Historic September 15th Ordination of Albany, New York’s

Historic September 15th Ordination of Albany, New York’s First Woman Priest along with Two Deacons Release date: Friday, August 23, 2013 Contact: Janice Sevre-Duszynska, D.Min. (Media) rhythmsofthedance@gmail.com, 859-684-4247 Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, sofiabmm@aol.com, 703-505-0004 See: www.arcwp.org bridgetmarys.blogspot.com Celebration of Priestly Ordination for: Mary Theresa Streck of Menands, NY, mtstreck@gmail.com, 518-225-1614 Celebration of Ordination to the Diaconate for: Mary Sue Barnett of Louisville, KY, marysueb@gmail.com, 502-296-8653 Maureen McGill of St. Petersburg, FL mmcgill19@tampabay.rr.com, 850-572-5413 On Sunday, September 15, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. Mary Theresa Streck of Albany, New York will be ordained a priest in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. Mary Sue Barnett of Louisville, KY and Maureen McGill of St. Petersburg, FL will be ordained deacons. The presiding bishop will be Bridget Mary Meehan of Falls Church, VA and Sarasota, FL. The ceremony will take place at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, 405 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12206. All are welcome. Media are invited to interview these women by email or phone. Respectful photo taking/videos during the ceremony is acceptable. The candidates are theologically prepared and have many years of experience in ministry. A former Sister of St. Joseph, Mary Theresa Streck earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. She is an artist and peace activist who is co-founder and director of the Ark Community Charter School in Troy, New York, a school primarily serving low-income families. “I am seeking ordination as a Roman Catholic woman priest because I wish to continue and expand a life of service within my tradition to those who have been marginalized in the church,” said Mary Theresa Streck. “I am living the change I wish to see in the Roman Catholic Church: equality for women in a church where all are welcome.” A wife and mother, Mary Sue Barnett has a Master’s in Religious Studies and a Master’s in Biblical Studies. She leads women’s spirituality retreats in Louisville and is a mentor of a young adult feminist activist group that specializes in advocacy for girls and women. Maureen L. McGill is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired attorney in St. Petersburg. She has spent most of her professional career advocating for abused and neglected children. The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests calls on Pope Francis to embrace the full equality of women in our church and world community to lay the foundation for peace. Just as Clare and Francis were partners in living out the Gospel with the poor and marginalized, we invite Pope Francis to do the same with women priests. Today women priests continue to follow the tradition of women disciples living and preaching the nonviolent and empowering Gospel taught to them by Jesus. We are leading the Roman Catholic Church into a new era of community and solidarity with all people. Women priests are answering the call and our movement is growing since it began in 2002 with the ordination of seven women on the Danube. There are now more than150 women in in the world in our Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement, including 100 in 30 states in the U.S., living and serving over 60 inclusive Catholic communities and welcoming all to receive the sacraments. According to a recent CBS Gallup Poll, over 70% of Catholics in the U.S. support women priests. There is no shortage of vocations as women are now saying “Yes” to this call and are being ordained. In 2013, ARCWP will have ordained 15 women priests and deacons. Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan (703-505-0004) and Janice Sevre-Duszynska (859-684-4247) of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests will be in Albany from Sept. 12 –16. They will be available for interviews about our justice movement for women priests in the Roman Catholic Church. ####