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I’m really curious as to what the current roles for women are in the Church. It seems to be getting a lot more conservative here. The only roles I see women taking are with the Altar and Rosary Society, as CCD teachers, occasional lectors or in the choir.
” title=”Confused” />I have sometimes wished that I had the requisite “parts” so I could be given equal respect, not only in the Church, but in other areas of society as well. But I don’t really want a gender reassignment!
I’d welcome feedback.
We have women do everything but usher at my Church. I have no problems with that other than the altar girls. I think everything we have is done or run by women. Most readers, Eucharistic ministers, choir, music director, council, money counters, etc. are women.
Many people insist that our church is sexist. Pretty hard to make that case when you consider how many saints were women (including Our Lady).
The church seeks to emulate Christ who, for whatever reason. chose men as His apostles. God also chose exclusivly women to bera children.
If have always looked at it as simply the different roles God chose for the genders and not as favoring one over the other.
The Church is considered sexist in part because of the emphasis on Our Lady. Mary’s behavior is often seen as anathema to the independent, girl-power kind of modern woman.
I thought the Church was seen as sexist because women remain subservient to men because they are not allowed to be members of the ordained clergy.
But ya know…
Mary IS the ultimate “submissive woman”, yet she must have a core of steel to have been able to trust God so completely. And there’s SO many examples in the Bible of strong, active women. Deborah was a judge! And the Proverbs 31 woman sure seemed like an equal partner to me!
(pardon my soapbox) It seems that in my Archdiocese, women aren’t allowed to be homilists, are discouraged from being Eucharistic ministers, NEVER collect the offertory, and so on.
Yet you know about the anti-gay marriage amendment that didn’t make it through the Senate vote recently? I don’t agree with all of her political stances, but Rep. Marilyn Musgrave goes to my old church! It’s as if the minute a woman steps through the Church doors, she loses her opinion.
I have been the sole financial support of my family since 1994, when my husband was diagnosed with two chronic illnesses. I have been the primary breadwinner our whole marriage, because I had a decent education. Did I want to be a stay-at-home mom? Of course I did. But if I stayed home, we would have been on welfare. Now my husband is three semesters from graduating from college. Will I get to stay home now? Not if I want to retire before I’m ninety.
Yet the Church is run by men. When my ex-pastor tossed me out on my ear, I had no recourse, because what the priest says is always correct and unopposable here.
And still, I want to come “home” to the Church. Must be a “God” thing.
Tee:
I don’t know how to respond to you-because your experiences are amazing. In a favorable way—-God has given you amazing strength to get through it all.
You talk about being the primary-breadwinner, with a spouse that has chronic illnesses. That puts you in a position to be empathetic with a whole lot of people in this world.—-wow!
I don’t know what I would do if I had the experience of getting the boot from a pastor. Tee; keep using the strong faith you have
I don’t know sometimes it does help to offer up our afflictions—-I try this sometimes, as the apostles did when they thank Jesus for letting them ‘share’ in the suffering. It’s a crazy crazy concept-but thanking God for a part in the suffering of His Son-by bearing our own suffering—-well it does bring personal peace. A peace that I don’t often see at that very moment of suffering—-but a calmness as I face daily life after the ‘acuteness’ of the pain has passed.Thanks for posting Tee!
[quote:pbl19ljf](pardon my soapbox) It seems that in my Archdiocese, women aren’t allowed to be homilists, are discouraged from being Eucharistic ministers, NEVER collect the offertory, and so on. [/quote:pbl19ljf]
Actually, no lay person is allowed to do the homily, male or female.
” title=”Wink” />As far as the rest of that, I am sorry to hear about that, but it is certainly not the case in other dioceses and does not reflect the overall attitude of the worldwide church.
Huh. I was told that women have written homilies.
And I think the thing that irks me most about all this is:
Surely you’ve heard of the anti-gay marriage amendment that failed to pass the Senate recently. The sponsor of that amendment proposal, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, GOES TO MY OLD CHURCH! (She’s the rep. from Fort Morgan, CO…but that’s not where she attends church. Preserving anonimity, you know.)
I’ve never seen HER be an altar server or collect the offertory or be a Eucharistic minister, either.
Whoops, sorry. Told ya about Mrs. Musgrave.
Thanks for replying, Jon. I guess I just have to keep trying…though why God is putting me through this, I have NO clue.
Well, women may have written homilies, but I think the rule is that only the presider and sometimes the deacon can give the homily.
Also, I’m not so sure I am making the connection between your senator not serving and the anti-gay marriage thing.
How are they related?
I believe the bible is clear on the roles women and men are to play in the church…that’s why we are converting to the Catholic Church, because we feel this denomination still values and follows those roles laid out in the bible to follow…if one feels that the church they are part of are too conservative or too liberal, they should find another church instead of trying to change the one they are in.
I have heard some say the catholic Church is still in the dark ages…that makes it all the more appealing to me.
The Catholic Church, from what I have seen is not about popularity or compromise…that makes me love it all the more.
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