October 28, 2000
Dear Soulforce Colleagues,
We write to wish you well on the activities surrounding the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ meeting in Washington. We applaud your action for justice and hope that it will produce the changes in hearts and minds so needed in the kyriarchal Catholic Church. You join Dignity, the Conference for Catholic Lesbians, Women-Church Convergence, New Ways Ministry and the thousands of Catholic individuals and groups who together will "make all things new" for churches and society.
As you go about you work, we think of women from that tradition who have engaged in non-violent social change. Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement leaps to mind. Sister Theresa Kane’s prophetic words of welcome to Pope John Paul II in the very church where you will protest is another example. In the mid- 1980’s groups of Catholic and other activists were arrested at the Vatican Embassy protesting that "Women’s Rights are Human Rights." We look to the women of Greenham Common, the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo and others who, like Gandhi, Dr. King and all of you bring about justice through grace-filled means.
Warm wishes on your efforts. We will join you as our schedules allow over the weekend. Please be assured of our prayerful support.
Cordially,
Mary E. Hunt Diann L. Neu
Co-directors
Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D.
WATER Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual
8035 13th Street
Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA
301 589-2509 fax 301 589-3150
e-mail: mhunt@hers.com