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MARCH/APRIL 2010
CORPUS REPORTS
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Womenpriests Make Major Breakthrough in Sarasota BY CAROL ANN BREYER ELLENTON, FLORIDA Carol Ann Breyer currently lives in Ellenton, Florida, where she is involved in environmental education as a certified Master Gardener and issues of peace and justice as an active member of Pax Christi Florida, that she headed from 2005-2008. Since 2006, when she attended the ordination of seven female candidates in Pittsburgh, she has been involved with the Roman Catholic Womenprirests Her interest in inclusive priesthood may be attributed to membership on the national Board of CORPUS from 1992 to 2000. Two factors affecting her support of women priests are her long-standing association with Bridget Mary Meehan which dates back to the participation of both in the Federation of Christian Ministries, and her geographical proximity to Sarasota where Bridget Mary serves as bishop of a growing congregation. Her husband, Lee Breyer, continues his sacramental ministry, and was named a priest partner of the inclusive community of Mary, Mother of Jesus.
T
he Roman Catholic Womenpriests are making it happen. Since the ordination of seven women on the famous three rivers of Pittsburgh in 2006, the momentum of the movement has surged forward with the foundation of house churches, outreach ministries, and the consecration of bishops eager to ordain candidates-in-waiting whose numbers continue to grow. Florida now has four women priests on the state’s west coast where Bridget Mary Meehan, one of the Pittsburgh ordinands, now presides as the local bishop. “Bishops in the Roman Catholic Womenpriests model perform an important dual function: First, ordaining qualified candidates as deacons, priests, and bishops in a renewed priestly ministry, and second, communicating and living our vision of partnership and equality in the local community,” she states. The ceremony that created American bishops last April was led by Bishops Patricia Fresen, Ida Raming, and Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, who were in the original group of women ordained in 2003. At that time, the ordination was conducted by a
legitimately functioning Roman Catholic bishop in Europe who believes that women deserve to be part of the apostolic succession. For fear of reprisal, the identity of that bishop will be revealed only after his death. Prior to becoming a bishop, Bridget Mary Meehan following her own ordination founded a small community of Catholic worshipers who gathered regularly in the mobile home in Sarasota that she shares each winter with her father. Several months later, her congregation outgrew two home settings, and began hosting weekly Masses in the borrowed space of a nearby United Church of Christ. Last January, this setting was used to host the ordination of two women to the Diaconate, and one month later, to ordain the two deacons to full priesthood and another woman to the Diaconate. That occasion drew over 200 persons who crowded into the church for a three-hour ceremony complete with liturgical dance and Mass celebrated by twelve co-celebrants, including John O’Callaghan, husband of newly ordained, Dena. Ordinarily, the Saturday Vigil Mass is attended by about 50 congregants. With the publicity that surrounded the ordination event, an upward bump of attendees is likely to occur. Interestingly enough ,enough, the threat of ex-communication issued by Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese of Venice (in Florida) had little impact on those who attended the ordination. Despite the animosity extended by the Roman Church, each time the womenpriest congregation addresses the commemorative prayer for the bishop, “Frank” is mentioned by name. Even though the bulk of obedient Catholics took seriously the local bishop’s warning, their absence did not affect the turnout of .those who support the womenpriest movement at the ordinations. In forming the community of Mary, Mother of Jesus, at St. Andrew UCC, Bishop Bridget Mary took a thoughtful course of action by implementing the inclusivity basic to the gospel that underlies both the liturgy and activity of the church. The words of the hymn “All Are Welcome” are taken literally and sung frequently to open Eucharistic gatherings. The language used in