Progressive Catholic diocese to ordain woman

[JoFerret]

http://www.religionnews.com/press02/PR052504B.html

Clifton, VA (May 24, 2004) - James H. Burch, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of One Spirit will ordain Penelope Ann Thoms to the Catholic priesthood at 10:00 am on Sunday, June 13, 2004 at One Spirit Catholic Community, 13900 Stonefield Drive, Clifton, VA. All are welcome.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Penelope Thoms now lives in County Kerry, Ireland. Penny earned her Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College (NY). She earned her Master of Divinity and her Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction from the Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley). She also holds a Certificates in Celtic Studies from the Iliff School of Theology (Denver), and in Bioethics from the University of Washington Medical School (Seattle).

A member of the College of Chaplains, Penny has served as resident chaplain at two hospitals in Colorado and three in California, and Campus Ministry Chaplain at Colorado State University. Penny is an accomplished writer and poet, winner of the Golden Pen Award for Poetry (2002), the Boyle International Poetry Competition (2003), and the Scottish International Poetry Competition (2004). She is the author of a forthcoming book on Celtic Spirituality. Penny is married to the Rev. Stephen Mead Johnson, an ordained Unitarian minister.

The Catholic Diocese of One Spirit is part of a group of ecumenical Catholic faith communities across the nation that celebrate the richness of Catholic spirituality and its traditions. As a generic (i.e., not "Roman," "Coptic," "Orthodox" or other rite) Catholic faith community, One Spirit honors the Pope and other religious leaders, but is not under their jurisdiction nor subject to their canon law nor the guidelines of the Roman or any other individual portion of the Catholic Church. Although One Spirit shares a common Catholic theology and liturgical tradition, it differs significantly in many of the disciplines and rules that govern the Roman rite of the Catholic Church.


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[Baltimoreboy]

1. So they aren't really "Catholic"

They just like the name.

Sooner or later the church will go this route, but the story above is a bit misleading.

[Maat]

2. Hey, I say, Congratulations!

They have a right to celebrate the traditions without accepting the authority. They are independent. My church also celebrates the more democratic inclusive traditions of each faith (Church of Religious Science).

[Solon]

3. They are Catholic...

just not ROMAN Catholic

[Voltaire99]

4. Encourage this - it's a direct blow to medievalism (n/t)

[struggle4progress]

5. kick

:kick: