Advancing women in the church? Just do it!

At a “Whither Women of the Church” pre-conference seminar, 120 women and men, like the whole conference, were eager to take action. Archaeologist Dorothy Irvin’s slides of ancient frescos and artifacts showed women, not aspiring to be prophets, priests, deacons and bishops, but actually holding these leadership offices. The images were riveting: like a second century fresco of women celebrating Eucharist at the catacombs of Priscilla; or a ninth century mosaic of Theodora, a woman bishop shown in apostolic succession to Mary the mother of Jesus, still visible at a church in Rome.

Author Angela Bonovoglia told stories of “Good Catholic Girls” distinguished for bold action: like Joan Chittister’s successful high stakes showdown with the Vatican in 2001 about speaking at the Women’s Ordination Worldwide Conference to Barbara Blaine’s passionate founding of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

“I think I felt the call when I was five as much as now...only at five I didn’t know it was against the cosmic rules,” said Deborah Halter. “To deny priesthood to women does a real number on the men as well. We distort the Gospel and we distort our worship. What it says is: my biology is more important than my spirituality.”

FutureChurch’s Chris Schenk presented a quick course in community organizing. She provided an array of practical strategies and “how tos” gleaned from the highly successful FutureChurch/CTA Mary of Magdala and Celebrating Women Witnesses projects. She confirmed that a new coalition for women’s equality in the Church is being formed by the major reform organizations.

A pastoral minister epitomized the impatience to just do it. “At the nursing home, I show that a woman can represent the church with integrity. Soon the people will rise up and say ‘Why can’t this woman be our priest?’’ Why indeed!

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Pilgrimage planned next March

Dorothy Irvin and Sr. Chris Schenk will lead an eight-day Rome pilgrimage, March 30 to April 8, 2006, to archaeological sites of women officeholders in the early Church. View frescoes, mosaics and artifacts of early women leaders, including deacons, priests, teachers, stewards, and bishops in Rome, Ostia and Assisi. Take this oppor-tunity to learn, pray, reflect and redis-cover our rich heritage of Catholic women leaders. Every effort is being made to keep costs reasonable. For more detailed information e-mail pilgrimage@futurechurch.org or call 212 564-9070, ext. 256.