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EDITORIAL Recognition for 27 valiant, capable and just women
Years ago there was a reading in the missal that began, "Who shall
find the valiant woman?/Far beyond the uttermost coasts is the price of her."
Taken from Proverbs 31, it was read at a Mass for a saint described as a "holy
woman, not a martyr." Now those lines are translated as "The truly capable
woman/--who can find her?/She is far beyond the price of pearls."
The Catholic church and the nation have been blessed with an
abundance of such women -- women such as Sr. Lauria Fitzgerald, the focus of
this week's cover story. Call them valiant, capable or holy -- or call them
"Women of Justice," as Network chose to do in announcing that it had found not
one but 27 such pearls.
In celebrating the 25th anniversary of its founding, Network, a
religious social justice lobby well known on Capitol Hill, honored 25 "Women of
Justice," chosen from more than 80 nominated by Network members. The women --
15 religious and 10 lay women -- have performed a variety of ministries for at
least 10 years. For good measure, the lobby also honored two Network
founders.
Sister of Charity Louise Akers described the honorees as "part of
a broad movement of women who are organizing -- building coalitions, speaking
out, speaking up, speaking in solidarity with one another, demanding to be
heard, knowing that our own experiences and perspectives contribute to the
total picture of what society and church are and could be."
Alphabetically, the "Women of Justice" honorees, with their cities
and ministries, are:
- Barbara Bader Aldave, San Antonio, civil rights, death penalty
abolishment, legal education.
- Donna Bivens, Boston, anti-racism work, race, class and gender
analysis.
- Sr. Monica Cahill, a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, Chicago, Network founder.
- Mercy Sr. Petra Chavez, San Francisco, immigrant and refugee
rights.
- Sr. Marie de Paul Combo, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth,
Kansas City, Kan., civil rights, peace, justice in Central America.
- Benedictine Sr. Patricia Crowley, Chicago, homelessness, social
services.
- Vickie J. Deutsch, Milwaukee, homelessness, especially among
the mentally ill.
- Shelley Hall Douglass, Birmingham, Ala., civil rights,
homelessness, peace.
- Sister of St. Joseph Claire Dugan, Providence, R.I., Network
founder.
- Delia R. Gomez, El Paso, Texas, immigrant and refugee
rights.
- Sister of Notre Dame Gail Grimes, Apopka, Fla., rights of
migrant workers and the rural poor.
- Ursuline Sr. Valerie Heinonen, New York, peace and corporate
responsibility.
- Mary Hussmann, Columbia, Mo., homelessness, peace, civil
rights.
- JoAnn Kane, Silver Spring, Md., affordable housing.
- Dominican Sr. Mary Jordan Langenhennig, Baton Rouge, La., crime
prevention, community organizing among Native Americans and poor people.
- Franciscan Sr. Rose MacDermott, Essington, Pa., civil rights,
social services, corporate responsibility.
- Dominican Sr. Joseph Mary Mahoney, Blauvelt, N.Y., housing and
services for children and adults with special needs, immigrants.
- Maryknoll Sr. Anna McAnany, Maryknoll, N.Y., peace, Filipino
rights.
- Sister of Charity Regina Murphy, New York, peace, corporate
responsibility.
- Sr. Mary Nerney, Congregation de Notre Dame, New York, criminal
justice system, family abuse victims.
- Bonnie Neumeier, Cincinnati, community organizer for the
homeless, substance abuse, empowerment of women.
- Mercy Sr. Benvinda Pereira, Biloxi, Miss., health services for
the rural poor.
- Dominican Sr. Maria Riley, Washington, civil rights, women's
issues.
- School Sister of Notre Dame Jacqueline Toben, St. Louis,
criminal justice system, transition programs for ex-prisoners.
- Kathleen Tomlin, Minneapolis, legislative activism on behalf of
poor people.
- Sister of St. Joseph Judy Vaughan, Los Angeles, housing,
justice for people affected by war.
- Jessica M. Wormley, Roslyn, Pa., youth activism on behalf of
the poor.
The ministries of these women bring healing to some of the places
where the body politic hurts most. This is a list to ponder, perhaps to post on
a bulletin board or refrigerator. These are women to watch, to emulate, to pray
with and for.
National Catholic Reporter, April 25,
1997
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