September 2001 Call to Action News

Write On

Bush rebate helps CTA

What does one do with a "gift" from George Bush?
Sending it to you makes it easy to accept.

Mary Beth Jones Green Bay, Wis.
(Jones donated her 2001 tax rebate check to CTA.)

A miter for Joan

Over and over we have seen women religious like Chittister and Jeannine Gramick refuse to be silenced as religious and baptized members of the Catholic community. The courage and integrity of religious women is in stark contrast to our U.S. bishops, who behave like frightened seminarians rather than authentic leaders as the Vatican continues to strip away their proper role in leading their dioceses and the U.S. church. The Vatican meddling with Archbishop Weakland's cathedral renovation is another case in point. Fortunately Weakland, sadly on the verge of retirement, is not buckling under. It remains to be seen if his brother bishops will rally to his cause. It is more likely that they will turn away, afraid to risk their own advancement up the episcopal food chain by challenging Rome.

If gender were viewed from a moral perspective and not anatomically, these valiant women have the "equipment" to be ordained and lead our Church rather than the episcopal "castrati" who have lost the confidence of the people and priests. It's time to give the miter and crozier to our true leaders.

Pat Callahan, Seattle, Wash.

Pastor Jenny

I have read articles about the Vatican trying to suppress women's voices on the ordination of women. I fully support those brave women who defy the male hierarchy and continue to speak out. We shall lose our parish priest and his Dominican friars from our parish at the beginning of 2002. As his pastoral assistant, and a married lay woman, I have been surprised by the reaction of many parishioners who think I should be ordained to take the place of the priest. There are other women in the parish better qualified than I to be a priest, though the general reaction of the parishioners is encouraging.

Jenny Wilson, Auckland, New Zealand

CTA's 25 year story gives hope

Congratulations on the July issue, a great history of God's work for 25 years. I was dispensed in 1974 (ordained 1950), married 1977 and saw my darling go to heaven in 2001 after 11 years of Alzheimer's. Seeing the shortage of parish priests, the non-recognition of women in so many ways and the many other controversial issues facing the People of God today and "the church's" non-response is discouraging and depressing. Bishop Ray Lucker's statement that CTA reminds us the "the bishops alone are not the Church, that WE are the Body of Christ, God's people," gives me renewed hope.

Charles W. Towner, Tucson, Ariz.