Supporting women religious as they discern
The NunJustice Project, a coalition of which CTA is a member, is encouraging supporters of LCWR to host a prayer service in solidarity with the sisters as they meet for their annual Assembly August 12-16. The coalition has created a prayer service resources to be used in groups or individually. They can be downloaded at nunjustice.org/download, if you plan an event or use the prayers in your liturgy that week, please let us know so that we can spread the word to others who might want to attend your event.
Last year, the sisters thanked us for the outpouring support of positive energy they felt as Catholics across the country participated in prayer services honoring St. Clair and women leaders during the 2013 Assembly. This year, the prayer service uses quotes and reflections from Sr. Elizabeth Johnson's book Quest for the Living God. Johnson will be honored at the Assembly this year with the Outstanding Leadership Award. The announcement of the award drew criticism from officials overseeing the mandate against the LCWR, but they've stood strong in their support of Johnson's leadership and their own right to honor her.
We invite you to host a prayer service using the materials or work some of the reflections into the liturgies and worship services in your faith community during the week of August 12. The model of leadership and decision making modeled by many communities of women religious and even the LCWR itself is an inspiring model of what our Church can be. We need women leaders in our Church because, as Sr. Elizabeth Johnson writes, "If God is ‘she” as well as “he” -- and in fact neither -- a new possibility can be envisioned of a community that honors difference but allows women and men to share life in equal measure."
As they discern their collective conscience and continue their challenging dialogue with the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, we continue to stand with them in solidarity and pray for their continued faith, strength and leadership. Let us stand and pray together with them in August.
