Perhaps one of the most touching descriptions of God as multi-gendered, if gendered at all, came from Jesus’ analogy of God as Mother Hen. How appropriate for the Easter season! And how appropriate for all of us who witness for the leadership and ordination of people of all genders in our Church. From Luke 13:31-32,…
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This is not going to be what you expect. Holy Saturday is Limbo. It’s between the sorrow of Good Friday and the joy of Easter. Thereare no rituals except to prepare for tomorrow, or, nowadays, to pretend that 8 pm is reallymidnight. Limbo is more than not knowing. It is fearing and anticipation, wanting and…
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It is Holy Week. Throughout the world people are in processions. Some are participating in religious traditions; some are marching for their lives. Some begin in Palm Sunday joy and end in Good Friday grief; others begin in terror and grief and end in, if not joy, then at least safety and welcome. Still others…
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The blue suit said it all. When Sr. Nathalie Becquart addressed the vast audience gathered by New Ways Ministry, she wore a blue suit. Immediately, there was no clerical barrier confronting those who might be less receptive yet who had decided to participate. When she spoke to Global Sisters Report, she was more casually dressed,…
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We have just celebrated the feast of the Annunciation. A submissive Mary or a courageous Mary – depending on your take on the story or perhaps on women, themselves – has just said either: “Let it be done unto me” or “Yes”. Most of us, I hope, prefer the latter. In any case, Mary did…
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There is only so much room in a single blog, so that’s why I am focusing on three women among the excellent articles that have arrived on my desk this week: Soline Humbert, Joan Chittister, and Christine Schenk. First, Soline Humbert. If you attended the wonderful WOW liturgy last Sunday and hung around for the…
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How prevalent, how ingrained, how sad – still – is our penchant to evaluate our own our worth through other people’s eyes, especially, although not exclusively, if we are female or other-gendered. In these waning days of a month focusing on women, I offer a short piece that gives us one more tool to assess…
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There are only so many ideas, apparently. I thought of this wonderful beginning for today’s blog and in saving it I found this, from May 20, 2020: Step by step the longest march can be won, can be won  Many stones can form an arch, singly none, singly none  And by union, what we will…
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Some recent articles focusing on Women’s History Month have been quite provocative, especially when penned by women of color. I have had my proud and persistent dedication to feminism challenged in the past and have made amendments as a result, but these newer perspectives along with their reminders of some past problematic manifestations of the…
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After rejoicing last week about women’s leadership, I must write about my response to the Pew report issued this week analyzing Black Catholics in the US. Pew has an outsize influence on American religious conversation because they have data, careful data. All religious groups come under their scrutiny, not just Catholics, though Catholics, even Bishops,…
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