Author: Kate McElwee

On being ‘doubly othered’

By Margery Eagan: On Spirituality columnist, Crux August 12, 2015: Read the Full article on Crux “Doubly othered.” That is how Gina Messina-Dysert describes her life as a faithful feminist and a faithful Catholic. She is suspect within Catholicism for her feminism. She is suspect among feminists for her Catholicism. “Doubly othered.” What a perfect name,…
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Sr. Joan Chittister and Martin Sheen endorse WOW 2015

“The reason some questions cannot be suppressed, do not go away–regardless how many people think they should–is because the human heart knows they must be asked or have yet to be clearly answered.  When that question concerns the quality of the discipleship of half the Catholics in the world, it cries out for attention. And will continue to…
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Women’s ordination: Can we be public?

July 14, 2015: Read the full article by Sr. Jeannine Gramick on the NCR’s Global Sisters Report  In mid-April of this year, I was one of 38 Catholic leaders from 22 different Catholic reform organizations that met in Limerick, Ireland, in a four-day conference to discuss the state of the church. Hosted by the Irish…
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Warm welcome for Pope’s ‘significant’ climate change message

Read the full article by Patsy McGarry on the Irish Times … Radical rethinking In Dublin, Christian Aid’s head of advocacy and policy Sorley McCaughey praised Pope Francis for his call for a radical rethinking of humanity’s relationship with the earth and urged both people of faith in all walks of life, and especially politicians, to…
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WOC responds to Pope’s Encyclical

For Immediate Release Contact: WOC Co-Executive Directors Erin Saiz Hanna, (USA) +1 401.588.0457 Kate McElwee, (Italy) +39 393.692.2100 The Women’s Ordination Conference applauds Pope Francis for awakening global consciousness about the exploitation and suffering of our natural and spiritual world in his encyclical Laudato Si’. Integral ecology has long been the study of feminist theologians.…
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Open letter to Pope Francis: “You need vibrant parishes…”

From the Windy City Times Representatives from 22 international Catholic groups working for a more just and compassionate church have written an open letter to Pope Francis asking him to focus his attention on the task of revitalizing local parishes as a way to allow for joint decision-making and greater accountability of church leadership. The…
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International Catholic Leaders Call on Pope to Revamp Parish Structure and Management

For Immediate Release: May 12, 2015 Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, 240-432-2489 Sister Jeannine Gramick, SL, National Coalition of American Nuns, 301-864-3604 Kate McElwee, Women’s Ordination Conference, 202-675-1006 Deborah Rose-Milavec, FutureChurch, 216-228-0869 International Catholic Leaders Call on Pope to Revamp Parish Structure and Management Representatives from 22 international Catholic groups working for a more just…
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This Documentary Celebrates the Lives of Three Feminist American Nuns

Read the original article on Huffington Post Radical Grace , a compelling documentary celebrating the lives of three feminist American nuns, made its world premiere to rave reviews on April 28 at the Hot Docs International Film Festival in Toronto. The film — at turns entertaining, educational and inspiring — illustrates profoundly how social justice…
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Lay reform groups discuss equality of women, church governance at international meeting

The role and full equality of women in church life as well as the governance of the church were the two main issues discussed by delegates at the second international meeting of priest associations and lay reform groups here April 13-17. In a statement at the conclusion of their four-day gathering, the 38 delegates from…
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Pope does little to upend status quo on gender and sex, say advocates

Read the full article on Aljazeera America When the Vatican announced last week that it had abruptly concluded its crackdown on a group that represents more than 41,000 American nuns for allegedly promoting “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith,” a familiar hero emerged: Pope Francis, liberal reformer of the Catholic Church. “What a…
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