It Was A Banner Year For The Ordination of Women to the Roman Catholic Priesthood: Yes, This Already Exists

Last year, 2022, was a banner year for the ordination of women to the Roman Catholic Priesthood. World wide, since 2002, there are almost three hundred Ordained Priests and Deacons in the line of Apostolic succession in the Roman Catholic Church. In 2022, nine well prepared women were ordained Priests and eight were ordained Deacons and one a Bishop through the Roman Catholic Women Priest Movement, RCWP. We welcome all of them to the RCWP inclusive community of equals.

The names of the nine women ordained as Roman Catholic Priests in 2022 are: Rev. Teresa Elder Hanlon of Alberta ,Canada-4/30/22, Bishop +Jane Kryzanowski Presiding; Rev. Katie Nimcheski of Albany, New York-June 4, 2022-+Bridget Mary Meehan Presiding; Rev. Donna Johnson-Smith of Olympia, Washington-July 30,2022-+Bishops Jane Via and Suz Thiel Presiding; Revs. Mary Ann Matthys and Phillis Sheppard of Albany, New York-8/27/2022-+Bridget Mary Meehan Presiding; Revs. Vieda Baker and Denise Bernt of Portland, Oregon-9/10/22-+Suz Thiel Presiding; Rev. Rosemary Robinson of San Francisco, California +Bridget Mary Meehan Presiding; Rev. Elaine Pfaff of Corolla, North Carolina-October 10,2022-+Bridget Mary Meehan Presiding.

On October 22,2022 in Coralville, Iowa Rev. Martha Sherman was ordained Bishop-Presiding Bishops were: +Nancy Meyer, +Jean Marchant, +Mary Keldermans and + Jane Kryzanowski.

Below we see: On September, 10, 2022- Ordination of Veida Baker and Denise Bernt as Priests in Portland Oregon, +Suz Thiel Presiding Bishop and Priests of the Western Region of the United States.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

The Roman Catholic WomenPriest Movement was launched on June 29th, 2002 in a ship on the Danube River near Passau, Germany when seven exceptionally well prepared women were ordained to the priesthood. Their names were: Dr. Ida Raming, Dr. Iris Muller, Dr.Gisela Forster, Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, Adelinde Roitinger, Dagmar Celeste, and Pia Brunner. They were ordained by two male bishops in good standing with the church who passed on Apostolic Succession with the laying on of hands. Hence, they were really and validly ordained. The excommunications that they, and we, sustain due to ordination is a penalty we do not accept. For nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and the call to serve the people of God. Revs. Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger and Rev. Dr. Gisela Forster were ordained Bishops in 2003 by three valid male Bishops. Hence Apostolic Succession and valid ordination are now passed down to us by our own women Bishops. When the male Bishops who brought RCWP into being initially are deceased their names will be revealed. At the original Episcopal Ordination one of the male Bishops said to Revs. Christine and Gisela: “…This is not for you, but for bringing ordination to all women in the world who desire to become priests…Don’t sleep, don’t do ‘nothing’, don’t think this is enough. Be active as Bishops, go to the people and to those who need you.” (From “The Start: the Danube Seven and the Bishop Heroes”, by Gisela Forster, pp.9-13 in Women Find A Way-The Movement and Stories of Roman Catholic WomenPriests,2008, Edited By: McGrath, Meehan and Raming, VBW Press). Going to those who need us is exactly what all of our nearly 300 ordained do every day. We have a variety of ministries and churches throughout the world. We are simply Priests who serve God’s people throughout the world.

And we are a part of a long history of women clerics in the Church since the beginning. As these charts by Dr. Dorothy Irvin, PhD, (Pontifical Doctorate in Theology) theologian, Biblical archaeologist and scholar shows there were women who were Deacons, Priests and Bishops in the early church. On the bottom of the first chart which appears in a 2007 calendar, she includes some of the women ordained on the Danube in 2002). Dr. Irvin has also compiled The Archaeology of Women’s Traditional Ministries in the Church including her calendars and writings, also called The Rebound.

Dr. Irvin said “The archaeological evidence shows women as receiving ordination and experiencing ministries on par with men”.

AND AGAIN IN THE PRESENT TIME:

I was ordained in Boston, Mass. on July 20, 2008 along with Revs. Gabriella Velardi Ward of New York and Rev. Gloria Carpeneto of Maryland. Rev. Dana Reynolds and Rev. Dr. Ida Raming were presiding Bishops. We all remain active in our ministries and churches. Since then I have been the Pastor of the Good Shepherd Ministries and Inclusive Catholic Community in Fort Myers, Florida. Our church is a diverse group of women, men and children, old and young, who represent all colors and cultures and sexual orientations. Many were homeless and formerly homeless, and poor and well to do worship and serve one another and the community together. Due to Covid 19 and other factors I am not regularly celebrating Mass now but our community remains and I am still Pastor. It is the joy and fulfillment of my life. Below I am with Rvda. Marina Sanchez Mejia and some members of our Good Shepherd Community after Mass pre-Covid when we could still meet inside. More recently we have met outside.

Below are Priests and members of the Good Shepherd community gathered for the priestly Ordination of Rev. Marina Elena Sierra Sanchez of Colombia, South America with the Presiding Bishop Andrea Johnson at our Good Shepherd Church in February of 2017.

Long Live all who serve throughout the world, long live Priests and Pastors and Ministers and all people who live to serve God’s people, LONG LIVE Roman Catholic Women Priests among them!

We are hoping to redress injustice in the man-made rules of the modern and post modern Church denying ordination to women, and challenge mythology and lack of knowledge of the roles of women in the Priesthood since the church began by spreading truthful information. If knowledge is power, then we must know.

We are not new, and we ARE here. Women Priests exist NOW in the Roman Catholic Church. Come, get to know us and spread the truth so every year is a banner year for women priests in the Church, and every year speaks to justice in the church and in the world we serve.

Blessings,

Rev. Dr. Judy Lee, RCWP

Good Shepherd Ministries of SW Florida

2/11/2023