Open Letter to U.S. Bishops About Priest Shortage Crisis/ Support Roman Catholic Women Priests Now by Promoting Women's Vocations to Priestly Ministry

Bridget Mary's Reflection:

Sign the letter to the U.S. bishops below and support Roman Catholic Women Priests Now!

Do you know a woman who serves the people of God and is open to being called by a faith community to serve as a priest in a inclusive, renewed model of priestly ministry?

If you do, invite her to pray, discern and contact the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, and/or Roman Catholic Womenpriests USA

Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

sofiabmm@aol.com

www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org

FCM’s (Federation of Christian Ministry) Roman Catholic Faith Community Council is supporting a special Open Letter to US Bishops about the impending priest shortage crisis in the US. A number of priest organizations and national church renewal/reform groups are also joining this effort.Studies show that half of the 19,302 active diocesan priests plan to retire by 2019. We are ordaining about 380 new diocesan priests each year. In just eight years, we will have only 13,500 active diocesan priests to serve our 18,000 parishes, presuming ordinations remain constant, as they have for over a decade. (2008 Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate study)

To sign onto the open letter, download paper copies to circulate, download a free organizing kit or circulate to family and friends, or simply sign yourself. Click this link

http://www.futurechurch.org/fpm/optcel/openletter/?utm_campaign=pentecost2011&utm_medium=email&utm_source=FCMRCFC

The open letter will be published in one or several national Catholic publications in 2011 and 2012. Every effort will be made to contact individual US Bishops and officials at the US Bishops’ conference. Only your name and diocese will be included in the online listing. (it is ok to sign anonymously if you wish)