Second African American Woman to Be Ordained a Roman Catholic Woman Priest

Ordination ceremony for Donnieau Snyder of Roman Catholic Womenpriests

Deacon Donnieau Snyder of Stanislaus County will be ordained as a reverend in the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement during a ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 30, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 3973 N. Cedar Ave., Fresno.

The Roman Catholic Church issued its clearest opposition to the Womenpriests in 2008 by announcing that they and the bishops who ordain them would be excommunicated. Snyder’s ordination will make her the first female priest from the region, the second black female priest and the 125th worldwide.

“The Roman Catholic Church has yet to open their doors to women in recognizing their call,” Snyder said during a Fresno news conference April 14, “but the spirit will move regardless.”

Donnieau Snyder Ordained womandeacon 2014 RCWP-USA	CONGRATULATIONS AND BLESSINGS, DONNIEAU!	Donnieau Snyder, PhD is a member of New Spirit Rising, an inclusive Catholic faith community located in Fresno, CA. She loves and is deeply devoted to the various facets of her ministry which includes serving her faith community, religious education, working with homeless veterans dually diagnosed with mental health needs and substance abuse issues, as well as working with homeless teens and young adults. Her ministry work stretches across California’s central valley and the San Francisco bay area. She has a deep passion for social justice which includes advocating for women’s leadership across all faiths, community outreach to assist with appropriate access to mental health services and providing education about mental health. Dr. Snyder was ordained a deacon on September 06, 2014.