Taking on the Church [Crazy Nun Operates out of Rectory Basement]

NPR ^ | June 4, 2003

[Akron Al]

Taking on the Church Aired June 4, 2003   Audio Coming Soon Challenging tradition is one thing. Challenging theology is quite another. Yet there are people and organizations around the world, who for one reason or another, take issue with religion - usually their own. In Cleveland, one such person has waged her own battle against the largest church in America - the 62 million member Holy Roman Catholic Church. But it's not about anything that the church does - it's about what they don't. ideastream's Rick Jackson has this report. Christine Schenk: We have women who experience a call to priesthood, but that call has not even been processed or recognized, or even talked about among church leaders. (Christine Schenk) doesn't look tough enough to take on the challenge.... But she has. Christine Schenk: We are running out of priests in a huge way. Right now, worldwide, half of all parishes do not have enough priests. Hunched over one of two desks in the tiny space she uses as an office, she doesn't outwardly display the temerity and tenacity required to face off against an institution, thousands of years old. An institution boasting more than one billion members, highly respected, even revered, the world over. An institution this Catholic nun with her master's degree in Theology has given her own life to serve. But tough - she is. Christine Schenk's belief in all she says has shaped her life. This Sister of St. Joseph's has become a national figure, interviewed by papers from New York to Seattle, by ABC News, even by the National Catholic Reporter. It's all happening because she is trying to affect change. Christine Schenk: We are working within our church to make this happen - toward the day when women are in the deaconate to begin with - toward the day when both women and men's Priesthood gifts will be recognized. Women's Priesthood gifts - an idea that is anathema for devout Catholics. An idea most would claim doesn't deserve discussion. Yet the now 13-year-old Cleveland-based organization Futurechurch charges purposely into the fray. Schenk operates Futurechurch from the basement of a west-side rectory building, a place I had to walk through the church laundry to find. Yet challenged at every turn, ridiculed by the very people they claim to most want to help, the estimated 5,000 members push on. Bob Tayek: There always have been people that are voicing their concerns and asking for certain change in the church. The speaker is Bob Tayek, communications director for the 820,000-member Cleveland Catholic Diocese. Far from the basement of a rectory, in his nicely appointed 4th floor office, Tayek was patient and willing to address concerns. But the statements he reads from a papal letter are, have been, and for at least the remainder of this papacy - will remain - the end of any argument. Bob Tayek: When the pope has said, and rightfully so, that this isn't open for debate, this aspect isn't. Christ could have made any decision he wished, under free will, it was his decision that the priesthood be for men only. That is the belief of the Catholic faith. Citing the very works and words of the spiritual head of their church should seemingly slam the Vatican doors on the toes of the radicals, unless the radicals also choose to use scriptures in their arsenal, re-interpreting what the apostles wrote. Bob Tayek: It was Jesus and a whole cadre, probably 30 or 40 women and men, accompanying him around Galilee, learning the new ways of God, the new justice of God, the new kingdom of God which he came to proclaim. Futurechurch persists in its claim that women need to have the priesthood. Their arguments lie in the dwindling number of male priests in the church. Dwindling by anyone's count, but reaching a critical shortage in the organization's view. It's a shortage Futurechurch insists could challenge the very meaning of catholicism. Futurechurch: There is no way the Catholic community worldwide is having access to the mass, the thing that's everything to Catholics. It's the worship that means everything to Catholics. The mass... the mass is sort of who we are, it's how we define ourselves, it's how we identify ourselves as Catholics. It is the thing that gives us go in living our Christian mission in the world. They would simply ordain women as priests, alongside men. Men (are estimated to) serve an average of 1,200 parishioners each in the United States, but they say a priest serves 4,000 members each in African nations (and) 8,000 members apiece in South America. Disputing almost all that Futurechurch, and similar national organizations claim - is the Medina-based group, Save Our Church. Lead by a former Baptist minister convert to Catholicism, the Catholic men and women of Save Our Church have been protesting regional appearances by Schenk's group since early March. Save Our Church Director David Webster would not agree to a taped interview, but sent us page after page of pamphlets and statements criticizing Futurechurch, likening them to Jim Jones' cult, disputing their numbers on the declining Catholic priesthood, placing the name of Cleveland Bishop Anthony Pilla in their own literature, implying sanction, and offering for sale, a book which it claims debunks all the statements made by Christine Schenk, and advances the idea that the women of Futurechurch, are in reality forming a wicca coven. Christine Schenk: At first it bothered me. Then I remembered Jesus himself was persecuted by people who very much disagreed with his take on Judaism. I take consolation in that and in the Apostle Paul, who was basically thrown out of all the best synagogues in the western world, because he was proclaiming Jesus Christ as the savior. Rather than lash out, the Diocese stands behind a written statement that calls Futurechurch ministry "inconsistent with church teaching," then points proudly to what women can do in the Catholic faith, short of performing as celebrant. Written Statement: Many of them are now working themselves and are working, as pastoral ministers, as administrators in parishes, I mean really making the decisions and operating as such in those roles, allowing then for the sacramental minister to go and be able to exercise his role as the celebrant of the mass of the sacraments. Yet Tayek understands the frustration, fully admitting that there are women - who, if the call came, would be ready. And qualified. Bob Tayek: There's even an office at the Vatican, which is still researching, trying to determine if women could even become members of the Deaconate, in other words reach the level of deacon in the Catholic Church. There's a lot of discussion that's been going on for some time, and it continues to be discussed. In the meantime, the Cleveland Diocese is still celebrating last month's ordination class of 10 men, and looks forward to a predicted larger class, later this year. The need for female priests, for the current years at least, is not evident in northeastern Ohio. Schenk knows it will be a long fight. Christine Schenk: They think that we're something that we're not. They don't understand our deep commitment to Jesus, to the Christian message, our deep love for the church that needs women's gifts in a visible way as much as it needs men's. In Cleveland, Rick Jackson, 90.3.

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[Akron Al]

It is good to see the spokesman for the Cleveland diocese actually defending Church teaching, the male priesthood, and the Pope!

On the other hand, this crackpot futurchurch lady is operating out of the basement at St. Mark's Church - - property owned by the Cleveland Diocese. Futurechurch regularly meets at various church halls throughout the diocese.

Why doesn't Bishop Pilla do something????

[Akron Al]

Futurechurch is having a big event at St. Mark's Church on June 22 and a major demonstration by loyal Catholics is being planned from 3:30 to 4:30.

This should get interesting.

This heretical nun is running all over town getting great publicity from the local press and Bishop Pilla lets her go about her business on Church property.

[Salvation]

From Our Lady's Warriors

Call To Action Alert!

Bearing Witness to the Inclusive Jesus: "Who Do You Say That I Am?" Christine Schenk, CSJ addresses Jesus' radically inclusive approach to women, contrasting the status of women in 1st century Palestine with that of women in Jesus' Galilean discipleship and the earliest churches. The male chauvinist Jesus currently proclaimed by Rome is biblically untenable. Learning this untold story is the heart of the CTA/FutureChurch joint project, A Call for National Dialogue on Women in Church Leadership (WICL). Learn about the grassroots strategies and begin to promote action in your parish and diocese for advancing women and their gifts. Schenk is director of FutureChurch and coordinator of the WICL project. Sat., 1:30 PM and 8 PM. Incl. Q/A.

Women Priests
Sr. Lavinia Byrne	Book titled Women at the Altar (condemned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith)
Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB	A supporter of Call to Action who promotes women priests.
Sr. Fran Ferder	Quixote Center book titled Called to Break Bread? A Psychological Investigation of 100 Women Who Feel Called to the Priesthood in the Catholic Church.
Barbara Fiand	Theologian teaching that women should be priests.
Maureen Fiedler	Interim Co-Coordinator of Women's Ordination Conference.
Ruth Fitzpatrick	Women's Ordination Conference.
Andrea M. Johnson	Women's Ordination Conference National Coordinator and support of Catholic Organizations for Renewal.
Sr. Elizabeth Johnson	Promotes Women priests.
Sr. Theresa Kane, R.S.M	Promotes Women priests.
Fr. Richard McBrien	Claims that a future Pope must overturn the infallible document disallowing women "priests" (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis).
Sr. Ruth Schäfer	Organized "Action Purple Stole," a womens' ordination protest.
Christine Schenk	FutureChurch, Women in Church Leadership (WICL).
Sandra Schneiders (cited in Renew 2000)	Speaker at Call to Action conferences.
Karen Schwarz	Coordinates San Francisco Women's Ordination Conference/WomenChurch.
Bishop "Willie" Walsh	Bishop of Killaloe Ireland said that he would happily ordain women and that the Church "missed out" by not doing so.
Fr. John Wijngaards	Author of "Did Christ rule out women priests?"
(ex-Bishop) Romulo Antonio Braschi: Christine Mayr- Lumetzberger, Adelinde Theresia Roitinger, Gisela Forster, Iris Muller, Ida Raming, Pia Brunner, Angela White	Seven women who went through a mock ordination ceremony  held by a schismatic ex-bishop Antonio Braschi. See their  warning and subsequent formal excommunication notice here.

[NYer]

Christine Schenk: We have women who experience a call to priesthood, but that call has not even been processed or recognized, or even talked about among church leaders.

If necessary, I will drive 1000 miles each weekend to avoid this:

And I believe that is true for most of those 62 million catholics out there.

Example of Japanese Catholics who kept the faith without Priests for 200 years

Aren't there enough nut cases out there attacking the Catholic Church. What's going on?

Salvation .... good to see you too have discovered Our Lady's Warriors web site - such an excellent resource!

[NYer]

I had to avert my eyes from your picture. I couldn't stand to look at it.

Trust me, it wasn't easy posting that picture either! Sometimes it takes a visual reminder of the future to reinforce the present. I pray the church doesn't take it one step further and agree to ordaining them to the deaconate. That would be the beginning of the end.

[drstevej]

***Christine Schenk: We have women who experience a call to priesthood***

Darn those tele-marketers!

[B Knotts]

Well, I could be wrong, but I would think that since the Mass is invalid (as the "priestess" is not validly ordained), there would be no transubstantiation taking place.

[NYer]

You are absolutely right! That picture is of another woman, Mary Ramerman who was ordained at Spiritus Christi Church in Rochester, NY (home of one of the most liberal bishops - Matthew Clark). Here is part of her biography:

"Mary wears an alb and half-stole given to her by the community as an affirmation of her pastoral leadership in the community. She speaks to the dignity of women in the world, and challenges the church to affirm women's talents and gifts not only in words, but in actions."

Note: They have since formed a new parish, lableled it 'catholic' but are fully excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Bishop Clark from the Diocese of Rochester has called Mary’s ordination a “public and formally schismatic act.” He has also threatened to penalize any diocesan priest who attended the ordination. Here is the result:

" On Saturday, March 6, 1999, Call to Action/Arizona hosted Jim Callan and Mary Ramerman former Administrators of Corpus Christi Parish in Rochester, NY. Approximately one hundred people attended. These came mostly from Catholic parishes, but many were from other denominations around the state.

Mary and Jim, and approximately a thousand other members of their former parish, had been declared "excommunicated" by Bishop Matthew Clark of the Diocese of Rochester the week before. The excommunication had come, according to the Diocese as result of their "forming another Church." Mary and Jim denied this action and have not formed another Church. They said at the conference that they remain faithful Catholics in the spirit of the Beatitudes.

[Salvation]

My question is this:

Why isn't this dissident kicked out of the church basement? Why is she being allowed to use church property for the propogation of laws and priesthood for women.

Has she been excommunicated?

[B Knotts]

Why isn't this dissident kicked out of the church basement?

Exactly what I'd like to know.

I'm afraid the answer lies in doing a little poking around the Diocese's web site. Didn't take me long at all to find some rather questionable stuff.

[dsc]

Sister Christine, get into a habit, get your disobedient...self into a cloister, and shut up.

[Akron Al]

Sister Christine, get into a habit, get your disobedient...self into a cloister, and shut up

Wise advice.

[Akron Al]

From the diocesan website:

Sr. Juanita Shealey's Radio Program "God's Saving Word" is back on the air Listen to Sr. Juanita Shealey each Monday from 11:00 a.m. until 12 noon on WERE-1300AM.

And of course, a picture of Sister Juanita Shealey appears on the Futurechurch.org website.

[Akron Al]

The picture referred to in previous post:

www.futurechurch.org/marym/highlights/ pages/juanitaeldon.ht

Look for it in google using "Sister Juanita"

[Salvation]

**Sister Christine, get into a habit, get your disobedient...self into a cloister, and shut up**

I'll second the motion! (But would she ever go?) NO!

[Truelove]

But tough - she is.

This isn't tough. Tough is praying in a cloister, day in and day out, for all the sins of the world.

This is only a moronic response to a personal insecurity problem.