Los Angeles priests add support to U.S. women religious

This statement of affirmation and gratitude, along with the statement prepared by the Califoria Bishops and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, should sent to every Diocesan Ordinary in the United States.

It's about time that some official body of people related to the institution said something about the negative effects the institution is causing. The institutional Church seems to be committing "assisted suicide". Thanks to the priests who are supporting the sisters. There may still be hope.

I would not necessarily link these words of gratitude directly with the Vatican Apostolic Visitation. The heading of this article is immediately and unnecessarily polarizing. Let's just be grateful for the gift of communion among the priests and religious sisters which is evidenced by this letter. Great letter!

Now there are some things I have longed to hear:

"Sisters living and working in our parishes and Archdiocesan offices bring the gift of a woman’s experience and perspective, helping us achieve greater balance in our judgments and planning as we confront issues of ministry together. We are grateful for their counsel and active roles in ministry with us.

Indeed many of us were guided and encouraged towards priesthood by these heroic religious women. In that sense, they were our first spiritual directors. Our lives continue to be transformed, challenged and supported by their faithfulness to a lifestyle of simplicity and prayer."

Thank you.

Bravo, and may their spirit spread!

Well said, my brothers!

Glory Be! I am deeply moved by what these priests have written. I do not want to get caught into some sort of hierarchy vs. nuns mind set, and so the respectful and collegial tone of this letter-- even the debt of gratitude and the admiration offered to those 'first spiritual directors'--helps me to remember that there are priests of good will and Gospel love who will stand gently and firmly against abuse of power. The non-inflammatory tone of this letter also instructs me to stay focused on that difficult calling to love all- even those who I could imagine being my enemy. Thank you!

Thank you.

Thanks, good priests of Los Angeles, for your heartfelt support. We know that you are praying with us that the Spirit of God will bring great good for the Body of Christ from this suffering.
Anne Rita

May God bless all priests but especially those who know what women religious have done for the Church and speak out about it.

Amen!! And where are the voices of the other 193 + - Presbyteral councils?

How very beautiful and it is about time.

Good for these priests. At least there are some decent people left in the church. Can you imagine the priests in Philadelphia (Rigali), New York (Dolan) or Chicago (George) doing something like this? They are beaten down men.
Since Rigali, Dolan and George support the "visitation" it would be impossible in those dioceses for priests to oppose these bishops. They'd be stepped on and humbled.
So there's some hope for our church. These courageous men are leading the way. Maybe some priests, somewhere will have the guts to follow them and support these women.

These accolades show how effect a tool women religious are in the hands of patriarchy and how they have played into leading others into "Power Suffering" so well that the hierarchy takes note and commends them for it. Note that the women religious are being discussed in terms of "service" (paid service that is - think job description) and not in terms of "ministry".

PLATITUDINOUS SHOWS OF SUPPORT: I am not impressed that the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the California bishops voiced their support of the American Sisters in light of the Apostolic Visitation. What they should have done was to encourage these women to humbly accept the visitation and to thank the Holy See for having one. The Sisters are on a sinking Titanic and don't realize that the Holy See is throwing them a life saver. What's wrong with an apostolic visitation? Our American seminaries had one. My own religious congregation had one. The Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the California bishops are nostalgically looking back to the glorious PAST of these wonderful women instead of to the FUTURE of women's consecrated life in this country.

Thank you. Your comments are much appreciated. Thank you for encouraging vocations to the religious life.

I am proud to be part of the Los Angeles Achdiocese today

I am proud to be part of the Los Angeles Achdiocese today

Bravo! to the LA Archdiocese Council for Priests, for finally stating so succinctly the enormous debt we clergy especially, but the whole Church too, owe to the courageous women religious there and throughout the world. By its implicit criticism, contradicting our own experience, the visitation clumsilly wounds these women, and betrays a woeful ignorance of the US reality. Hopefully this statement will serve as a catalyst for similar priests's to rally round them. It is long overdue. This may even inspire the bishops to express something similar. BM

Thank you. What a wonderful statement. I have noticed with the religious orders that educated me in my youth, as numbers dropped and convent jobs, i.e. cook, seamstress, switchboard operator, have declined, more of these orders have branched out to other ministries. Mission ministry, social ministry, prison ministry, etc. May God Bless the women religious in the world and may their ministry continue as a continued outgrowth of the gospel mission.

All well and good, I support Vocations to the Religious life and our Women Religious also.

I don't think anyone is advocating the abolition of Nuns in the United States. Rome wants to get a feel for the situation here in the US, which it has every right to...in his capacity as the Supreme Pontiff and the man who sits in St. Peter's chair.

Frankly, the multiplication of Heterodox Nuns in open rebellion against Church teaching has no doubt reached the Holy Father's ears. This dissention is a scandal to the Faithful and a source of confusion. Rome wants to know what is going on.

Thank you for publishing this statement from the ordained priests of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. I believe that this can apply to just about any diocese. If I can recall a couple of hundred committed religious women that have help me throughout my life, that is but a few.

Thank you to the council of Priest in Los Angeles for there committed support to some of the most faithful disciples of Our Lord, they have been so dedicated and continue to be a model for us all.....thank you Sisters....

We hope all Presbyteral Councils in the dioceses of the United States find their voices and issue a statement of support acknowledging U.S. women religious and their work in building and sustaining the church in America.

I look forward to hearing all the public voices of the American Catholic priesthood together loudly supporting religious in a timely manner.

Thank you for your support for some tireless, and in some cases, unsung heroines!

Although living and ministering in Japan I have been following the reports concerning the investigation of the Women Religious in the US. I would like to ditto my sentiements with those of the LA Priests and elsewhere in showing my support and gratitude to these wonderful women. I honestly have no bad memories (alright maybe one!)while being 'raised' by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Hyde Park, MA. They were a strong influence in my life and even in the pre-Vatican II days, they always seemed down to earth and approachable. Good qualities to have in those days! Thank you Sisters!!!!

Having just completed a 2 day retreat with the good Sisters of Loretto, Nerinx KY, I again appreciate the important role of faith foundation, examples of peace and justice ministry and teachings the sisters have provided in my life.

There is nothing more deserved than this vote of confidence in the Women religious of the Church. As a native easterner who spent 18 years in California as well as Oregon and Utah, I am delighted to see the western church speak out on behalf of the great contributions made by women in dedicated life to the church everywhere. May this undeserved cloud of suspicion pass quickly and their ranks flourish with new recruits.

I appreciate this word of gratitude from priests and I acknowledge that religious women have been doing a lot with compassion and humility.

It is so refreshing to find such a positive affirmation for these sisters, and not just those in the LA area, but everywhere. God bless their hearts.

Amen.

amen Father!
any material support go with that?

Amen. We hope and pray that o

Amen. How about other diocesan priests organizations joining in their support
for women religious. Thanks to the priest of the Los Angeles Diocese for taking the lead.

Better late than never...or not at all! I do give these priests credit for having the decency to take a stand. This is a remarkable step in a church which seems very much afraid of the Vatican and its hatchet men. Thank you!

It does my heart good to read this. I am grateful for the voice of these priests who speak up for the women.

With all the talk about the ongoing Visitation, it seems to me that there are a lot of folk out there who are scared about something. But what? Is there any reason to be scared about what the guys in charge have found necessary? There should be no reason for all this chit-chat if everything in the Congregations were above board. On the contrary, if the members of said Congregations have drifted away from the charisms of their founders, then and only then should they show any hesitation to be "Visited". They may be asked to "pull up their socks", but in any family that is necessary, and the Church is also a family.

AMEN!

Thank God those priests and bishops who know best our contributions to the church in American are taking a stand in support of Women Religious. It is humbling to know that our ministries are recognized as those of Jesus.
Thank you, our brothers in Christ!

Thank you, brother priests, for recognizing and giving credit to the Women Religious in the United States for their contributions to the Church in America. We are deeply appreciative of your prayers, your support and for having the moral courage to publicly take a stand at this difficult time.

A handsome tribute - thanks

I guess it's a typo somewhere, but I am enraptured at the thought of a dept (=Department?) of Gratitude in the LA Archdiocese. Now that's an excellent idea!

The Holy Spirit speaks in LA

Deep gratitude to the priests of the Archdiocese for your support, prayer and on-going collaboration with all the people of God, especially at this time, for the women religious. Your willingness to speak publicly means a great deal to me as a woman religious for forty years. Let us continue to pray for and work together to further the mission of Jesus, our faith-filled response to our Baptismal call.

Men of kindness and courage, thank you!
Leota Roesch, sfcc

Thanks so much. Your support is appreciated.

Most of the current hierarchy in the church have Constantine as their model, not Jesus. And Jesus weeps.

It might seem like a "mustard seed" compared to the number of priests and priest counciils but I want you to know a group of brother priests of the Diocese of Providence, RI wrote an article of support for the sisters and had it published in the diocesan paper. There were around 12 signatures. Thanks, brothers. Sister