traditions are voicing their truth, claiming their inner authority, turning away from patriarchal values, embracing their spiritual experiences and advocating justice, equality and non-violence for all.

Inclusive language attempts to present a richer, deeper understanding of God, who is always more and beyong human comprehension. The impact of a fuller imaging of God and the naming of this experience empowers, transforms and heals both women and men. This reimagining heals the wounds inflicted on the people of God by overexposure to the distorted male-only God.

As theologian Elzabeth Johnson states that using exclusively male imagery for God reduces God to an idol, justifies patriarchy and implies that women are less like God. "if God is 'she' as well as he, and in face neither, a new possibility can be envisioned of a community that honors difference but allows women and men to share life in equal measure. " (Elizabeth Johnson, Quest for the Living God, pp. 100-101)

It is obvious that part of the reason, the institutional church has such a hostile view to women priests is that the hierarchy does not see women as capable of being "persona Christi", "in the person of Christ" ! Women priests remind us that all women are "persona Christi" by their baptism. (Gal. 3;28, In Christ, there is.... neither male and female... all are one.")

Gender equality is part of the fullness that Jesus promises us in today's Gospel. Since women are created in God's image, our faith communities need to contemplate the feminine face of God in both women and men to grow more whole and holy. Let us continue to live Gospel equality now, loving in the heart of God, and experience the abundant life Christ promised in our worship, community, and service.

Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

sofiabmm@aol.com

"Head of Philly Priest Sex Abuse Review Panel Criticizes Her Church Leaders

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110514_Head_of_Philly_priest_sex-abuse_review_panel_criticizes_her_church_leaders.html

"A nurse who has served eight years on the archdiocesan review board, Catanzaro was elaborating on a sharply critical article she wrote for the current issue of the Catholic biweekly Commonweal.
Only after a Philadelphia grand jury report in February excoriated both the board and hierarchy for shielding accused priests, she said, did the panel members discover that most cases had been kept from them."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
How can the Philadelphia Archdiocese justify withholding cases from its own Review Board? This action makes a mockery of the Charter to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse that the U.S. bishops adopted after their historic meeting in Dallas. How can a pro-life church not be pro-child? Catholics in Philadelphia should be outraged, hold their church leaders accountable and withhold financial contributions from the Archdiocese until there is genuine reform and transparency. It is time for a renewed priestly ministry including married priests and women priests in a people-empowered Catholic Church if the institutional church wants to move forward with genuine reforms.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com

Clips from Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Liturgies Can be Viewed on Yidio/ Internet TV

http://www.yidio.com/search/entertaiment/mary+mother+of+jesus+inclusive+catholic+community/1?find=mary+mother+of+jesus+inclusive+catholic+community


You can now view clips from our Easter Vigil Celebration on Yidio -- Internet TV.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

sofiabmm@aol.com

Sex Crimes and the Vatican/ Secret Document Swore All Parties to Secrecy Under Penalty of Excommunication

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/sex-crimes-and-the-vatican/
"Created in 1962, a now infamous document was issued in secret to bishops. Called Crimen Sollicitationis, it outlined procedures to be followed by bishops when dealing with allegations of child abuse, homosexuality and bestiality by members of the clergy. It swore all parties involved to secrecy on pain of excommunication from the Catholic Church. This document was reissued in 2001 by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and sent to all bishops. Yet rather than ordering more openness and cooperation with the authorities as demanded by both law enforcers and the victims, he reiterated its policies and ensured that the Code of Silence be applied to all cases of child abuse involving a priest. Cardinal Ratzinger also instructed that all cases should now be referred to his office directly and that he would maintain ‘exclusive competence’ over the handling of allegations. This is the Catholic Church’s policy to this day and Cardinal Ratzinger is now Pope Benedict XVI. The policy laid out in the above document has led to systemic failure by the result that a significant number of priest have, in effect, been allowed to abuse again, and further children have been put at risk.As the documentary explores, Colm O’Gorman is the man responsible for breaking open decades of abuse by Catholic Priests in Ireland in the BAFTA award-winning BBC special Suing the Pope. He links international ‘systemic evidence’ to argue the Vatican has a policy to cover up the sexual abuse of thousands of children across the world."

May 13th Vigil for Women's Ordination in Boston/ A Sign of Hope as Young People Lead the Way

May 15th Vigil for Women's Ordination in Boston.
Greetings!
"My name is Emily Jendzejec and I am first year Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School. I am also on the Call To Action young adult leadership team (CTA 20/30). I wanted to cordially invite you to an exciting upcoming event for the movement for Catholic women's ordination in Boston.
On Sunday, May 15th, 2011, from 10:30am -- 12pm, we will be gathering at the Boston Cathedral of the Holy Cross to hold a peaceful prayer vigil for women's ordination. May 15th is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in the Catholic Church, and we will be standing in solidarity praying for vocations for all women and men, particularly for women's vocations to the priesthood. We would love for as many of you as are able to join us that day! There will be singing, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and maybe even some bagels! "
The address is:
Boston Cathedral of the Holy Cross, 1040 Washington StreetSouth End, Boston, MA 02118
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
My prayers will be with you, and hope that you inspire many young people to come forward to support an inclusive priestly ministry, specifically young women who are called to a renewed priestly ministry. Women now have found a way with the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement!
I look forward to seeing the photos! I am happy to publish on my blog!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com

"Woman Bishop Talks Compassion, Rather than Ordination" by Jamie Manson/NCR/Feminine Love Births Creation/Hildegard/Meditation

Bishop Patricia addresses Mary Mother of Jesus
Inclusive Catholic Community on "Compassion" on April 9, 2011
http://ncronline.org/blogs/grace-margins/woman-bishop-talks-compassion-rather-ordination

"As the progressive Catholic world continues to lament the imminent expulsion of Fr. Roy Bourgeois from the Maryknoll community, Bishop Patricia Fresen stands as a quiet reminder that many Catholic women have already suffered a similar fate for publicly supporting women's ordination"...
..."Many of Fresen's thoughts were drawn from one of Hildegard of Bingen's icons, sometimes called "The Compassionate Person." ...In The Hidden History of Women's Ordination, scholar Gary Macy demonstrates that throughout the Middle Ages, popes and bishops referred to the commissioning of abbesses as an ordination. "Early abbesses were powerful and acted independently not only of the papacy, but also of the local bishop," writes Macy.
Hildegard's image shows a Christ figure in the center of an egg-colored mandala. The mandala is surrounded on four sides by sapphire blue, which is meant to evoke the sky and sea. Because of their vast, all-encompassing nature, the sky and sea are a perfect symbol for the compassion of God.... In this gesture, Hildegard's Christ figure reminds us that, like Jesus, our bodies are meant to radiate goodness and healing throughout our world..."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Our community was deeply touched by Bishop Patricia's inspiring presentation. The power of compassion connects us to our fellow human beings on the planet and all beings in the cosmos. We are all one, loved and held in the dynamic, all-encompassing, overflowing love of the Holy One pulsing through all in the circle of life.
In 1991, in my book on feminine imagery of God, Exploring the Feminine Face of God, p. 67. I wrote a meditation based on this vision in Hildegard's Illuminations, entitled: "Feminine Love Births Creation"
" Hildegard describes God birthing creation and holding all of creation in perfect harmony and balance. Hildegard shared this vision of what she saw in a letter with Abbot Ebrach: "an extraordinary beautiful young woman... wearing shoes which seemed of purest gold whom the whole creation called Lady. The image spoke to a person pictured in sapphire blue and said: "Dominion is yours on the day of your power in the radiance of the saints. I have brought you forth from my own womb before the daystar."
According to Hildegard's vision, feminine love births creation.
"But why does the whole creation call this maiden 'Lady'?
Because "it was from her that all creation proceeded since love was the first.
She made everything." Love created humankind...Love was in eternity and it brought forth in the beginning all holiness, all creatures..."
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com

Prominent Theologian Hans Kung Says Only Radical Reforms Can Save the Catholic Church

May 07, 2011 by
Anli Serfontein
Munich, May 6 (ENInews)
"The Catholic Church is seriously, possibly terminally ill and only an honest diagnosis and radical therapy will cure it, one of the sharpest critics of Pope Benedict XVI, the Swiss Catholic theologian Hans Kung, has written.... In his new book, Can the Church be Saved, Kung argues that the malady of the church goes beyond recent sexual abuse scandals. According to him, the church's resistance to reform, its secrecy, lack of transparency and misogyny are at the heart of the problem. He said that the Catholic church in the United States has lost one-third of its membership."The American Catholic church never asked why," he said."Any other institution that has lost a third of its members would want to know why. He also said that eighty percent of German bishops would welcome reforms"...

Bridget Mary's Reflection;
I agree with Hans Kung and look forward to reading his new book.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

Swiss Bishop Speaks Out for Women's Ordination/ Preparing the Way for Women Priests

http://www.praytellblog.com/index.php/2011/04/24/swiss-catholic-bishop-speaks-out-for-womens-ordination/

April, 24,2011
Posted by Anthony Ruff, OSB in Ordained Ministry

These Easter Sunday words of a Swiss Catholic bishop suggest that the topic of women’s ordination won’t be going away anytime soon.
Markus Büchel calls for far-reaching reforms in the Catholic Church. The bishop of the diocese of St. Gallen [St. Gall] spoke out openly for women’s ordination. “We must search for steps that lead there,” he said. “I could imagine that women’s diaconate could be such a step.”
One has not been permitted to discuss women’s ordination for a good while. “We can’t afford this anymore.” Regarding priesthood for women, Büchel said, “We can pray that the Holy Spirit enables us to read the signs of the times.”
He made this explosive statement in the St. Galler Pfarreiblatt [St. Gall Parish Paper]. Sabine Rüthemann, media spokesperson for the diocese, confirmed: “The interview is authorized. What Bishop Büchel said is what he means.”
Source: Der Sonntag.

Bridget Mary's Blog:

Hurray for Bishop Markus Buchel, another courageous bishop for speaking up for women's ordination. Last week Pope Benedict fired Bishop Morris, an Australian bishop who raised that possibility of married priests and women priests in a pastoral letter five years ago. Apparently some conservatives complained to the Vatican and there was no due process for Bishop Morris.What an injustice!

Let's hope that Bishop Buchel inspires other bishops to stand up to the Vatican's bullying! This could be the beginning of a spiritual revolution in the Catholic Church! It seems like women priests are the holy shakeup that is at the heart of a tsunami of change threatening the Vatican's staus quo! Every attempt to squash our movement has backfired and blessed us! None of the excommunications hurled our way has dampened enthusiasm among our supporters who are growing every day.

Today, I found out that our Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive liturgies for Easter have been put up on a popular internet station that advertises pop artists some of whom I never heard of!http://www.yidio.com/movie/mary,+mother+of+jesus/16972

The call for the full equality of women in the church is the call of the Holy Spirit in our times. Catholics are already experiencing partnership and equality in women priests' inclusive communities where all are welcome to receive sacraments. A new day of hope is dawning for the Catholic Church!

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

sofiabmm@aol.com

"Presbyterians Set to Approve Gay Ministers" New York Times/Time for a Reality Check from Catholic Hierarchy

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/us/11presbyterian.html?hp
Presbyterians Set to Approve Gay Ministers
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: May 10, 2011
EXCERPT:
If the vote goes as expected, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) would join other mainline Protestant churches (including The United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church) in dropping their prohibitions on gay clergy members.
Bridget Mary's Reflection;
Msgr. Donald Cozzens, a former rector of a Catholic seminary, points out that gay seminarians make up approximately 60% of the young men preparing for priesthood . (Sacred Silence) It is sad that the Roman Catholic hierarchy, like an ostrich who buries its head in the sand, appears to be in denial, continues to be homophobic and fails to recognize the gifts of gays, lesbians and transgendered who have been called by God and have served the church faithfully over the years, indeed, over the centuries. It is about time the Vatican acknowledges the reality and tells the truth. All God's children are beloved images of the divine in our midst. No orientation is defective and those who are called should be free to serve in ministry.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

A Must See You Tube Movie: "A World of Our Own" Featuring the Pope, Vatican and Roman Catholic Women Priests" Enjoy!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLbrp7KiyiI&feature=player_embedded

Vatican Bullying Will Not Stop Movement for Justice and Equality for Women in Catholic Church in Australia

Christopher Pearson
From: The Australian
May 07, 2011
"What are the likely repercussions for the Australian Catholic Church?
Morris's departure will further fortify the position of Cardinal George Pell and the more traditionally minded bishops.
The more realistic, liberal bishops are going to have to kiss goodbye to any lingering fantasies they clung to in the 90s of ordaining nuns, or at least keep them to themselves.
Bridget Mary's Reflection:
I disagree with the author's analysis. While it is true that the pope's firing of Bishop Morris is meant to intimidate the bishops, priests, nuns and anyone under the control of the institutional church! However, it is also an opportunity to be prophetic witnesses for justice for women in the church, including the ordination of women in a renewed priestly ministry. It gives me great hope that there are courageous priests like Maryknoll Fr. Roy Bourgeois, who co-presided at Janice, Sevre-Duszynska's ordination as a Roman Catholic Woman Priest and bishops like Bishop Morris, who expressed an open attitude to solving the shortage of priests with married priests and women priests. It is also encouraging to hear public criticism of the Vatican's abuse of power from priests groups like the Australian Priests who challenged the Vatican in its removal of Bishop Morris. They are joining other reform minded Catholics who love the church enough to speak truth to power.
The Bible teaches that God is always on the side of the oppressed. And women are definitely excluded from equal status in the Catholic Church. Canon law prohibits women from official decision-making roles in the church. Only the ordained are allowed this function. In a world where women are heads of state and presidents of companies, Catholic women are not allowed to officate at the sacraments or preach at regular Sunday worship. Women are treated like second class members of their own church. But now there is hope. We have Roman Catholic Women Priests. And the Vatican , the gift that keeps on giving, is placing its finger in a dike. But the dam has broken and there is a river of hope and promise, spilling forth, women priests, renewing the church with deep love and faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus. Roman Catholic Women Priests are part of the movement for the full equality of women in the Catholic Church which is the voice of God in our time.
I believe the Spirit is a'moving and before long we will see Catholic communities in Australia calling women to be ordained as priests to serve the church there. The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests stand in solidarity with the women called to priesthood in Australia and offer our prayerful support to Bishop Morris, who has inspired millions of Catholics, as he continues to stand in his truth. When the history of the church is written, Bishop Morris will be one of its heroes.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com
703-505-0004

Bishop Morris: "You've Got to Stand In Your Truth"

NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER
http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/bp-morris-you%E2%80%99ve-got-stand-your-truth
Bp Morris: 'You’ve got to stand in your truth.'
"Meanwhile, in an on-camera video accounts to emerge from Toowoomba, Morris admitted he may have stepped on “too many toes” when he suggested in the 2006 pastoral that his rural diocese might benefit from the Vatican considering the ordination of women and married men."
"But, the bishop -- whose diocese contains 68,000 Catholics in 35 parishes, with 16 active priests -- continues: “You’ve got to stand in your truth.”

Bridget Mary's Reflection;
We owe gratitude to Bishop Morris for his concern for the pastoral care of the people of his diocese by raising the important issue of married priests and women priests as a response to the needs of God's people..
Bishop Morris' prophetic stance has propelled him into the international arena as a voice for justice and equality in the Roman Catholic church. When is he coming to the United States on a speaker's tour? He will be welcomed by millions of U.S. Catholics!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com

Vatican: "Clueless or Complicit"/ Married Clergy and Women Priests Serve Church Now

Michael and Imogene Rigdon
bless assembly with water on
Easter Sunday at renewal
of baptismal promises

(left to right: Priest Partner Lee Breyer,
Patricia Fresen, visiting RCWP bishop
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP, Katy Zatsick, RCWP
Priest Partner Michael Rigdon)


(left to right)

Priest Partner and wife
Carol Ann and Lee Breyer,
Bridget Mary Meehan , RCWP
http://www.ucanews.com/2011/05/03/clueless-or-complicit/

by William Grimm
May 3, 2011

"The archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, has inadvertently presented another reason that the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church probably needs a married clergy.Responding to complaints that the beatification of Pope John Paul II was over-hasty and unseemly in light of the sex abuse scandal that will always be a blot on his papacy, the archbishop did not deny the problem. He simply said that beatification is not a “medal for good management service.No, Archbishop. Letting the chancery office run out of toilet paper is poor management service. Refusing to see or seeing, refusing to act against the rape of children is something else..."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
The Roman Catholic Church already has a married clergy made up of male priests from other denominations who are opposed to women priests. I believe they number around 200 in the United States. Pope Benedict has set up an ordinariate for Anglicans who are opposed to women bishops and priests. So, as long as they are opposed to women clergy, the Roman Catholic Church has opened the door to married male priests. It makes no sense why the pope keeps the door closed on RC priests who left active ministry to marry.
Our RC married priests are priests forever by their ordination and their service to God's people. In our community, (Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Sarasota, Florida) we refer to our married priests as partner priests. Michael and Imogene Rigdon, Carol Ann and Lee Breyer, Katy Zatsick, RCWP and I work within a leadership circle and share presiding responsibilities with our MMOJ community each week.
A new paradigm of ministry is dawning with the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement in grassroots communities. Women priests who are married and married male priests and their wives are serving together in inclusive Catholic communities that are organized in a circular model so that the community is empowered and their charisms called forth as we evolve and grow. It may be true that the Vatican is clueless, but married priests and Roman Catholic Women Priests are already living the change we want to see happen now!

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

Joan Chittister: Why Maryknoll Should NOT Dismiss Fr. Roy Bourgoeis/ Article NCR

http://ncronline.org/blogs/where-i-stand/expulsions-religious-orders-family-and-minority-wisdom

Expulsions from religious orders, family, and minority wisdom

by Sister Joan Chittister

"Membership in a religious community is defined by the congregation, its internal structures and admission criteria. Are religious who have given their lives to the needs and works of an order, made public vows to seal the relationship of one to another, and acted within the charism of the congregation at the mercy of outside pressure, after all? How prophetic, how communal is that?
Clearly, if the Vatican feels obliged to punish those who ask questions of present church practice -- as Martin Luther did about the selling of relics and indulgences, for instance -- then the Vatican is perfectly within its right to suspend a priest’s liturgical faculties or limit his public priestly functions. But what does that have to do with his commitment to his religious life?
After all, the Vatican did not expel pedophile priests or abusing bishops from the secular priesthood for violating children. In some cases, in fact, they protected the perpetrators repeatedly and even refused to defrock them -- civil law or no civil law. And are, apparently, doing it even now. Only behavior related to women’s issues, it seems, qualifies for expulsion.
Nor did religious communities routinely expel religious order men who were also pedophiles. Instead, rather than put them on the streets where they could be an even greater danger to children and to themselves, these religious congregations maintained their life-long consecrated commitment to these men, monitored their behavior, and nurtured their recovery within the community itself. "

Bridget Mary's Reflection

Right on Sister Joan! A religious order is one's family, and in this case, Fr. Roy belongs to the family of Maryknoll. Maryknoll should have the courage to stand up to the Vatican's bullying tactics and say "no". They should follow the example of the Benedictines and Mercy Orders who refused to throw out the nuns who had run into trouble with the Vatican over issues of conscience. Fr. Roy Bourgeois has been a faithful member of Maryknoll, now Maryknoll should stand up for him and refus to dismiss him from Maryknoll.
The Vatican and religious orders were in no such rush to throw out the pedophiles. They recycled criminal priests and sent them from parish to parish. So, let's get this straight, the Vatican and religious orders obviously consider the support of women priests a greater crime than pedophila! That brings us to the Vatican decree that was issued in July putting women priests in the same category as pedophiles, which outraged millions of Catholics worldwide. See media coverage of this event. (check blog July 2010) The Vatican is pushing Maryknoll to throw out one of its prophets who consistently raises the issue of sexism in the church citing Jesus' example in the Gospels. Fr. Roy is a prophet and his threatened dismissal from Maryknoll is an outrageous injustice.
Jesus would weep!

ABC News/"Secrecy and Silence Continues in the Catholic Church"/Full Equality of Women is Voice of God In Our Time

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/03/3206333.htm
By Madonna King
In a newsletter, Bishop Morris reflected on an aging clergy and worried about the shortage of priests in Australia. .
"Several responses have been discussed internationally, nationally and locally,'' he says, including ordaining married, single or widowed men, welcoming former priests back, ordaining women, married or single, and recognising Anglican, Lutheran and Uniting Church orders.
"While we continue to reflect carefully on these options, we remain committed to actively promoting vocations to the current celibate male priesthood and open to inviting priests from overseas.''
...But Bishop Morris's supporters privately point to the role of a small group of conservative Catholics determined the rules should be religiously enforced. That means no oxygen from the pulpit for controversial topics like female ordination."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
What a sad state of affairs that a small minority of Catholics take it upon themselves to "police" their parish priests' and diocesan bishops homilies and writings for so-called adherence to Vatican policies on hot button issues like women priests!

If it true that Pope Benedict wants a "smaller, more orthodox, church" as some have reported, than perhaps,sadly, this is what is happening.

One in ten people in the United States is a former Catholic. So that is I believe approximately 33 million Catholics.

But is our church following the example of Jesus who welcomes all, and sends no one away?

Will our church resemble the community of faith that Jesus called for in the Gospel, or will it look more like a cult, that adheres to man-made rules that the church, the majority of Catholics no longer follow or even recognize?In the wake of a global sex abuse scandal, the shortage of male celibate priests and the growing alienation of women, including the young , is the Roman Catholic Church on the precipice? We know that God is with those who are on the margins, those who are outsiders, the exluded.

God is love and calls us to be reflections of love and liberation in our world. Our energy should be on living Jesus' love for all, working for justice, and following his example of inclusivity and compassion.

During his earthly life, Jesus certainly encountered more than his fair share of complainers who condemned him as a major rule breaker for things like healing on the Sabbath and hanging out with the wrong people at parties -like sinners which (gasp!!) included women. Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan woman, the longest conversation recorded in the Gospels, violated cultural, religious and gender taboos. Yep, Jesus was a real rule breaker all right and we know where that led! Right, It was the women who stood by Jesus at the cross in his sufferings and were the first ones to encounter the Risen Christ. Jesus reversal of centuries of misogny! We just celebrated Easter and heard once again the story of Mary of Magdala, The Risen Christ appeared first to Mary of Magdala, not Peter or John or any of the males hiding out in the upper room. Mary was the apostle to the apostles. Jesus turned sexist practices upside down and taught the radical equality of women and men as disciples and equals.



Now fast forward to the 21st century and the Vatican's reprehensible treatment of women as second class citizens. Women priests are disobeying an unjust law in order to change it because the full equality of women in the church is the voice of God in our time.

And the Vatican knows it! Silencing, firing, and exommunicating supporters including priests and bishops like Bishop William Morris and Fr. Roy Bourgeois will not work. God is never on the side of the oppressor.

The God of justice and liberation is rising up in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement as courageous women follow God's call to a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. We pray that many more people join us in this human rights movement for women in the Catholic Church!

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com

Women's Ordination Conference and Call to Action Support Bishop Morris/ Challenge Culture of Bullying by Vatican

"The Women's Ordination Conference, based in Washington, D.C., issued a statement May 2 reacting to the news that an Australian bishop had been removed from his diocese after expressing views on the ordination of women, among other issues. The women's group is the oldest and largest national organization working for the ordination of women into the Roman Catholic Church. The statement follows:

"Just three weeks after the Vatican pressured the Maryknoll religious order to remove Fr. Roy Bourgeois, it has been revealed that the Vatican has been involved in removing another member of the clergy over his views on women's ordination. Sunday, Bishop William Morris of the Toowoomba Diocese of Australia issued a letter saying the Vatican had forced him into early retirement due to a 2006 Pastoral Letter that he issued regarding the priest shortage. In the letter, Bishop Morris had suggested women's ordination as one of a few potential solutions to the priest crisis.

After Bishop William Morris issued the 2006 pastoral letter, a small group of local Catholics complained to the Vatican which began an apostolic investigation. The Vatican assigned U.S. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver to investigate and write a report of the situation. To this day, Bishop Morris has not been permitted to see the report that ultimately resulted in the Vatican's attempt to remove him. Rather than succumb to Vatican pressure to resign, Bishop Morris offered a compromise solution of early retirement."

Bishop Morris wrote in a letter to the people of the Toowoomba Diocese yesterday: "I have never wavered in my conviction that for me to resign is a matter of conscience and my resignation would mean that I accept the assessment of myself as breaking communio which I absolutely refute and reject and it is out of my love for the Church that I cannot do so."

"It is a sad day when the faithful, out of love for the church, offer possible solutions to address serious challenges and are punished by the Vatican," said Jim FitzGerald, Executive Director of Call To Action. "I applaud the courageous Catholics such as Fr. Roy Bourgeois and Bishop William Morris who will not allow the Vatican to bully them into silence."

"The culture of silence and bullying within the Catholic Church cannot be tolerated," said Laura Singer, Board President of Women's Ordination Conference. "Bishop Morris is an example of a priest of courage who joins the momentum of the women's ordination movement, grounded in justice and equality."

Bridget Mary's Reflection
Ultimately, the Vatican's bullying will be seen for what it truly is a last gasp effort to stop the rising tide of support for justice and equality for women in the Catholic Church. Silencing and bullying are the shameful tools of oppressive power. The Vatican has already lost control, and is now using the tactics that dictators use. In the end, prophetic voices of men like Bishop William Morris and Fr. Roy Bourgeois and the supporters of the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement worldwide will prevail. Our liberating God is on the side of the marginalized, which includes justice and equality for women, half the church's membership. Let us follow Catherine of Siena's advice every time the Vatican attempts to bully or punish those who stand Gospel equality: "cry out as if you had a million voices, it is silence that kills the soul!"
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

National Council of Priests in Australia Support Bishop Morris/ Critique Abuse of Power by Vatican

3 May 2011
Media Release
The NCP executive would like to express its sadness at the forced early retirement of Bishop William Morris of Toowoomba.
We are appalled at the lack of transparency and due process that led to this decision by Church authorities.We are embarrassed about the shabby treatment meted out to an outstanding Pastor of this diocese who has faithfully ministered in the Church in Queensland and throughout Australia since his priestly ordination in 1969.We are concerned about an element within the Church whose restorationist ideology wants to repress freedom of expression within the Roman Catholic Church and who deny the legitimate magisterial authority of the local Bishop within the Church.
Jesus rightly condemned the righteous scribes and Pharisees of his time for adhering to their interpretation of the Mosaic law at the expense of God's ultimate commandment of love.Many of the people influencing these decisions have limited pastoral experience and appear to show little concern for the sensus fidelium.We appeal to the Bishop of Rome in his acknowledged role as first among equals and the source of communio within the Church to listen and build bridges of trust, faith and love with those who have been hurt by this decision.We stand in prayerful solidarity with the priests and people of Toowoomba who are justifiably aggrieved by this pronouncement.We pray for Bishop Morris who has undergone an extraordinary period of trial over the last few years of his Episcopal ministry and trust that history will accurately record the benefit of his ministry as a faithful, human servant of the Gospel of Jesus. We wish him well in his retirement and have appreciated his support for his priests and the work of the NCP.To the Catholics of the Toowoomba we pray for a worthy successor to Bishop Morris.
Ian McGinnityNCP Chairman===================================

Australian Bishop Fired by the Pope/What's Next? Women Priests!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8487940/Australian-bishop-quits-over-Vatican-row.html



"The dispute stems from Morris' comments five years ago that the Church could consider ordaining married men and women because of a looming shortage of priests.
Morris, who was ordained in 1969, said his views had been misinterpreted and he had been denied natural justice. "

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

What's next? Bishop Morris simply raised the issue of married priests and women priests! I think Pope Benedict knows that the Spirit is leading the church into a new era of justice and equality for women and that the hierarchy is powerless to stop it! We are witnessing the last gasp of patriarchy trying to maintain rigid control of the church!

Yet, they see what is happening in grassroots communities around the world and they are terrified! Why? Women priests are faithful members of our church who are answering God's call to serve the people of God. God is answering our prayers for vocations! The women are coming forward. In the not too distant future, perhaps, some will be from Australia.

Bishop Morris deserves our thanks and praise for his courage and openess to face the pastoral issues that the shortage of male celibate priests brings.

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association

http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

sofiabmm@aol.com

Pope Vicky: Barbie's New Career- Pope/Check Out The Outfits!!

http://www.popevicky.com/

"Her Time Has Come "
"Barbie’s had over a hundred different careers. Now she's got one more: Pope.It’s the 23rd century, and the Sacred College of Cardinals has elected the first woman – and first American – pontiff. Barbie will bring fun, fashion, and many new fans into the Roman Catholic Church.Barbie chose the name Victoria I —“Pope Vicky”— in celebration of one of the first Roman Catholic woman priests ordained at the beginning of the 21st century. "

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

What a creative piece of work! What a fun site! I honestly enjoyed meeting Pope Vicky! I hope she inspires many young girls to be attentive to God's call to a renewed priestly ministry! You rock, Pope Vicky!! Pope Vicky's People--is on facebook as well!!

On a serious note----When a woman is elected pope, I hope her outfits will be less clerical, pompous, ritzy---- and unlike what the Vatican's good old boys have worn for centuries!

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

sofiabmm@aol.com

"Australian Bishop Quits Over Row with Pope"/Could Promote Interest In Roman Catholic Women Priests?

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/World/Story/A1Story20110502-276732.html


SYDNEY - "An Australian Roman Catholic bishop has quit his post over a row with the Vatican about women priests and other liberal reforms, saying that Pope Benedict XVI thought it best he be replaced.
William Morris, who has been the Catholic Bishop of the vast Queensland diocese of Toowoomba since 1993, told parishioners on Sunday that he was taking early retirement."

Bridget Mary' Reflection:
The Vatican will not tolerate any support of women priests even from its own bishops. Let us hope that this will stir up interest in the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement and that some day there will be women priests in Australia. The Vatican is the gift that keeps on giving! The more the Pope punishes, the more our movement grows!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Priests Association
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org
sofiabmm@aol.com

"The Shame of John Paul II: How the Sex Abuse Scandal Stained His Papacy" by Jason Berry

April 27, 2011
This article appeared in the May 16, 2011 edition of The Nation.
"The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute assisted in a section of this article, drawn from Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church, to be published June 7 by Crown. On May 1, Pope Benedict XVI will beatify his predecessor, John Paul II, at a huge ceremony in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Beatification, the final step before canonization, or sainthood, ennobles the deceased as “blessed,” or worthy of veneration. Authorities have prepared for a million visitors to the weekend events."
... "Should a pope who turned his back on the worst crisis in modern Catholic history be exalted as a saint? Lawsuits by victims, numerous prosecutions and news coverage of bishops who enabled abuse are the shadow story of John Paul’s twenty-six-year pontificate, during which time he responded to continuing allegations of clergy abuse with denial and inertia. American dioceses and religious orders alone have spent nearly $2 billion on legal actions and treatment of sex offenders, an aching scandal at incalculable cost to the church’s stature."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
Is the beatification of John Paul II, the Vatican's attempt, to change the subject from the global sexual abuse scandal that is gutting the hierarchy's credibility?

The Vatican's intimidation of supporters of Roman Catholic Women Priests is backfiring. The most recent example is Maryknoll priest, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, whom the Vatican wants to dismiss from the priesthood. It makes no sense that criminal abusers get to stay in the priesthood and prophetic priests who support gender equality in the Catholic Church get excommunicated.

"Follow the money", Jimmy Breslin, once advised a group of Catholic activists!

Sounds like this upcomng book, "Render unto Rome" documents the donors who keep the Vatican funded! It will be an interesting read!

What if Catholics decided to stop giving to the institutional church until they accept women priests, married priests, and structural change? What would happen if the people are truly empowered and assume responsibility in leadership roles as decision-makers in the church? Would change come more quickly? I wonder.....
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

"Retired bishop in Oz Says Some Priests Do Not View Child Sex as Breach of Virtue"

http://in.news.yahoo.com/retired-bishop-oz-says-priests-not-view-child-110055727.html

Adelaide, Apr 25 (ANI): "A retired Catholic bishop in Australia has claimed that some priests do not view the molestation of boys as a breach of their celibacy vows.
Geoffrey Robinson, the former auxiliary bishop of Sydney, blames the absence of women from church life as a catalyst for the sexual abuse crisis enveloping the faith...
He believes the issue will not be properly dealt with until the church holds a council, or a conference of all the bishops in the church, to revise the centuries-old doctrine on celibacy, women and sexuality. "

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
This is simply shocking! How out of touch these priests are with reality. Sexual abuse of children is both a crime and a sin. It is hard to understand the twisted logic that attempts to hold that sexual abuse is not a breech of virtue.
While a conference or Council finally deals with structural change including women priests, married priests and the primacy of conscience in moral decision making in all areas of sexuality is a good idea, this change is already happening in grassroots inclusive communities of Catholics who are leading the church into its future now.
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
Roman Catholic Women Associations
www.associationofromancatholicswomenpriests.org

Roman Catholic Woman Priest Judy Lee, Pastor of Good Shepherd Community, Ft. Myers Florida- "A Moving Testimony of Holy Week and Easter"

We had about 30 people faith-fully and enthusiastically partake in the Holy Week events. The pictures at the table are our Holy Thursday supper after the Mass in which we( three of the elders and myself) washed feet and the Last Supper was served. The Good Friday pictures were from our out doors Stations of the Cross. This was remarkable as several of our people have trouble walking but traveled this road willingly with Jesus and also because our young people participated.The Easter Mass for us included the blessing with water and the renewal of baptismal promises. And later the church gathered outside and the children had an Easter egg hunt and all had a wonderful Easter dinner prepared by Mary Ann Bohn and Cindy before Sunday School. In class the young people took turns telling the Easter story with a felt board and then did some Easter puzzles and crafts with their wonderful teacher Efe.These pictures hardly capture how moving this week was, but the devotion of the people was amazing!

Judy Lee, RCWP and the Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community

Roman Catholic Women Priests Association

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

"Hold the Halo" by Maureen Dowd/New York Times/ John Paul Excommunicated Women Priests but Not Pedophiles

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/opinion/24dowd.html?_r=1
"Santo non subito! How can you be a saint if you fail to protect innocent children?
For years after the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, the founder of the Legion of Christ, was formally accused of pedophilia in a Vatican proceeding, he remained John Paul’s pet. The ultra-orthodox Legion of Christ and Opus Dei were the shock troops in John Paul’s war on Jesuits and other progressive theologians...
“For John Paul,” Berry told me just after returning from Good Friday services, “the priesthood had a romantic, chivalrous cast, and he could not bring himself to do a fearless investigation of the clerical culture itself. "

Bridget Mary's Reflection
It is ironic that neither John Paul II nor Benedict did anything to transform the clerical culture and change the climate that was at the heart of the devastating global pedophilia crisis. They did not excommunicate or banish these offending priests and bishops from the priesthood. However, both John Paul II and Benedict moved with lightening speed against women priests,with decrees of excommunication and delecto graviora (putting women in the same serious crime category as pedophiles). Like Mary of Magdala and the women who stood by Jesus during his suffering and death, and were the first to encounter the Risen Christ, women priests are faithful women, who are leading the church into an era of justice and equality that includes major reform and renewal in a people-empowered community of faith. Now, Fr. Roy Bourgeois is being threatened with dismissal from his order for his support of our movement. Fr. Roy has already been excommunicated. Scratch your head, if you can't figure it out. How come Pope John Paul and Benedict have not excommunicated or thrown the pedophiles out of their orders yet have no trouble doing so with women priests and our supporters? Is this the behavoir of a saint? I agree with Maureen, hold the halo, please!
Bridget Mary Meehan RCWP
703-505-0004
sofiabmm@aol.com
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

Movies of Easter Liturgy -Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community- Easter 2011 at St. Andrew UCC, Sarasota, Florida

left to right
Priest Partners:
Lee Breyer,
Bridget Mary Meehan
Katy Zatsick
Michael Rigdon

Priest Michael Rigdon Sings Exultet
http://youtu.be/7jmZzM4ieh0

Blessing of Water: RCWP Katy Zatsick

leads Assembly in Blessing

http://youtu.be/GNs0bfcXxDk

Blessing of Community with Water

by Kevin and Judy Connolly

and Priest Partner Couple:

Imogene and Michael Rigdon

http://youtu.be/IDs9wzGiGDE

Offertory

http://youtu.be/oZkC7yCSjJM

Preface:Community around altar

http://youtu.be/ROee9NJbBAc

Community Prays Eucharistic Prayer/Consecration

http://youtu.be/zQy-IQma7iI

Liturgical Dance as Communion Meditation:

(Sheila Carey -dancer

Katherine Alexander on Piano, Jack Meehan on Sax)

http://youtu.be/LYjJAiEobHY

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Photos- from Easter Vigil- April 23, 2011- Living Gospel Equality Now

Sheila Carey performs liturgical

dance to "I will raise you up"

left to right Priests:

Lee Breyer, Bridget Mary Meehan

Katy Zatsick, Michael Rigdon

Blessing of Water :Left to right,

Kevin and Judy Connolly,

Imogene and Michael Rigdon

Community with lit candles in church

Priests Lee Breyer and Michael Rigdon
(left to right) lighting of Easter Fire

Homily for Easter Sunday by Roberta Meehan, RCWP

Homily for Easter Sunday

-- Cycle A -- 24 April 2011

Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Col 3:1-4

Jn 20:1-9 or 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10 or Luke 24:13

He is risen! ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!! And the angel said, “He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This message was given to Mary of Magdala, a woman who is sometimes called the Apostle of the Apostles, a woman who non-scriptural sources say financed many of the ministries begun by Jesus. Some say that Mary was a successful business woman in Magdala and that she became a follower of Jesus after he expunged seven demons from her. Regardless of what is truth or fiction here, we do know that in all four gospels, it is to Mary that the message is given. She is instructed to take the message to the others – the message that HE IS RISEN!!! Jesus of Nazareth, a popular and exceptionally intelligent itinerant teacher, had been executed. His followers were devastated. They were lost and confused. They felt betrayed. What had happened to that marvelous dream he had told them about? He was dead and buried. The women went to tend to the body as soon as it was no longer the Sabbath. The body was not in the tomb. Instead an angel told them he had been raised. The followers of Jesus had little understanding of this, even though from the Lazarus story we are made keenly aware that Jesus had instructed them about resurrection. But Jesus himself rising from the dead? They had no concept. He had told them, but they had not understood. Now the angel was telling them that Jesus was going before them into Galilee and that they would see him there – in Galilee. They did not understand. The question is, do we understand? Have any of us ever thought about the impact of that statement? About the immediacy of Jesus going before them into Galilee? In the message at the resurrection, Jesus did not tell them he would see them in the next life nor did he tell them they would have to wait to see him at the end of time. The angel very specifically told Mary of Magdala and the followers of Jesus that Jesus had gone to Galilee and that they would see Jesus in Galilee. Why Galilee? To us, Galilee is just a place. But, if we go back to ancient times, we can get a clearer picture of “why Galilee?”. Galilee is in northern Palestine. It is a highly contested region now but at the same time, it is an area that from earliest times has been replete with an almost unbelievable mixture of people. (For additional scholarly insights into Galilee, see http://tinyurl.com/3w7gt ) If you read up on Galilee, you will see the tremendous diversity in land, in culture, and in political scope. That was true at the time of Jesus. It was a very cosmopolitan region. How appropriate that Jesus would go to Galilee! The mission of Jesus was not just for the Jews in the area of Jerusalem. The mission of Jesus was for all people! What better symbol of all people than a region such as Galilee, a region rich in all types of diversity? Jesus could have just as easily as gone to Jerusalem – but he did not. He went to Galilee. Going to Galilee should have meant something for his immediate followers; it definitely means something for us. We can see the historical significance of this journey to Galilee; we can see the universal symbolism of this place called Galilee. But, the angel said more! The angel said the disciples would see Jesus in Galilee. We know that over the course of the next forty days many did see him physically. Then he ascended into heaven. But, is there more to the disciples seeing Jesus in Galilee than just his personal appearances? Was he no longer to be seen in Galilee? Are we not his disciples too? Did Jesus not commission us to this discipleship? How are we going to see Jesus in Galilee? If we are the disciples of Jesus and if probably not one of us is from Galilee and probably most of us will never be in Galilee, how can this statement of the angel apply to us? How will we see Jesus in Galilee? The universality of Galilee could answer the geographic question. It was extremely diverse, But, how will we see Jesus? How will Galilee apply to our seeing Jesus? Jesus’ rising from the dead is not only our hope for resurrection and a continued life for all eternity. The message from the angel at Jesus’ resurrection is also our mandate. The promise of seeing Jesus in Galilee means that we must see Jesus in our own Galilees (even to the ends of the earth). In Matthew 25:40 we hear Jesus telling his followers that whatever they do to the least of his brethren, they do to him. That injunction did not cease with apostolic times. Those followers of Jesus include every one of us too! Whatever we do to one another, we do to Jesus. Yes, we do see Jesus before us in Galilee every day. And our mandate is that we must see Jesus the Christ in Galilee in every person we meet. The diversity of Galilee is everybody! Alleluia! He is risen! He has gone before us into Galilee. Symbolically, we are in Galilee – that amazingly diverse place – and we can see Jesus in every person we meet. And every person we meet can see Jesus in us. All of this because he is risen and he has gone before us into Galilee and he is with us, with us until the end of time! Alleluia, Alleluia!!

Roberta M. Meehan, RCWP

Roman Catholic Women Priests Association

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

Roman Catholic Woman Bishop Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger: 'Defying the Pope? It's like not paying a parking fine' article in the London Independent

"She served in church as a child, has been excommunicated, is married to a divorced man, and has been consecrated a bishop. How much further can a Catholic woman challenge the Vatican? Peter Stanford meets Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger
Sunday, 24 April 2011
JASON ALDEN
Bishop Mayr-Lumetzberger still hopes the papacy will relent over women
"And this is the funeral in one of our big Benedictine monasteries in Austria," explains Bishop Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, "of a young woman whose mother wanted me to officiate." Her finger moves along a row of photographs on the screen of her laptop as we talk.
"Here I am with the parish priest, making the procession to the altar together. I always try to be conciliatory. We agreed he would lead the service when we were in the abbey, and I would lead Here is Mayr-Lumetzberger, in file after file of pictures, with her bishop's cross and vestments, officiating at weddings and baptisms and Sunday services, in Catholic parish churches and abbeys, usually alongside a bevy of male Catholic priests.
"They are very respectful," she explains. "So if we are walking as a group up the aisle, they automatically get in the right formation with the bishop at the back as the church's rules teach."

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

Isn't it interesting that Bishop Christine is ministering alongside Catholic priests in Catholic Churches in Austria?! I believe that this is a sign of the official church's acceptance of women priests in spite of the Vatican's paranoid reactions to ordained women serving the people of God. The people of God are inviting women to serve as priests. More people in the United States are attending our liturgies and supporting our movement. The Spirit is indeed a'moving and we rejoice that like the women who were the first witnesses to encounter the Risen Christ, women priests today are spreading the Gospel to a renewed community of faith on this blessed Easter Sunday!

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

Roman Catholic Women Priests Association

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

A Prayer Service in Support of Maryknoll Priest Roy Bourgeois/Women Priests

Prayer Vigil in Support of Maryknoll Priest Roy Bourgeois/ Women Priests
Columbus, Ohio: Tuesday: April 19, 2011

Introductory Prayer: Holy One: You have given us a prophet in our midst. A man who is willing to hear your word and follow his conscience. A man who has the courage to speak truth to power. A man willing to stand up for the Gospel equality that Jesus proclaims.
Our response will be: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That our brother priests in the Vatican roll away the stone from their hearts.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That our brother priests hear the Word and feel the Movement of the Spirit calling us
to a discipleship of equals.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That our brother priests hear the Spirit moving in our grassroots communities/church.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: To recognize that God calls men and women to the priesthood.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: In gratefulness for Roy’s support of women priests.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That the Maryknoll Order support Roy and the Spirit’s movement for women priests.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That all priests hear the Spirit and “Be Not Afraid.”
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That priests follow God’s law over the Pope’s and man made law.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That all of us People of God follow the primacy of our conscience,
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: For Roy’s family and their continued understanding and support of his actions.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: For our brother priests to support and speak out for women priests in our church.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: That we may all continue to be friends of God and prophets.
Response: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Please feel free to add your prayer and we will respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.
Prayer: Loving God, we thank you this Holy Week for your Son, the Christ, who continues to teach us Gospel love and equality. We thank you for giving us Roy as a prophet for the People of God to move us into a new era as we do the Work of Your Healing Hands bringing about the Kin-dom. May we see You in each of us as we support the rising up of prophetic women and men.
Janice Sevre-Duszynska, RCWP,

rhythmsofthedance@msn.com

859-684-4247

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

"At Easter, Church Expels Women's Advocate, Keeps Pedophiles in the Fold" by Angela Bonavoglia/Huffingtonn Post

Fr. Roy joined women priests

at ordination of Janice Sevre-Duszynska

in Lexington Kentucky on Aug.9, 2008

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/angela-bonavoglia/at-easter-church-expels-w_b_850257.html?ref=email_share

..."And neither excommuniaton nor laicization has been threatened against any of the scores of Philadelphia priests who Cardinal Justin Rigali, under public pressure, was forced to relieve of duty, following the recent release of a second damning Grand Jury report. ... even after the diocesan authorities knew of the horrific allegations against them -- that they had repeatedly raped and sodomized children, turning one child into a sexual slave who they pimped out from priest to priest..."
"This same Rigali in 2006 castigated Eileen McCafferty DiFranco for daring to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest, accusing her of causing "confusion and discord," charging that if she celebrated a sacrament, she would "further exacerbate the public scandal." This was at the time of the first Grand Jury report, which described one of the most astounding histories of child sex abuse of any diocese in the country. The list of crimes by more than 60 priests included a teenage girl groped by her priest while she lay immobilized in traction and a boy who awoke intoxicated in a priest's bed to find the priest "sucking his penis while three other priests watched and masturbated."
"Bourgeois was incredibly engaging and moving on the Barnard panel, as he is in the film -- humble, deeply committed to women's rights in the Church, immovable in his position of support. But what struck me, what touched me most deeply was his concern, his wish and his deep disappointment that his fellow priests have refused to step forward and join him in this fight. They remain silent, despite knowing in their hearts how unjust and discriminatory is the Church's position, which flies in the face of church history, archaeological evidence and even a Pontifical Biblical Commission that found insufficient Scriptural grounds to exclude the possibility of women's ordination..."

Bridget Mary's Reflection

Angela Bonavoglia hit the nail on the head! The hierarchy's strong arm tactics in response to women priests and our supporters, including Fr. Roy Bourgeois, is a last ditch effort to resist the movement for the full equality of women in the church. It is is doomed to failure. The real scandal is the failure of the Vatican to make the structural changes that will address the pedophile crisis. The real scandal is the church's protection of pedophiles who have harmed raped, sodomized and sexually abused Catholic youth. Fr. Roy is a prophet leading the way toward justice for women in our church. While only a handful of priests are following his example in the United States, there are a few glimmers of hope that the tide is changing. The Irish Priests Association and German theologians have raised the issue of women's equality in the church. In South America, a priest, stood with us as we ordained the first women there. It is my hope that the example of Fr. Roy Bourgeois will inspire more priests to come forward and support Roman Catholic Women Priests. As Martin Luther King reminds us that injustice anywhere, threatens justice everywhere! Like Rosa Parks, who refused to sit in the back of the bus, Roman Catholic Women Priests are refusing second class status in our church. We are leading the way toward a new era of justice and equality for women in the church. This Easter, we celebrate the courage of the women who stood by Jesus during his sufferings and death, and were the first witnesses to the resurrection. We are following the path of Mary Magdala, the apostle to the apostles, who was called by the Risen Christ to go and tell the good news. So too, women priests are good news for the people of God who are ready for partnership and equality. Like the male disciples- locked up in fear-the hierarchy is afraid and resists, but a new Pentecost will come!
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

sofiabmm@aol.com
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/

Catholics Rally in U.S. for Fr. Roy Bourgeois and Women Priests/Television Coverage

(Florida Ordination-4 RCWP deacons)


Catholics Rally in Venice, Florida in support of Fr. Roy and women priests
http://www.mysuncoast.com/content/news/7SouthNews/story/Protest-held-outside-Venice-Catholic-church/9fdAQsXQzk6CgUOuHeb1Vw.cspx

Catholics rally in downtown Syracuse in support of priest who ...
Syracuse.com... on Tuesday in support of the ordination of women priests in the Catholic Church. ... in the Roman Catholic Church, has refused to recant his position. ...

Catholics protest for women in priesthoodWGNtv.com