Four New Women Bishops

Dear Blog Visitors:

I am very pleased to share with you a press release I distributed on behalf of CORPUS, which is in reference to the ordination of four women-bishops that took place in Santa Barabara on April 19. Those who support church-reform, such as yours truly, are truly excited about this latest development. The women ordained are highly qualified for the episcopate and they will greatly advance the cause for more inclusivity in the Roman Catholic clergy.

PRESS RELEASE
April 20, 2009
CORPUS SUPPORTS AND CONGRATULATES FOUR NEWLY-ORDAINED CATHOLIC WOMEN-BISHOPS

CORPUS (www.corpus.org), the national association for an inclusive priesthood, is deeply proud to articulate its support of four ordinations that took place on April 19 in the state of California. It is with great joy that we congratulate the following four Catholic bishops: Joan Mary Clark Houk, Andrea Michele Johnson, Bridget Mary Meehan and Maria Regina Nicolosi.

Bishops Houk, Johnson, Meehan and Nicolosi join their male counterparts in the Roman Catholic Episcopate as servant-leaders of their respective communities.

For over thirty-five years, CORPUS has been actively engaged in the effort to create a church that is all-inclusive. In its effort to expand its outreach efforts, CORPUS has moved beyond its original mission as a vehicle of support for married priests and their families. We now recognize that the Kingdom of God on earth cannot be realized until all of human creation is treated with dignity and respect. We also realize that a call from God to ordained ministry is not limited to celibate males. We therefore embrace and encourage all who experience the call, minus any discrimination on the basis of gender, marital status or sexual orientation.

Women who prepare for ordination to the diaconate, priesthood and episcopate are highly trained and have the same educational qualifications as males in similar roles. CORPUS hopes and prays that those who are opposed to the ordination of women will search their hearts and come to realize that if the Catholic Church is to remain vital in the years ahead, we must be open to the will of the Holy Spirit.

The fact that many women are coming forward to respond to a call from God is a reason to celebrate, and CORPUS greets these women of faith with open arms and a feeling of joy and gratitude for their spiritual and ministerial gifts.

Bishops Houk, Johnson, Meehan and Nicolosi give hope to a divided church. CORPUS has every confidence that they will be true disciples of Christ, and we therefore rejoice in their ordination to the rank of the episcopate.

Ray Grosswirth
CORPUS Media Liaison

Post-script: The following is a video I made in which I congratulate the four newly-ordained bishops:



As an update, here is a press release just issued by Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP):

Press/Media Release
Roman Catholic Womenpriests Ordain Four U.S. Bishops
April 21, 2009
Media Contacts:
National Media Contact, Bridget Mary Meehan; 703-505-0004, sofiabmm@aol.com
USA-Western Administrator, Suzanne Thiel; 503-784-3330, suzthiel@yahoo.com
USA-Midwest Co-Administrators, Kathy Redig; 507-429-3616, krredig@hbci.com,
Alice Iaquinta; 414-791-9952, aliceiaquinta@hotmail.com
USA-Great Waters Administrator, Rose Marie Hudson; 636-208-5598, reehud@sbcglobal.net
USA-Eastern Administrator, Eileen McCafferty DiFranco; 267-258-6966, emdifranco@aol.com
USA-Central Administrator, Roberta Meehan; 623-388-6627, biology@ctos.com
USA-Southern Administrator, Janice Sevre-Duszynska; 859-684-4247, rhythmsofthedance@msn.com

Roman Catholic Womenpriests USA is pleased to announce the ordinations of Joan Mary Clark Houk, Andrea Michele Johnson, Maria Regina Nicolosi and Bridget Mary Meehan as Roman Catholic bishops. These ordinations took place on April 19, 2009 in California. Officiating at the ceremony were Bishops: Patricia Fresen and Ida Raming from Germany and Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger from Austria.

Joan Mary Clark Houk has been called by the members of the Great Waters Region to minister pastorally to the womenpriests, womendeacons and People of God of her region. To be always mindful of that call, she has "Faithful Servant" inscribed on her bishop's ring. Joan's many years of parish ministry, and her experience as a wife and mother has prepared her well for her pastoral role. Married for forty-eight years, Joan and John have six children, eight grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Andrea Michele Johnson resides in Annapolis, MD, and has been elected to serve as bishop for the Eastern Region. She has worked in international education exchange with the senior Fulbright Scholar Program, and also as a director of religious education over many years. She was pastoral minister in a priestless Catholic parish in the mid-1980’s and also served as a former director of the Women’s Ordination Conference, Andrea currently works in hospital chaplaincy. She is happily married to Spencer, her husband of thirty-nine years and is the mother of three adult children – two sons and one daughter, and is the grandmother of two.

Maria Regina Nicolosi was elected by the members of the Midwest Region to be their bishop. Regina was born in the Rhineland, Germany, close to the Abbey of St. Hildegard and before she moved to the USA, she was a teacher. After raising her family, Regina worked as a senior housing manager and a nursing home chaplain. Currently, she celebrates Eucharist with small faith communities and has served as the program coordinator for the Midwest region. In this role she has helped prepare several women for priestly ordination. Regina is married and has four children and eight grandchildren. She and her husband Charles live in Red Wing, MN. For more information, contact crnicolosi@yahoo.com

Bridget Mary Meehan, a Sister for Christian Community, was elected to serve as bishop for the Southern Region. She presides at inclusive liturgies and sacramental services for vibrant faith communities in Sarasota, Florida and Falls Church, Virginia. For fifteen years, Bridget Mary served as a pastoral associate at Ft. Myer Chapel in N.VA. She is the author of eighteen books including Praying with Women of the Bible, Praying with Visionary Women, and co-author of Praying with Celtic Holy Women. She is host/producer of TV/Internet media designed to promote justice, equality and mutual respect, and dean of the Doctor of Ministry Program for Global Ministries University. For more information, contact sofiabmm@aol.com (See www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org)