March 25, 2006

"Good Catholic Girls Stand Up for Women's Ordination"

Kansas City, Missouri

By Liz Donnelly

On Saturday afternoon, March 25 th the sun was shining brightly. Fifteen women met, prayed and sang together at my home in Kansas City. The youngest present was 15 and the elder women were in their 70s. A few knew each other before they came, and all were familiar by the end of the service.

Some of the women regularly attend a Catholic church, others occasionally do, and some have left, or are thinking of leaving. One woman asked why this service was not being held in church. All were enthusiastic about being together on the Feast of the Annunciation and joining with many others in the World Day of Prayer for Women’s Ordination.

It was most touching when each went around the circle with the “Hail (and the person’s name) full of grace…” Our opening song was The Summons and we all felt we had been called to this place at this time, to pray for justice and equality in our church. Our closing song was Holy Ground, and as the verses went from Holy Ground to Holy Hands and then Holy Lips, and we felt like priestly people.

We still have voices and we still have the support of many others who could not be present on that day. We all agreed that the endeavor to live as Jesus taught, with equality and justice, was well worth the effort.

There was something about the women who came together to pray for our church to recognize and use the gifts of all of its members that was special and lasting throughout the weekend, and hopefully into the year. We will continue our effort to spread the word and find those like-minded men and women in our area to support one another.

Liz Donnelly has been an active WOC member since 2002.