Here’s the video of yesterday’s sermon – somewhere along the way I’ve managed to lose the text, but the video is here in full. It is about Adam and Eve and about how their story is about now not then. There’s a nod to temptation and a chocolate boutique. I had the atonement in the back of my mind when I was writing it. Oh, and I included a semicolon. See if you can spot it.
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.
Right, I’m back in the saddle and back online after a good conference in Oxford and a couple of weeks of holiday. Let me just pause to welcome any readers who find themselves here from the link on the Church Times blog. I’m surprised that it has not been easier to identify more people blogging…
Those who are part of the Scottish Episcopal Church blogging community (ie bloggers and those who comment) are invited doon the watter on 17 May 2008 for Bloggers and Bluebells with Kimberly who writes Wonderful Exchange. Looks fun. Those who lurk have only to comment to be part of the party. De-lurk, de-lurk whoever you…
Whilst I am away, you should be looking for other blogs to read. [I’m golden eagle spotting in Argyll, BTW, and the total today is 1 golden eagle spotted]. Have a read at Kate’s blog a telling place – she’s on my blogroll. What Kate has to say is worth reading in itself, but you…
There have been a few (episcopal) head over the parapet moments recently that should not go unspotted. Firstly, Bishop Idris’s interview on Good Friday. (I was too occupied listening to Fr Primus preaching on Good Friday that I did not spot it at the time). It can be found here. Then there was Bishop Robert’s…
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