"Archbishop plea over women priests"

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2014/05/03/female-priests-anniversary-marked/

The Archbishop of Canterbury said the Church of England still has a "long way to go" as he spoke of the scars and "hurt" suffered by campaigners in favour of women's ordination in the face of "knee-jerk" resistance to change.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, joins women priests on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral to mark the 20th anniversary of the ordination of the first female priests in the Church of England

"The Most Rev Justin Welby urged celebration with "boundless fullness of heart and no holding back" - declaring it is "birthday time, party time" on the 20th anniversary of the ordination of the first women to the priesthood in the Church of England.

But he told more than 2,000 people, including 700 women ordained as priests in 1994, their family and supporters gathered at a national service in St Paul's Cathedral, that they should not overlook the cost to those who had made the change possible.

He said there was "much to celebrate" on the anniversary but the "sacrificial commitment" of those who achieved change should be remembered.

"In our celebrations let us not overlook the cost, the bitterness of disappointment and rejection, the knee-jerk resistance of an institution facing change," he said..."

Dr. Jenai Leads Workshop on Pathways of the Heart: Transformational Journeying at St. Andrew UCC, Sarasota, Florida

Participants gather for workshop sponsored by Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community and St. Andrew UCC

Bridget Mary Meehan introduces Dr. Jenai

Dr. Jenai presents a workshop integrating transpersonal psychology and spirituality that led to an interesting discussion among the participants.

In this workshop Dr. Jenai spoke about developing ways to trust our inner wisdom and essence as healer and guide through the four pathways: the way  of blessing, the way of letting go, the way of creativity, and the way of transformation.
She led us in meditation techniques to celebrate the mystic within.
Dr. Jenai concluded with the following insight:
"As your journey unfolds, embrace the Great Mystery by honoring your heart's path, your sacred calling, the song of your soul."

ARCWP Priest Mary Sue Barnett with Rev. Dr. Marie Fortune at Training Seminar "Teaching Healthy Boundaries"

ARCWP priest Mary Sue Barnett with the Rev. Dr. Marie Fortune in Chicago, April 28-30, 2014 for the training seminar "Teaching Healthy Boundaries." Rev. Fortune is the founder and senior analyst of the FaithTrust Institute. Forty clergy attended the three day training seminar in Chicago and will return to their own cities where they will train other clergy and seminarians in the crucial work of observing and maintaining healthy boundaries for the sacred well-being of our faith communities. 

Homily at Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Third Sunday of Easter, by Rev. Beverly Bingle, RCWP

Got a phone call the other day;
a friend asked, "Have you ever had a mystical experience?"
Well, yeah, I said.
Of course.
Again and again.
Like waking up to the rooster's crow.
Finding the first sprout in the garden.
Running into an old classmate and sharing memories.
Driving past a cemetery and having a talk with Saint Dad.
Thanksgivings with my Toledo cousins and kids.
A trip to Detroit this week
and the chance to hear Bishop Patricia Fresen
talk about prophetic obedience
and break bread with other women
who are Roman Catholic priests and candidates.
____________________________________________
Mystical experiences.
Inbreakings of awareness of God, here and now.
Ecstasy. Happiness. Joy. Energy.
But, as my old spiritual director Fr. Earl Loeffler--
may he rest in peace--used to tell me, mystical experiences
are not something that we can make happen,
not something to stop and gaze at,
but something to carry us as we stumble along the way.
________________________________________
Emmaus is just that,
that mystical inbreaking of God in our lives.
Sharing the story, breaking bread,
experiencing God with us, in us, among us;
and going on with "ordinary" life
with new insight and renewed energy.
It was Karl Rahner who wrote that
"In the days ahead,
you will either be a mystic
(one who has experienced God for real)
or nothing at all."
So we are all called to be mystics.
____________________________________________
And what does that mean?
To have communion with,
identity with,
or conscious awareness of
an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God
through direct experience, intuition, instinct, or insight.
(Got that off the internet.)
____________________________________________
Cleopas and his wife are mystics.
They experience their teacher Jesus, the crucified one,
alive in their lives
as they head home to Emmaus from Jerusalem.
The experience lights a fire in their hearts.
The story is not over.
With renewed energy, they go back to Jerusalem.
They share the story
and break the bread
and go on walking the Way that Jesus taught.
____________________________________________
Lately many of us
have been reading and talking about
Michael Morwood's It's Time,
and as a result we have been struggling with who we are,
who God is,
and how we are to "be" and "become"
with this new cosmology.
We had been taught to pray to an "elsewhere God" for help
even while we memorized the catechism answer
that "God is everywhere,"
but now we begin to understand
the reality of our "everywhere God."
Our own experience--our mystical experience--
has shown us the "here-ness AND everywhere-ness" of God,
both transcendent and imminent,
permeating all that is.
Whether our mystical experience comes
in nature or in our thoughts or in another human being,
we end up in the same spot:
awestruck, grateful, energized,
and compelled to share the story, and to share our selves.
____________________________________________
So we come here to celebrate.
We share our stories as we talk before and after Mass
and as we lift in prayer the names of our loved ones
and the urgent issues of our times.
We listen to the story of Emmaus.
We break bread and share it.
We recognize Jesus in one another.
Like Mr. and Mrs. Cleopas,
we understand what Teresa of Avila was talking about:
Christ has no body now on earth but ours...
ours are the eyes
through which Christ's compassion
is to look out to the earth,
ours are the feet
by which He is to go about doing good
and ours are the hands
by which He is to bless us now.
____________________________________________
We are indeed blessed.
Glory be to God!

--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
at 3535 Executive Parkway (Unity of Toledo)
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m.
Sundays at 9 a.m.
Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
www.holyspirittoledo.org

Rev. Dr. Bev Bingle, Pastor
419-727-1774

Bridget Mary Meehan Presents Talk/Movie on Roman Catholic Women Priests at Unitarian Universalist Church in Sarasota, Fl. Today

Call to Action Slideshow Homily: Roman Catholic Women Priests

Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls Leads to Mass Weddings/ A Moral Outrage and Violation of Human Rights/"Cry out as if you had a million voices, it is silence which kills the world.'

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/29/kidnapped-nigerian-schoolgirls-marriage-claims

..."It's unbearable. Our wives have grown bitter and cry all day. The abduction of our children and the news of them being married off is like hearing of the return of the slave trade," said Yakubu Ubalala, whose 17- and 18-year-old daughters Kulu and Maimuna are among the disappeared. The parents are planning a mass rally on Saturday to lobby the government for official updates rather than having to rely on reports from local people..."

Bridget Mary's Response:

This moral outrage and violation of human rights challenges religious and civil leaders and governments to take action for justice and equality for girls and women throughout the world. God is always on the side of the oppressed. The full equality of women and girls as equal images of God is the voice of God in our times. Let us pray for the rescue of these girls and as St. Catherine of Siena advised when faced with injustice, "Cry out as if you had a million voices, she urges.  It is silence which kills the world.  Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.”  Bridget Mary Meehan, www.arcwp.org

Discover Mystical Ireland Pilgrimage with Bridget Mary Meehan/Deadline May 21st

Here is the information http://www.travelscouter.com/mystical-ireland/

 Please print out the last page of the PDF and print the information. The deposit is $300 and the final payment is due by May 21, 2014. 

Poulnabrone Dolmen (Poll na mBrón in Irish, meaning "hole of the quern stones" (bró in Irish)) is a portal tomb in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland

"A Step Forward for Married Men is a Giant Step Backward for Women"

A step forward for married men is a giant step backward for women

..."So before we rejoice in the possibility of the inclusion of married priests, we must be sure we understand hierarchy's criteria for "proven men." What may seem like an incremental movement toward reform could actually result in the reinforcement of the church's restrictive teachings on women.

A change that appears progressive doesn't necessarily spell progress. True reform will only come when our church is a reflection of justice, not a manifestation of inequality. Until then, a step forward for married men could be a major step backward for women in the church."

"Economic Inequality: Can Theology Say Something New?"

http://www.politicaltheology.com/blog/economic-inequality-can-theology-say-something-new/

"Why-millennials-are-leaving-the-church" Rachel Held Evans, Special to CNN

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/27/why-millennials-are-leaving-the-church/

...You can’t hand us a latte and then go about business as usual and expect us to stick around. We’re not leaving the church because we don’t find the cool factor there; we’re leaving the church because we don’t find Jesus there.Like every generation before ours and every generation after, deep down, we long for Jesus...

"Saints Without Cassocks" by Francis Butler/NCR

http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/saints-without-cassocks-reflections-canonization

..."Where are the ordinary laity? Will obscurity continue to remain the destiny of a righteous layperson lacking a large religious community or diocese to plead his or her cause for sainthood?Many of us can promptly think of deceased members of the faithful who lived very holy lives and make inspiring examples of the kind of people Francis has said the church is looking for -- "saints without cassocks and without veils..."

Sixteen Roman Catholics Seal The Deal To Love and Follow Christ: Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan Celebrant

http://judyabl.wordpress.com/2014/04/27/sixteen-roman-catholics-seal-the-deal-to-love-and-follow-christ-bishop-bridget-mary-meehan-celebrant/

On Saturday April 26th sixteen members of The Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community of Fort Myers, Florida were confirmed in the faith by Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, Roman Catholic Woman Bishop in Sarasota, Florida. Pastors and Roman Catholic Women Priests Judith Beaumont and Judith Lee presented the group of eight young people, aged 12-18, and eight adults, aged 35-61 for the Rite of Confirmation.  One man, Robert Swanson, 53, was also baptized before the Confirmation. He and five others also received First Holy Communion after years of faithful attendance and Catechesis at Good Shepherd.  For Robert and for each one this Spirit filled celebration represents a turning around of his life and a choice to live in the Light and share Christ’s love with others in the community. Including the Sponsors,parents and Robert’s daughter and grandsons twenty-eight people from The Good Shepherd community and over thirty members and friends of Mary Mother Of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community of Sarasota joined in joyful celebration. Almost all of the Confirmands and their families have experienced homelessness, poverty, unemployment ,healthcare and other difficult life struggles. Yet their determination to follow Christ and their love and joyful spirits lifted all present.

Pastor Phil Garrison welcomed the Confirmands and all present to the St. Andrew United Church of Christ that hosted us.  Dorothy Irvin, theologian and Archaeologist who has unearthed many proofs of women’s clerical roles in the first twelve Centuries was also present. She commented that she was raised in Belle Grade, Florida and grew up in segregation as all of the older Good Shepherd Confirmands did, and witnessing our loving interracial and inter cultural celebration was especially meaningful to her. Truly here in this sacred moment, young and old, black and white, men and women, well to do and poor, American born and people of other lands and cultures joined together as a discipleship of equals in the Body of Christ. Thanks be to God!

Pastor Judy Lee makes introductions and Pastor Phil Garrison of St. Andrew UCC Church welcomes the Congregation and the Confirmands who are about to process

Gathering Around the Altar

Mary Mother of Jesus  Co-Pastor Katy Zatsick with us at altar 

Nathaniel Chester, Natasha Terrell and Lauretta Rasmussen and Hank Tessandori

of Good Shepherd were the Lectors. Rev. Katy Zatsick read the Gospel.  Linda Lee Miska of MMOJ was the Minister of Music and Cyrillia Rismay of Good Shepherd

led in song.

The Baptism of Robert Swanson

Robert and his family and sponsors, Dr. Joe and Pearl Cudjoe gather at the baptismal Font, and Pastor Judy Lee anoints,baptizes and passes the Light to Robert. Robert’s Grandson, Craig, traces the sign of the Cross on his forehead.

In Christ you are made new!

THE CONFIRMATION 

Bishop Bridget Mary anoints each one with Holy Chrism oil making the sign of the Cross on their foreheads and saying:

“Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit”

And this is JOY!

THANKS BE TO GOD!

Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP Confirms 16 Catholics from Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community/Video Clips

Co-Pastors Judy Lee and Judy Beaumont, Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, (www.arcwp.org) presented 16 members of their Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community in Ft. Myers, Florida for the Sacrament of Confirmation and they co-presided with Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, at liturgy with Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Sarasota, Florida on April 26, 2014. Here are some video clips of highlights from the Mass courtesy of Jim Marsh.

























(Special thanks to Linda Lee Miska our musician, to the sponsors and to the communities of Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community in Ft. Myers and to Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community. We are grateful to Pastor Phil Garrison and the UCC community for their gracious hospitality at St. Andrew UCC in Sarasota, Florida.)
www.arcwp.org
www.marymotherofjesus.org