Do you say this to yourself when you see another blog from me about the Synod? I have to confess I think that myself. What you need to know is that Southeastern Pennsylvania Women’s Ordination Conference, myself included, has demonstrated for forty years outside the Cathedral. While we know that we have caused some people…
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Here are two books I would love to see taught in all middle schools but especially Catholic ones.Both (almost) made me want to start teaching again – even in middle school! One is called Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King. The menacing “black rectangles” of the title attack pre-teen’s schoolbooks, first encapsulating…
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As I sit down to write this, the Queen of England dies. On the BBC, I hear first a comment from the Roman Catholic Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, and then one from the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury. How ironic. What does this mean in the long history of the monarchy, even as the Boleyn family…
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Aren’t we all bursting with pride in the undaunted intrepidness, the unwavering dignity, and the unfailing spirit of our WOC and WOW representatives and witnesses at the cardinals’ gathering in Rome last week? We salute you inspiring women, and we shower you with praise! As it turned out, our women had come perfectly prepared for…
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This week I will take a break from my Synod series and rejoice in some CARDINAL actions.First, of course, is Women’s Ordination Worldwide’s terrific nighttime witness. Despite all the problems the Vatican presents for us, evening in St. Peter’s Square is magical, and our creative leaders added to the magic with their message. Second is…
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Two Vatican documents from the past half-century form the basis for the Church’s official stance on women’s ordination today. The first, a declaration from the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Inter Insigniores, was issued in 1976 with the approval of Pope Paul VI. The latter of the two documents is Pope John…
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OK. You’ve been waiting for it. What have the US Bishops done with the Synod reports from 95% of the dioceses in our country? We need a text! According to Brian Fraga in NCR, in early August the “synod team” held a “writing retreat” after “regional reports” had been prepared. I suppose some rubric is…
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Often, when I prepare dinner for friends or for the family gathered for a special occasion, I become conscious of the sacredness of the meal, especially when it is attentively prepared and genially shared. I also become aware that the spaces in which it is prepared and in which it is served have become sacred.…
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Last week no new article appealed to me. This week, the results of the Irish Synod came out, and WOW. Literally, Women’s Ordination Worldwide! After Australia and Germany, here we go again. In contrast to the Australian kerfuffle over the role of women, the Irish are not afraid to say what they really want. Mary…
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Do you find yourself in E. B. White’s quandary? It’s hard to know when to respond to the seductiveness of the world and when to respond to its challenge. If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning…
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