Darlene O'Dell

Darlene O'Dell

Darlene O'Dell is the author of The Story of the Philadelphia Eleven; Sites of Southern Memory: The Autobiographies of Katharine Du Pre Lumpkin, Lillian Smith, and Pauli Murray; and Raised in the World of Everyday Poets. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

By this Author

Jeannette Piccard surrounded (left to right) by the Rev. Denzil Carty and her three sons Donald, John and Paul during the processional at the Church of the Advocate, July 29, 1974, in Philadelphia, There she and 10 other women became the first women ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in the U.S. (Brad Hess)

Philadelphia Eleven's Piccard made history, first as a pilot, then as a priest

This year marks two anniversaries in Jeannette Piccard's life: July 29 is the 50th anniversary of her ordination to the Episcopal priesthood, and Oct. 23 is the 90th anniversary of her flight into the stratosphere.

Carter Heyward with flag

Carter Heyward's new book calls out sins of white Christian nationalism

In her new book, Carter Heyward names the sins of white supremacy, entitlement, misogyny and violence (among others), then devotes the final third of the book to identifying directions for action.

From left: Merrill Bittner, Emily Hewitt, Carter Heyward, Nancy Wittig and Marie Moorefield Fleischer preside at a memorial service for Alison Cheek Nov. 2 at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Brevard, North Carolina. (Darlene O’Dell)

Philadelphia 11 reunion recalls ministry of pioneering women priests

In 1974, they became the first women ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in the U.S. This November, five of them gathered again to celebrate the life of one of their own, Alison Cheek, who died Sept. 1.

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