FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    June 28, 2007                        
NATIONAL CONTACT:              Sr. Christine Schenk, FutureChurch Executive Director   216-228-0869 x4 (w)  216-513-3647 (cell)                  

Over 200 Groups Celebrate Hidden Women of the Bible on Magdalen Feast
Catholics Work to Put Women Back in Biblical Picture at 2008 Synod

Until recently St. Mary of Magdala’s story, like those of many other biblical women was suppressed.  This prominent female disciple was a foremost leader in the early Church, led the group of women who accompanied Jesus at his death, and first proclaimed the good news of his Resurrection.  She was not a prostitute.  

“For centuries Magdala’s story, like those of many other biblical women, has been minimized or deleted from the official lectionary used in both Catholic and Protestant churches,” said Sr. Christine Schenk of FutureChurch. “Its past time for our Churches to put women back in the biblical picture.”

In mid July over 200 groups in the U.S. and worldwide will tell untold stories of hidden women of the lectionary at their annual celebration of the feast of St. Mary of Magdala. International celebrations include Zimbabwe, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and the UK.

A fascinating 1996 analysis by Sr. Ruth Fox OSB found a disproportionate number of passages about women had been deleted from the lectionary, a book of biblical passages carefully chosen for church proclamation.

For example, Jesus’ appearance to Mary of Magdala in the garden and his command to “go and tell my brothers” is never read on any Sunday in the Easter season, or any Sunday at all in U.S. Churches.  Instead, the lectionary account from the Gospel of John, inexplicably stops just before this beautiful commissioning.

Organizers will encourage participants to send special electronic and paper postcards asking their Bishops and the Vatican to invite women biblical scholars to serve as consultants to the 2008 synod on the Word, expand opportunities for women preachers, restore biblical women leaders to lectionary readings in which their witness was diminished or deleted, and educate about the inclusive practice of Jesus and St. Paul.

 "Presently there are more women ministers in the US Church than diocesan priests. We only have 26,000 parish priests, but 30,000 lay ministers of whom  80% are women. Yet none of these ministers can preach or proclaim the Gospel at Mass even though they have the academic and ministerial qualifications. This is a great loss to our Church and certainly not consistent with the practice of Jesus," said Schenk.

For the past ten years FutureChurch has sponsored annual celebrations of the Feast of St. Mary of Magdala to promote understanding of Jesus’ inclusive practice and provide a place for women to serve in visible liturgical roles.   According to local organizers, each celebration attracts between 30 and 300 people at parishes, convents, Catholic schools, retreat houses, Protestant churches, private homes and small faith communities.

For local celebration sites and contacts visit www.futurechurch.org (click on the Mary of Magdala icon on the home page. For info about the synod campaign, click on the Women and the Word icon)

FutureChurch, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a U.S. coalition of 5,000 parish centered Catholics striving to educate fellow Catholics about the seriousness of the priest shortage, the centrality of the Eucharist (the Mass), and the systemic inequality of women in the Catholic Church. FutureChurch makes presentations throughout the country, distributes educational and informational packets and recruits activists who call on Catholic leadership to open ordination to all baptized persons who are called to priestly ministry by God and the people of God.


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