A Place in the Church
Hello friend —
I’m writing you from my kitchen table after one lengthy day of work. My apartment smells of roasted garlic and lemon and there’s a huge pile of clean sheets on my bed. My stomach is full and I’m fading fast, but first, I want to tell you about a conversation I had that changed the way I view femininity in the Catholic Church.
While attending art school in Georgia, I worked for an event florist run by an eclectic group of women who watched daytime soaps and crafted nicknames for all the clients they found unpleasant. It was an interesting environment, to say the least, but I really enjoyed working with the flowers. One afternoon while snipping hydrangeas, I had a thought provoking conversation with the shop owner. Her name was Helen and the topic was Catholicism and gender equality. Helen was under the impression that women were viewed as inferior in the Catholic Church. I don’t recall what I said in reply but I do remember how I felt.
Helen had opened a can of worms that day. You see, I have a heart for the empowerment of others, particularly women, and I needed clarity. Deep down, I already knew truth, but I dug and dug until I hit gold.
Hear me, sister. Today, let’s be confident in knowing that the Church treasures women. And we each have a role to play. And women may have different roles than men, but that does not make them less. Whatever your role is, I challenge you to play it well.
I’m off to address that heaping wad of sheets on my bed. Take care.
jess.