50th Anniversary of Women's Ordination
A celebration
Friday, April 26-Sunday, April 28, 2024
On July 29, 1974, eleven women previously ordained as Episcopal deacons became the first women to be ordained as priests in the Episcopal Church. The service, which took place at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, was the culmination of a prolonged effort to break the “stained-glass ceiling” that prevented women from serving at the altar.
The 1974 ordinations were considered “irregular” since the General Convention of the Episcopal Church had not yet opened the priesthood to women. Three retired bishops presided over the liturgy to force the issue. The women, who came to be known as the Philadelphia Eleven, paved the way for the subsequent approval of the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate at the General Convention held in Minneapolis in 1976. This summer marks the 50th anniversary of that groundbreaking moment, and at St. Stephen’s Church we will commemorate the milestone with programs and special guests over the weekend of April 26-28. The events listed on the reverse side are designed to help us reflect on this history and on the experience of women in other careers and life circumstances, and also to welcome back several women who have served at St. Stephen’s in the past.
Register
All of the following events are free and open to all. Please click here to register so we will know how many to prepare for at each event (there is one registration form for all offerings).
Schedule of events
Friday, April 26, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall
A screening of “The Philadelphia Eleven” and panel discussion
Our evening will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. followed at 6:30 by the screening of a new documentary film telling the story of this historic event. A 45-minute panel conversation will follow, reflecting on the history and experience of women’s ordination in the Episcopal Church. The panel features the Rev. Whitney Edwards, vicar of Varina Episcopal Church; the Rev. Claudia Merritt, one of the first women ordained after the General Convention opened all orders of ministry to women, and a former member of St. Stephen’s clergy staff; and the Rev. Cate Anthony, associate rector at St. Stephen’s.
Below, L to R: Edwards, Merritt
Saturday, April 27, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the fellowship hall
Faithful Women, Sacred Lives: Women’s retreat followed by luncheon
The Rev. Cate Anthony and the Women of St. Stephen’s will host a women’s retreat celebrating the faith and ministries of the women of our community. Using the wisdom of Verna Dozier, a formidable Episcopal laywoman and theologian, participants will consider their personal vocations in the church and in their daily lives. The morning will include time for reflection, conversation, and prayer. No prior experience is required; all are welcome. Following the women’s retreat, the Women of St. Stephen’s will host a celebratory luncheon for the women of our community. All are welcome; attendance at the retreat is not required to attend the luncheon.
Sunday, April 28, 9 & 11:15 a.m. services, 10:10 Forum, and 5:30 p.m. service
The Rev. Weezie Blanchard will preach at our morning services (9 and 11:15 a.m.), and the Rev. Penny Nash will be the reflector at the Celtic service (5:30 p.m.).
At 10:10 a.m., during the Sunday Forum, the Rev. John Rohrs will moderate a discussion featuring the Rev. Cate Anthony, and two clergy who have served at St. Stephen's Church in the past, the Rev. Weezie Blanchard and the Rev. Margaret Austin. Cate, Weezie, and Margaret will think about the contemporary experience of women clergy while also imagining the future of women’s ministry in the church. We’ll provide time for questions from the audience.
The Rev. Weezie Blanchard served as vicar of St. Stephen’s from 2012 to 2014, after beginning as an associate rector here from 2007 to 2012. Before pursuing ordination, she had been our director of children’s ministry. Weezie recently retired as the rector of Church of the Ascension in Denver.
The Rev. Margaret Austin was associate rector at St. Stephen’s from 1997 to 2003, leading our first Disciples of Christ in Community (DOCC) groups and the Palmer Hall family service. She served as rector of parishes in Texas, Colorado, and Louisiana before retiring in Richmond.
The Rev. Penny Nash is the interim rector at St. James’s Church in Richmond and served as associate rector at St. Stephen’s from 2014 to 2020, when she shepherded our evening community, including the Celtic service, the Sunday Community Supper, and Compline.
Below, L to R: Blanchard, Austin, Nash