Historic First
Ordination in Cincinnati as Dr. Debra Meyers will be ordained a Roman Catholic
Woman Priest
Release date: May 7,
2013
On Saturday, May 25,
2013, Dr. Debra Meyers of Batavia, Ohio will be ordained a priest in the
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. The presiding bishop will be
Bridget Mary Meehan of Falls Church, Virginia and Sarasota, Florida. The
ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at St. John's Unitarian Universalist Church,
320 Resor Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45220.
All are welcome.
Media are invited to a
pre-ordination conference on Saturday, May 25, at 11:30 a.m. at the church with
the candidate and Bridget Mary Meehan. Call Janice (859-684-4247) to schedule an interview. Respectful filming/photo taking
during the ceremony is acceptable.
The ordained is
theologically prepared and has many years of experience in ministry.
Dr. Debra Meyers
earned a Ph.D. in History and Women's Studies and a MA in Religious Studies
with an emphasis on pastoral care. The author of several books, she is a
professor of History and Women's Studies at Northern Kentucky University. Her
ministry focuses primarily on single mothers and their children who make up the
vast majority of impoverished people in our country. She also serves the
Resurrection Community in Cincinnati where they are living the Gospel of
equality and social justice. Dr. Meyers is a wife, the mother of two successful
children and a grandmother.
"God called me to
the Catholic priesthood as a child and every step of my academic and spiritual
life as well as my social justice activism has prepared me to serve God's
people as a pastor," said Dr. Meyers. "I thank ARCWP for the
opportunity to fulfill God's call."
Since two-thirds of
the world's poor are women, justice and equality must be top priorities for our
church. Our world and church can no longer function without the voices of
women's lived experience. Women priests are visible reminders that all women
are images of God.
On March 13, five
hours before the new pope was elected, a woman priest celebrated Mass in Rome.
The church is at a crossroads with a new pope and women priests. This paradigm
represents a holy shakeup and is pregnant with potential for renewal and
change. Pope Francis's simplicity and solidarity with the poor and marginalized
is the Good News that Catholics have been waiting for. Now is the time to
embrace women.
We are encouraged by
the tender gesture of Pope Francis who washed the feet of women in prison on
Holy Thursday, thus breaking the sexist tradition of washing only men's feet.
During the Easter
homily Francis affirmed women as the first witnesses to the Resurrection.
"This tells us that God does not choose according to human criteria...The
women are driven by love and know how to accept this proclamation with faith:
they believe, and immediately transmit it, they do not keep it for
themselves."
Women who have
accepted the call from God to priesthood and who have become women priests want
to share "the joy of knowing that Jesus is alive, the hope that fills
their heart."
The Association of
Roman Catholic Women Priests calls on Francis to embrace the full equality of
women, including women priests.
Women priests are
answering the call and our movement is growing since it began in 2002 with the
ordination of seven women on the Danube. There are now 150 in our Roman
Catholic Women Priests' Movement in the world, including 100 in the U.S. living
and serving in over 60 inclusive Catholic communities and welcoming all to
receive the sacraments.
According to a recent
CBS Gallup Poll, over 70% of Catholics in the U.S. support women priests. There
is no shortage of vocations as women are now saying "Yes" to this call
and are being ordained. Two women will be ordained priests and two will be
ordained deacons in Falls Church, Virginia in June.
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