Reflections from your Co-Pastors
October 1, 2020
Luke's Gospel 10: 1-12
"Behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves."
The idea of ordaining women in the Roman Catholic Church has met with everything from blatant sexism to outright misogyny. In 2012, in an encyclical from Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican publicly categorized women's ordination as a "grave crime" worthy of equal punishments as those placed on male clergy who had sexually abused children!
And yet, worldwide there are nearly 250 Roman Catholic women who have heard the call and have been ordained by Roman Catholic Bishops in good standing. They are deacons, priests, and bishops, and their ordinations can never be reversed. The down side is that the Roman Catholic Church has excommunicated these women and the known Bishops who ordained them. Pretty sad news.
The women, however, know that God has called them and God has not excommunicated them. So they go on doing God's work in the world. Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan tells us "at the end of the day you have to have prophetic bones in your body and say, 'This is who I am. I am a woman called by God to the priesthood."
Pastor Jane celebrated her first Mass on July 26, 2020. Many of you participated, supporting her in her priestly ministry as she consecrated the bread and wine and distributed drive-by Eucharist to longing parishioners who drove through the parking lot after Mass.
Just days later, the North 40 News, a newspaper serving Northern Colorado, ran an article with Jane's photo announcing her as the first Catholic woman priest of Mary of Magdala Ecumenical Catholic Community.
Soon thereafter, emails arrived at our church. The first said, "You people are bonkers." The next referred to our Pastor as the "Anti-Christ." Then came an article in the National Catholic Register, entitled "Another woman who thinks she's a Catholic priest." The wolves closed in for the attack.
|
|
Pastor Jane has heard God's call to her since childhood. She could not answer that call as a Roman Catholic woman. The call continued to follow her throughout her adulthood, when finally she moved to Colorado and discovered the community of Mary of Magdala and the ECC. Here she found her home. The call revisited Jane, and with the support and encouragement of Fr. Jim and Deacon Rosean, Jane entered into discernment with a group of Mary of Magdala members and her call was substantiated as a true call. The rest is history...
Bishop Francis Krebs, our presiding Bishop, ordained Jane on July 18, 2020 and she is now a member of the ministerial priesthood.
It is extremely unfortunate that Pastor Jane has had to be the target for some people's misled anger, judgment, and just plain cruelty.
And what is her answer to all of this? She says "You can tell the Holy Spirit is at work when things start to get stirred up and I will continue to do God's work led by God's Holy Spirit."
Jesus said to his disciples,
"I am sending you out like lambs among wolves." Jane has been called and sent and has seen the wolves firsthand. Yet, she shakes the dust off her feet and vows to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, remaining in her peaceful home--that of our Mary of Magdala community.
May God bless Mary of Magdala's first Catholic woman priest, our Pastor, Jane Delyss Reina.
Amen
|
|
|
Reminders
-
Next Sunday Oct 4th - 11:00a to 5:00p - 3-Church (Faith Partners) Food Drive at Trinity LC
-
Next Sunday Oct 4th - 12 noon to 1:00p - Blessing of Pets celebrating St Francis of Assisi at Trinity LC
-
Register (by Oct 1) WORDS MATTER workshop is free To register and more information click here.
|
|
Schedule - Sunday Services
Oct 4 - Father Teri; 5:00 p.m. via ZOOM
Oct 11 - Deacon Rosean; 5:00 p.m. via ZOOM
Oct 18 - Father Michael; 5:00 p.m. via ZOOM
Oct 25 - Faith Partners (3-Church) Service at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom
|
|
Community Prayer Requests
For Lauren Roob entering into new cancer treatment- friend of Rosanna Bateman.
Healing prayers for Dianna Padilla, sister of Lisa Jones, who underwent surgery for cancer. For Liz and Ken Zornes and family, friends of Sandra and Dick Life, whose daughter is struggling with addiction.
For Courtney, daughter of Jean and Tom Christen. Michael Keefe, son of member Yvonne Keefe.
For the continued recovery of Linda Joyce. For Dona Bosse - community member and Rosemary - Fr Michael's mother. For Dani - Niece of the Cloyds and Mary Crosby – parishioner. For Chris Bachman, friend of Lisa Jones and Ruth Parker, sister of Dori Carroll.
|
|
And Leo Six – father of Michael Six, Mike Gudim, Margie Weitz, Suzanne King, Robert Browell.
______________
For peaceful repose for the souls of those who've passed and comfort for the families.
Bob - Husband of Joyce Dehaven,
friend of Cathy Engel
David Heyman - member
Teri Kent - member
Pat DeMuth -sister of Jim DeMuth, member
Bill McClellan - Father of Jennifer Pfeister, member
Father of Julie Shoenbauer, member
Edwin White - brother in law of Pastor Jane
Bill, Greg, and Calvin -
friends of Deacon Rosean
And for Ted Boltz and comfort for Fr. Frank Quintana and family - an ECC Pastor of St. Oscar Romero, ECC in Albuquerque.
|
|
Our Service Recordings and More
|
|
For all bulletins, reflections, Sunday recordings during our hiatus from celebrating together, visit our webpage. Please contact us with questions, concerns and ideas for better connection
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
