Catholics Call for a Church 4 All Includes Women Priests: During Pope Francis’ Visit, ARCWP will ordain 3 women bishops

From: The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) See: www.arcwp.org

Catholics Call for a Church 4 All Includes Women Priests: During Pope Francis’ Visit, ARCWP will ordain 3 women bishops

Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, (D.Min.) Media, 859-684-4247 rhythmsofthedance1@gmail.com

Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, 703-505-0004, sofiabmm@aol.com See: bridgetmarys.blogspot.com

As Pope Francis arrives in the United States, members of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests will be near Philadelphia. On Sept. 24^th at 2 PM at Pendle Hill, PA we will ordain 3 new women bishops from Latin America, Canada and the United States in order to meet our growing needs of women called to priesthood.

We serve inclusive Catholic communities where all are welcome to receive sacraments including gays, lesbians, and transgender as well as divorced and remarried Catholics.

Our ordinations are valid because an anonymous male bishop with apostolic succession ordained our first women bishops. We are disobeying an unjust law in order to bring equality to the Catholic Church. It is not about what the church can do for women, but what women are doing to renew the priesthood.

One-third of all US adult Catholics who were raised in the church have left it. One of the main reasons is disillusionment with the church on the treatment of women.

According to a February 2014 survey by Pew Research Center, 68% of US Catholics support women priests.

“The good news is that the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests is not ordaining bishops to create the same old hierarchy but rather our movement fosters a community of equal partnership with the people of God.” Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan said. “We would love to invite Pope Francis to come and see that in grassroots communities we are creating a church of the people in which women can live out their God-given call to serve as priests.

The bishops-elect are:

Olga Lucia Alvarez of Medellin, Colombia olalbe@gmail.com was educated by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation. She did USEMI Missionary work with indigenous and Afro communities and was secretary of CELAM Medellin 1968. Formation included religious studies, pastoral ministry, catechesis Superior, liberation theology and an emphasis on popular reading of the Bible. Olga was ordained a priest in Sarasota, FL on December 11, 2010. She accompanies several communities and strengthens the ecumenical base primarily of the itinerant. She works with women who are former (ex) convicts and with ASFADES (Association of Families of the Disappeared), is author of several books and articles in biblical-theological reflection and is a Collective Member of the Ecumenical Bible Scholars.   (For English or Spanish speaking information about Olga, U.S. media can contact Deacon Silvia Brandon-Perez silviantonia@gmail.com (510) 294-8584).

Michele Birch Conery of Windsor, ONT Canada (519) 962-7016 liberata999@gmail.com

celebrated her 10^th anniversary as Canada’s first woman priest on July 25^th. Michele was ordained a deacon in Passau, Germany in 2004 and a priest in 2005 on the St. Lawrence Seaway. A retired professor of English Literature and Women’s Studies with a focus on Women and Religion, she lived and ministered on Vancouver Island with outreach to the LGBTQ Dignity Vancouver community. In 2013, she moved to Windsor where she collaborates with priest Barbara Billey and Deacon Jeni Marcus of Detroit with their Heart of Compassion Faith Communities in Ontario and Michigan.

Mary E. Collingwood of Hudson, OH (216) 408-4657 mecreg6@yahoo.com  has served for over 40 years in church ministry. With an MA in Theology from St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Wickliffe, OH, she served as Director of Religious Education, Coordinator for Marriage Preparation, Pastoral Associate, Director of the Diocesan Pro-Life Office and on various boards and councils. Mary and her husband, Rich, continue to be blessed with seven children and are grandparents. Weekly celebration of Eucharist, administering the sacraments, pastoral counseling, and supporting women in ordained ministry is her calling and passion. Mary was ordained a priest in Brecksville, OH on May 24, 2014.

The ordaining bishops are Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, author of 20 books, including Living Gospel Equality Now. She serves as a pastoral member of Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Sarasota, FL sofiabmm@aol.com

Bishop Sibyl Dana Reynolds, RCWP, is author of Ink and Honey, a historic spiritual novel and founder of Belle Coeur, a contemporary, contemplative spiritual community. dana@sacredlifearts.com

A third bishop will also be present. The Federation of Christian Ministries (FCM) will be represented by its president, Thomas Cusak.