PressRelease: Historic 2nd Ordination in Lexington as Donna Rougeux willbe ordained a Roman Catholic Woman Priest

PressRelease:  Historic 2nd Ordination in Lexington as Donna Rougeux willbe ordained a Roman Catholic Woman Priest

Releasedate:  May 9, 2012
Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, 859-684-4247, rhythmsofthedance@gmail.com
BishopBridget Mary Meehan, 703-505-0004, sofiabmm@aol.com
DonnaRougeux, 859-221-3082, dlrougeux@insightbb.com
See:http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/

On Saturday, June 9,2012 at 3:00 p.m. Donna Rougeux of Lexington, Kentucky will be ordained apriest in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests.  The presidingbishop will be Bridget Mary Meehan of Falls Church, Virginia and Sarasota,Florida. The ceremony will take place at the Unitarian Universalist Church ofLexington, 3564 Clays Mill Road, Lexington, Kentucky 40503.

As a pre-ordinationevent, on Saturday, June 2 at 10 a.m. "Pink Smoke Over the Vatican"will be shown at the Kentucky Theater, 214 East Main Street, Lexington 40507.The 58-minute documentary by filmmaker Jules Hart is the story of the justicestruggle for ordination for women in the Roman Catholic Church. Tickets are $10at the door. A Q/A will follow.

All are welcome to theordination and pre-ordination screening.

Media are invited to apre-ordination press conference on Saturday, June 9, at 1:30 p.m. at the churchwith the candidate and Bridget Mary Meehan. Call Janice (859-684-4247) toschedule an interview.

The ordinand istheologically prepared and has many years of experience in ministry. 
Donna LeMasterRougeux graduated from Lexington Theological Seminary in 2009 with a Masters inPastoral Studies. She completed a residency with Hospice of the Bluegrass in2010, earning four units of Clinical Pastoral Education. She has worked as aHospice chaplain since she finished the residency and plans on becoming acertified chaplain. Donna is married and has three teenagers.
"I am sothankful that God has called me to work for reform in the Roman CatholicChurch. I hope that my daughters, granddaughters and all women will be foreverchanged and affirmed to follow God's call because of the work that thismovement has done and will do in challenging the Church to be the Kin-dom onEarth."
The Association ofRoman Catholic Women Priests rejoices in a “holy shakeup” that millions ofCatholics worldwide welcome. The good news now is that male priests, bishops, acardinal as well as theologians have expressed their support of female priests.They are following in the footsteps of Maryknoll Roy Bourgeois whose propheticcall for a dialogue on women priests is being heard in more and more placestoday in our Church.
“Nothing can stopthe movement of the spirit toward human rights, justice and equality in ourworld and in our Church,” said Bridget Mary Meehan. “The full equality of womenis the voice of God in our time.”
ARCWP celebratesthe Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the nearly 60,000 womenreligious they represent in the United States. We reject the unjust, bullyingbehavior of the scandal-ridden Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of theFaith who has ordered the LCWR to reform itself more closely to "theteachings and discipline of the Church." It is the corrupt hierarchy, whohas spent billions of dollars and devastated the lives of thousands of youth inthe sexual abuse crisis that needs reform, not the dedicated nuns in the U.S.Now is the time for the LCWR to speak truth to power. Declare a nuns'emancipation proclamation from Vatican control. Challenge Vatican misogynypublicly. Affirm primacy of conscience and gender equality including women'sordination.
The Women Priestsmovement in the Roman Catholic Church advocates a new model of priestlyministry united with the people with whom we minister. We stand in propheticobedience to Jesus who calls women and men to be disciples and equals. Themovement began with the ordination of seven women on the Danube in 2002. Todaythere are over 130 in the movement worldwide. ARCWP is in the United States andLatin America. Our specific charism within the broader global Roman CatholicWomen Priests initiative is to live Gospel equality and justice for women inthe Church and in society now. We work in solidarity with the poor andmarginalized for transformative justice in partnership with all believers. Our visionis to live as a community of equals in decision making both as an organizationand within all our faith communities. We advocate the renewal of the vision ofJesus in the Gospel in our Church and world.