10 responses to “It was 30 years ago today…”
-
Alas, I can’t remember exactly when it became possible for women to be come priests in the
Episcopal Church of the United States of America, but I remember very well the first ones in our parish church in Los Gatos, California and, later, in Santa Rosa. It was a very triumphant time!-
The Canon in the American Episcopal Church passed in 1976 and went into effect on January 1st 1977.
Sr Alison Joy OSB-
Thanks! I hope to remember those dates now.
-
-
In Canada women began to be ordained as deacons in 1969 and as priests in 1976.
-
-
Heartfelt testament concerning the importance/necessity of inclusion as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded!
-
I remember the day so
well !
I was at Salisbury and Wells Theological College, preparing to leave to be Ordained in Hereford Cathedral, preparing for the closure of the College and praying with passion and fear that the vote in Synod would be YES 🙏🙏
All three things happened as we know, joy and sadness mingled down. -
Yes, all of this, especially “There were cruelties along the way. There was a great deal of abuse along the way”
-
And, sadly, there still is.
-
-
The first women ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church were the “Philadelphia Eleven,” ordained on July 29, 1974, by three bishops who claimed that “obedience to the Spirit” justified their action. After a second ordination of women, all their ordinations were deemed by the national church to be “irregular but valid.” As a previous correspondent noted, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church officially authorized the ordination of women to the priesthood, a decision that went into effect on the first of January in 1977.
Back to Glossary
-
On the opposite side to the still continuing antipathies in some (diminishing) quarters to women priests : my wife, who is a priest, was driving today when we got stuck waiting our turn to join the main flow of cars. A driver in the main queue – eastern European, almost certainly – spotted my wife’s collar, crossed himself; and when we didn’t get the message, grinned broadly, crossed himself again, and waved us energetically into the traffic flow in front of him.
Previous Posts
-
Annual Accounts
The annual accounts are being considered by Synod Members. David Palmer proposes the accounts. There will be a lot more later on Pensions. The St Serf’s trust is to be wound up and its finances dispersed to several charities which help older people. Finances – David Palmer notes that income has been slightly higher than…
-
General Synod Begins
Synod has begun this morning with a lovely Eucharist organized by the Liturgy Committee. It is good to be celebrating Corpus Christi – we have not always done so when it falls on the first day of Synod. Good too to hear the Primus sing. I always like a singing bishop. Bishop of Moray is…
-
Trinity Sunday Sermon
In the name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Amen. So. I arrived back from my holidays all relaxed and tanned and chilled out. And then I looked at the preaching rota. First I found that I had scheduled myself one weekend to preach at a big diocesan…
-
Press Release – Nigerian Air Crash
PRESS RELEASE Prayers will be said at St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow this week remembering those who have died in Sunday’s plane crash in Nigeria. People in the Cathedral are directly affected, as Nigerian members of the congregation are discovering today that they know friends who have lost family members in the tragedy. Speaking after…

Leave a Reply