New York Women Are Leading a Rebel Effort to Try to Get the Catholic Church to Change!
Across the United States, the issue of women being allowed to serve as clergy is a major topic in several Christian denominations. One of the most notable of these is the Catholic Church, which does not permit women to be ordained.
Only men are allowed to serve as clergy in the Catholic Church, and this rule has been in place for hundreds of years. However, many women are now leading a movement to change this, particularly in Albany, New York.
This grassroots movement is highlighted in CBS Mornings’ series “The State of Spirituality with Lisa Ling.” The series explores different paths to faith, spirituality, and religion, and one of the most recent installments focuses on these women who are pushing for the ordination of female clergy.
Around 52 million people in the U.S. identify as Catholic. According to Pew Research, about 64% of U.S. Catholics support the idea of women priests. Despite this support, the Catholic Church has held firm in its stance against ordaining women.
Bridget Mary Meehan and Mary Theresa Streck are two of the women leading this movement. Both are members of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, a worldwide group advocating for women’s ordination. In defiance of the Vatican, women within this group have started ordaining themselves.
In upstate New York, inside a building that resembles a warehouse, the members of this rebel movement meet for Sunday mass. They hope to inspire change within the Catholic Church. Mary Theresa Streck, one of the women priests, presides over these services and believes that change starts with action.
“Change begins by somebody doing it,” she said, expressing the movement’s goal of leading by example.
Streck is also part of an inclusive Catholic community called the Upper Room, where everyone is welcome. At these gatherings, women like Streck and Meehan celebrate mass, something they believe many people are seeking. “People are looking for what we’re offering,” Streck added. “They want to see women ordained and celebrating mass.”
CBS News attended one of the masses, and Meehan, a bishop within the movement, delivered the sermon. In her sermon, Meehan invoked the spirit of Mary Magdalene, urging attendees to follow in her footsteps and create a new model of the church.
However, the Roman Catholic Church has made it clear that it does not allow women to serve as priests. The church maintains that clergy should be unmarried men, reflecting the image of Jesus and his 12 disciples. Women like Meehan and Streck disagree with this interpretation and have formed their resistance.
The Albany Diocese has distanced itself from the movement, stating in a comment to CBS News that it is not affiliated with the group. The Vatican did not respond to requests for comment on the issue.
While other Christian denominations, such as the Episcopal Church, allow women to be ordained, the women in this movement have chosen to remain Catholic, despite not being recognized by the church. For Streck, the Catholic faith is something deeply rooted in her identity.
“It’s in my bones,” Streck explained. “I am a Roman Catholic.”
For many Catholics, particularly those who attend the Upper Room, 2010 was a key year in their faith journey. This was when the Vatican declared that ordaining women was a “grave offense,” placing it in the same category as pedophilia.
Despite the Vatican’s stance, many Catholics continue to support the idea of women clergy. One parishioner, Timothy Perry-Coon, explained that while he felt abandoned by the Catholic Church at one point, the women priests helped restore his faith.
“We are the Catholic Church here, too,” Perry-Coon said, reinforcing the belief that this movement is part of the larger Catholic community.
The origins of this movement can be traced back to 2002 when seven women were ordained as priests on the Danube River in Germany. The Vatican responded by excommunicating all those involved, including the women who followed in their footsteps.
Meehan, one of the movement’s leaders, rejected the excommunication, stating that they are leading the Catholic Church they love into a new era. Meehan and Streck are both former nuns who were raised as devout Catholics. Their connection to their faith runs deep, and their commitment to the Catholic Church remains unwavering.
Streck’s journey took an unexpected turn when she met and fell in love with a young priest. Both Streck and the priest resigned from their religious positions to be together. They continued their ministry work, even after leaving their official positions in the church. After her husband passed away from cancer, Streck felt called to the priesthood, a path she knew her husband would have supported.
In 2013, Streck was ordained by Meehan in Albany, marking a first for the region. Since then, ten other women have been ordained in the area, joining the ranks of around 300 women worldwide who have been ordained as part of this movement.
Despite the Vatican’s opposition, Meehan and Streck have created a seminary curriculum for women seeking ordination and continue to offer training. They both hold doctorate degrees in ministry, and they are dedicated to their cause, even though they acknowledge that they may never see the Catholic Church officially recognize women clergy. “But that’s not a good reason not to do it,” Streck said.
Earlier this year, Pope Francis addressed the issue of women clergy in an interview with CBS News. When asked if a little girl growing up Catholic could ever have the opportunity to become a deacon, he responded with a firm “No.”
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Despite this, Meehan and Streck remain undeterred. They believe they are laying the groundwork for future generations of women priests. Their message to the Pope and the Vatican would be one of love for the Catholic Church. “Do not be afraid of us,” Streck said. “We have a lot to offer,” Meehan added. Their goal is to create a church that promotes justice and equality and is where everyone is welcome.