Fr Roy Bourgeois faces excommunication

From: Bill Quigley duprestars [at] yahoo.com

Thu, Aug 14, 2008

Please Take Action and Forward to Interested People and Communities

Roy Bourgeois & Ordination of Janice Sevre-Duszynska

Friends:

On Saturday August 9, 2008 Janice Sevre-Duszynska was ordained a catholic priest in Lexington , Kentucky . It was a beautiful inspiring concelebrated ceremony with many women priests joined by

Maryknoll priest Fr. Roy Bourgeois. Our family was there and joined in the celebration.

Roy Bourgeois, a priest for 36 years, was the very first male catholic priest in good standing to openly participate in the ordination of women as catholic priests. Janice Sevre-Duszynska has been a

long-time peace activist and active in the School of Americas Watch movement – she spent several months in federal prison for crossing onto Ft. Benning to protest the training of human rights violators by

our government.

You can read more about this and read a copy of Roy 's homily at Peace activist priest assists at women's ordination: http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1565.

Homily of Roy Bourgeois at ordination: http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1567

Sixth catholic woman priest ordained this year: http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1568

Roy has now been summoned to an August 18 meeting with his superiors in the Maryknoll community at their home office in New York – apparently at the request of Cardinal Egan of New York . It is thought that Roy faces being suspended from the priesthood, dismissal from the Maryknoll community, and even excommunication from the catholic church.

Please consider acting on the request below of Janice and other members of the community advocating for more women catholic priests.

Peace, love and justice to all, Bill Quigley

Roman Catholic Womenpriests' Statement of Support for Fr. Roy Bourgeois

Contacts: Bridget Mary Meehan 703-283-2929 Janice Sevre-Duszynska 859-684-4247

Founder of the School of the Americas Watch, Maryknoll priest Roy

Bourgeois, co-celebrated with Roman Catholic Womenpriests at an

ordination of a womanpriest, on Aug. 9, 2008 in Lexington , Kentucky .

He has been summoned to meet with his superior and General Council in

Maryknoll, New York on Monday, Aug.18, 2008. Cardinal Egan was

involved in this summons.

In his prophetic homily, he stated: "Conscience is what compels Janice

Sevre-Duszynska and the other women to say, 'No, we cannot deny our

call from God to the priesthood.' And it is our conscience that

compels us to be here today. How can we speak out against the

injustice of our country's foreign policy in Latin America and Iraq if

we are silent about the injustice of our church here at home? "

Roman Catholic Womenpriests stand in solidarity with Fr.Roy Bourgeois,

who has served God's people as a priest for 36 years as he meets

with his superior and General Council in Maryknoll , New York on

Monday, Aug.18, 2008. We affirm his courageous witness in support of

women called to priesthood and his work for justice and peace in the world.

To show your support for Fr. Roy Bourgeois and womenpriests, send

emails to his Superior General, John Sivalon at jsivalon@maryknoll.

org and to the three-member Maryknoll Council at mklcouncil@maryknol

l.org and/or fax to 914-944-3600

Write to: Maryknoll Council, P.O. Box 303 Maryknoll , NY 10545

Visit Roman Catholic Womenpriests at www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org