"From Below", Poem by Judith Bautista, ARCWP, read in English and Spaniish at SOA Watch Vigil liturgy by Jennifer Molino from New Orleans

left to right: Olga Lucia Alvarezz, Sally Brochu, Judith Bautista, Bridget Mary Meehan, Janet Blakeley at ordination on Nov. 1, 2014. Judith was ordained a priest and Sally and Janet were ordained deacons. 

SOA Watch Vigil Remembrance of 25th anniversary of the slaying of Elba and Celina Ramos, Ignacio, Segundo, Ignacio, Juan Ramón, Joaquín and Amando

FROM BELOW

by Judith Bautista, ARCWP

I thank you, Father,

                for hiding these things

From the wise and prudent,

                and revealing them to the childlike.

                                                                  - Mt 11: 25

I write from below,

From the sweat and dust,

Where the foundations of your Name may be found

Along  with laughter as well as lament.

Your name when the cold at dawn

Makes us freeze,

And earth scorches

Our seedlings in its guts;

Your name when the sun

Lights up the afternoons

And enlivens

The harvest festival;

Your name when wailing

Rips open our dreams

And we grieve the children

robbed from us by war.

Your name in the morning

when the day’s work begins,

while the mother rocks

her child in her arms.

I write from below

where naked skin—

with neither clothing, nor excuses—

smacks more of heaven.         

                                 ~translation by John P. Wentland 

DESDE ABAJO

Yo te bendigo, Padre,

                 porque has ocultado estas cosas

a los sabios y entendidos,

                 y las has revelado a los sencillos.   

                                                    Mateo 11, 25

Escribo desde abajo,

desde el sudor y el polvo,

donde tu Nombre se funde

con la risa y el llanto.

Tu Nombre cuando el frío

nos hiela en madrugada,

y en su vientre la tierra

nos quema los sembrados.

Tu nombre cuando el sol

ilumina las tardes

y se enciende la fiesta

después de la cosecha.

Tu nombre cuando el llanto

nos desgarra los sueños,

y lloramos los hijos

que nos robó la guerra.

Tu nombre en la mañana

cuando empieza el trabajo,

mientras la madre acuna

el hijo entre sus brazos.

Escribo desde abajo

donde la piel desnuda,

sin ropajes ni excusas,

me sabe más a cielo.

Left to right ARCWP Priests: Olga Lucia Alvarez gave homily,, Janice Sevre-Duszynska and Katy Zatsick 

CONTACT: Jack Wentland, CORPUS, FCM, CITI

jackwentland@gmail.com   860-888-2502

LATIN AMERICAN WOMAN PRIEST TO GIVE HOMILY AT EUCHARIST

REMEMBERING MARTYRS FOR JUSTICE IN LATIN AMERICA

For the eleventh year, the Progressive Catholic Coalition (PCC) will offer a Mass at which both women and men priests preside at a Mass offered at the School of the Americas Watch (SOAW) gathering in Columbus, GA. On this 25^th Anniversary of the martyrdom of two women coworkers and 6 Jesuits at University of Central American in El Salvador in 1989, this Eucharist calls attention to the need to continue the workclose the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, located in Fort Benning Georgia, whose graduates lead the attack on the Central American Jesuit University.

Just as in previous years, PCC organizers expect hundreds to take part—from among the thousands of activists who gather at the event. Each year the “Eucharist of All the People” has  prayed for justice in Latin America and asked blessings on the efforts for justice in the Church. 

On Saturday, November 22, 2014, participants will gather in the Columbus Convention Center at 5:30 PM for Eucharist. The theme of the liturgy is “Women and Men Witnesses to Justice in Latin America.”

This year the homilist will be Colombian Roman Catholic woman priest Olga Lucia Alvarez, ordained in 2010 in Sarasota, Florida and serving in her native Colombia. She is the first Latin American woman ordained priest. There are now three other women priests working in Colombia.

http://judyabl.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/caracol-tv-follows-roman-catholic-woman-priest-olga-lucia-alvarez-in-colombia-with-priests-martha-aida-and-marina-teresa-included/

The PCC is an adhoc planning community that grew out of a recognized need to bring to participants in the SOAW event—especially the young who may not be aware of the reform movement in the Catholic Church—the message of hope for justice in the Church. The justice issues represented by the PCC include ordination of women, optional celibacy for priests, marriage equality & openly embracing all people of every sexual orientation, academic freedom for theologians, greater lay  participation, financial accountability/transparency, transparency of diocesan files of credibly accused sex offenders, justice and due process in church affairs, true religious freedom for all—including women religious. The church reform organizations sponsoring PCC@SOAW 2014 include: Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, Call to Action-usa, CITI Ministries, Inc., CORPUS, Federation of Christian Ministries, Roll Away the Stone and Women’s Ordination Conference.

In addition to the Eucharist, the Progressive Catholic Coalition maintains an Information Table on Ft. Benning Road on November 22rd and 23th to offer information about the work of their sponsoring organizations.

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