Dear Bishop___________________________

I appeal to you to open ever wider the leadership roles for women in the Church.

I urge you to:

Recall the inclusive practice of Jesus and St. Paul who called forth the gifts of Mary Magdala, Phoebe, Prisca and many other faithful women leaders.

Reflect on and reclaim the early Church tradition of ordaining both women and men married and celibate, as deacons, priests and bishops (overseers), as these roles were understood at that time. Archeological and literary research is available for your study. (Eisen, Ute E. Women Officeholders in Early Christianity. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2000. Madigan, Kevin and Osiek, Carolyn, Ordained Women in the Early Church: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)

Begin implementation of the specific items checked (4)below:

Permit and encourage women to preach and proclaim the Word.

Petition the Vatican to open the diaconate to the thousands of qualified women serving the Church right now, to alleviate sacramental scarcity due to the priest shortage. (Zagano, Phyllis. “Grant Her Your Spirit,” America February 7, 2005)

Petition the Vatican to reopen the conversation about women’s ordination to the priesthood in light of new archaeologic and literary evidence that male Church leaders suppressed women priests because they were thought to be subordinate to men. Since we no longer hold this belief, Church teaching must be revisited.

I would greatly appreciate the courtesy of a reply. I pray the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, that you will remove all obstacles to women’s full ministerial equality in the Church.

Sincerely yours,

Name _____________________________________________________________________

Address__________________________City____________________State______Zip_______

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no
longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Galations 3:28