January-February 2001

Sisters show courage under fire

Like Joan Chittister, many women in the U.S. Church bravely continue their roles in ministry even after recriminations from church officials. Two examples come from Boston, Mass., and Rochester, N.Y.

Boston, Mass. - Sr. Jeannette Normandin, a Sister of St. Ann for 52 years and a revered leader in prison ministry, care of the homeless, outreach to gays, and ministry to women with AIDS, was fired and evicted after 11 years living and working at the Jesuit Urban Center (JUC). Her offense: pouring water and anointing with chrism in tandem with a priest at the baptism of two baby boys, and wearing an alb and stole while helping to officiate at a wedding. After consulting with Cardinal Bernard Law, Jesuit officials abruptly sacked her, without a word of warning or discussion. Protests have been widespread. Both James Carroll of the Boston Globe and Margery Eagan of the Boston Herald published strongly worded columns defending Normandin. CTA members have been active in the protests: Normandin is a favorite speaker at annual conferences of CTA New England.

Her work as founder of Ruah, a residence for poor women with HIV and AIDS, continues. But 500 Catholics, mainly gay, who worship at JUC are devastated: she was a major reason they felt welcome there, and the babies she helped baptize are the adopted children of two gay couples in that community.

This is a second step backward by the New England Jesuits regarding women. After a series of creative dialogues with Massachusetts Women Church over the forthright 1995 Jesuit declaration about injustice to women in the church, last year on orders from Cardinal Law they barred Women Church from their premises.

Rochester, N.Y. - Josephite Sr. Margie Henninger was told by her congregation to stop calling herself “sister” as long as she continues to work with Spiritus Christi, the parish community which evolved from Corpus Christi Parish and which the Rochester diocese considers schismatic. Henninger is director of a halfway house for the addicted sponsored by Spiritus Christi. Her order says it would support her in such work if she severed ties with Spiritus, and hopes to avoid dismissing her. But Henninger says her conscience calls her to remain with Spiritus Christi, where she is one of 16 on a staff that includes Mary Ramerman, Fr. Jim Callan and Fr. Enrique Cadena. The group is thriving, with over 1,000 attending eucharist each week, and over $10,000 in the weekly collection. It supports several outreach ministries to prisons and the urban poor, and missions in Haiti and Mexico.