Last month in Sarasota, a group called Roman Catholic Womenpriests ordained two women and a deacon. It was the first such ordination in Florida by the group, whose members consider themselves Catholic but who are considered outcasts by the Church hierarchy.While neither of the women was from Miami or anywhere else in South Florida, (the closest resident to this area is Dena O'Callaghan of Ocala) I believe these spiritual women have taken an important step in stamping out discrimination against women in all areas of life.
Meet Janice Sevre-Duszynska, 60, who was ordained with the first group of womenpriests in 2006. She is from Lexington, Ky., and I spoke to her during a break at the annual meeting for the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations now in session in New York.
So why am I introducing you to Sevre-Duszynska, a woman from Kentucky? I am doing so because she represents something I, and many other women, have faced throughout our life: discrimination.
When I called Sevre-Duszynska, she told me about the time she interrupted an ordination service at a Catholic church in her hometown.
``I walked down the aisle and declared, `I have been called to the priesthood by the Holy Spirit. ... I came hoping you would ordain me for all the women.' ''
That was Jan. 17, 1998. Sevre-Duszynska was 48.
Her bravery and her story reminded me of the civil rights' sit-ins of the 1950s and '60s, when blacks were jailed simply for seeking the right of being treated equal to whites.
Today in the U.S. Roman Catholic Church, there are five women bishops, at least 38 womenpriests and nine deacons throughout the United States.
In addition, there are two Canadian Roman Catholic womenpriests.
It hasn't been easy for the women, nor for the male priests who support them.
They often face ridicule from other Catholics and excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church.
Take the Rev. Roy Bourgeois, who lives in Georgia, for example. A Roman Catholic priest for 38 years, he has been shunned by the church because he supports and ordained the first womenpriests.
I spoke to Bourgeois by phone earlier this week.
``As I discovered the injustice of the refusal to ordain women as priests, I came to the conclusion that we have a clear injustice being done against women, the Catholic Church and our loving God, who calls women, like men, to the priesthood,'' Bourgeois said. ``I saw the injustice so clearly I had to speak up.''
He said when he participated in Sevre-Duszynska's ordination, he received a letter from the Vatican a month later. ``In the letter, I was given 30 days to recant my public statement and belief that support the ordination of womenpriests,'' Bourgeois said. ``I took two weeks from work to pray and give my response to the Vatican.
In his response Bourgeois said in part, ``Who are we as men to say to women our call from God is valid but yours is not? Who are we to negate God's call of women to the priesthood? As Catholics, we profess that God created men and women of equal worth and dignity. As Catholic priests we all say that the call to the priesthood comes from God. Therefore our church's teaching that excludes women from the priesthood can not stand up to scrutiny and at the very core of this teaching is sexism. And sexism, like racism is a sin. No matter how hard the Vatican tries to justify discrimination against women, in the end, it is immoral.
``Conscience is very sacred. it compels us to do the right thing and connects us to God. And in conscience, I cannot and will not recant my belief and public statements that supports the ordination of women.''
As of today, Bourgeois said there has been no response to his letter. ``As a common decency and courtesy, I answer every letter I receive. I feel I did nothing wrong. Although most Catholics I know want to ordain women, we are not allowed to discuss this matter in any Catholic church.''
Bourgeois mentioned that in New Orleans alone, more than 60 Catholic churches were closed last year, partly because of a shortage of priests.
``Why not let womenpriests lead those churches so they can stay open?'' he asked.
Womenpriests are not alone in their struggle.
Women in some Protestant churches also face discrimination when it comes to being ordained as preachers.
I called the Florida Baptist Association, an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, and a spokeswoman there told me the Convention still does not recognize women preachers.
And while some Pentecostal churches invite women preachers into their pulpits, some others ask women preachers to speak from a lower lectern near the pulpit.
Bishop Walter H. Richardson, pastor and overseer of The Church of God Tabernacle in Miami said his church has a long history of supporting and encouraging women ministers.
``I feel that if the Lord anoints a person -- woman or man -- to preach, then you are qualified to preach from the pulpit or street or wherever the Lord leads you,'' he said.
Bourgeois likened the Catholic church's stand against the womenpriests movement to the many years the Catholic church opposed the abolition of slavery.
``This grave injustice being done against women and the Church will not go away,'' Bourgeois said. ``They cannot stop it. It is a movement whose time has come.
``Over 5,000 priests and bishops sexually abused more than 12,000 children in the Catholic church. Many bishops were aware of the crimes and remained silent. The bishops and priests who committed the crimes were not excommunicated.
``However, women who want to be priests, and anyone who supports them are excommunicated. This is a scandal,'' he said.
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