November 2007

Dear Friend,

Your interest in celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe brings us joy. The Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) acknowledges the diversity of the Catholic community and offers you this opportunity to honor Our Lady of the Americas. Thank you for accepting the invitation.

It is customary in Latin America for family and friends to gather to pray the Rosary for different purposes. For example, for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I have prayed the Rosary as part of a novena, where my family and neighbors gathered at a different household for nine consecutive nights. A statue of Our Lady was carried from one home to the next in a procession. After praying the Rosary each night, we shared light refreshments and good conversation. I can see how this would be a great time to talk about women’s ordination!

In this packet, you will find a novena to Our Lady (adapted with inclusive language from the traditional version), the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Litany of Mary of Nazareth by Diann Neu.

Since Mary is also called the Mother of Vocations, the novena includes prayers for more priests, women and men, and to renew our church and transform its ministries to be more inclusive, democratic and accountable to the People of God.

Please take pictures of your event and assign someone to write an article about it. That way we will be able to publicize it in our quarterly newsletter, NewWomen, NewChurch.

In the name of Our Mother and Her Beloved Son, Jesus,

Nidza D. Vázquez

Program Director