Our ordained priests come from diverse backgrounds, professions, and life experiences, yet share a common commitment to serving God’s people through sacramental ministry, compassionate care, and Gospel-centered justice.
Click on each member’s name to access their biography and additional information.
Jane Audrey-Neuhauser was born and raised in NYC and has spent most of her adult life in the Boston area. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Mt. St. Vincent and a Masters in Theology and Religious Education from Boston College. When Jane worked as a DRE, her team developed the two-year high school Confirmation program, which became the standard for the Boston Archdiocese. Other parish involvements included: Parish Council President, Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Sacramental Preparation Team and folk group member. Jane is an active member of several independent Catholic Communities: The Spirit of Life and The People of the Promise in the Boston area, and, as a “snowbird”, St. Dorothy’s Catholic Community in Orlando, FL during the winter months. She is active in the local food banks in both states and is a Reiki Master and End-of-Life Doula.
Professionally, Jane was a middle school teacher for 17 years and was selected by Massachusetts and the National Science Foundation for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching. Now in her retirement years, she also manages to find time to chase after grandkids and golf balls! Jane is available to preside at Liturgies and offer Sacraments in both MA and FL.
Professional Title: Rev. Jane Audrey-Neuhauser
Location: Marlboro, MA
Ordained Deacon: 2019 | Ordained Priest: 2021
Barbara A. Beadles is a member of the pastoral team of Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community in central Maryland. She enjoys creating and presiding at liturgical and non-liturgical ceremonies celebrating transitions of life. She holds a Doctor of Ministry from Global University; a Master of Arts in Liturgical Studies from The Catholic University of America and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Thomas More College. She holds certificates in spiritual direction and Companioning the Dying: Fully Opening to the Living. She lives with her husband Jim in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2015
Professional Title: Rev. Doctor
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Community: Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community
Community Contact: livingwatercommunity@comcast.net
Meeting Format: In person
Website/Social: Living Water I C C
Dr. Janet Buchanan is a Benedictine monk whose daily life of communal prayer has led her to deeply long for a world where love transforms all that needs to be healed. She shares a rich community life with the members of St. Brigid of Kildare Monastery, a dispersed, ecumenical monastic community of women and men.
For over 30 years, she worked as a healthcare executive in roles focusing on the mission and ministry of faith-based organizations. Her sometimes unconventional thinking flourished in each newly created position, giving her the opportunity to build a big-picture vision and lead dynamic teams.
Dr. Buchanan holds graduate degrees in Theology and Business and too many certifications to count (and why would you). As a first generation college-student, she relishes opportunities to mentor young people and encourage and walk alongside emerging leaders.
When she isn’t reading, learning something new (currently working on certificate number ?), or enjoying a multitude of other hobbies; Janet loves spending time with her close-knit family. She is an avid genealogist who is fascinated by the history of her six generations of Texas ancestors, recognizing she is the result of the love of hundreds. Janet and her wife of over 30 years, call the southern Pennsylvania foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains home.
Professional Title: Rev. Janet Buchanan
Location: Fairfield, PA
Ordained Deacon: 2024 | Ordained Priest: 2025
Called to ministry at age seven, Donna Burke told her mother that she wanted to be a priest. That calling was realized when she was ordained a deacon in 2016 and a priest with Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP) in 2017.
A lifelong Catholic, Donna attended Catholic elementary and high schools in Fall River, Massachusetts. She holds a Master of Theology and a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University.
Donna lives in Amherst, New Hampshire, with her wife, Sue. Within RCWP, she serves as President of the Board of Directors’ Circle and Regional Administrator for the Eastern Region.
Professional Title: Rev. Donna E. Burke
Location: Amherst, New Hampshire, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2016 | Ordained Priest: 2017
Gloria Carpeneto, Ph.D., is a spiritual director, labyrinth facilitator, Reiki Master, writer, and teacher. In the late 90’s, Gloria conducted her doctoral dissertation research on the embodiment of spirituality in women. Since that time, she has ministered primarily with women – individually and in groups.
Gloria has served as Pastoral Associate for Holistic Health Ministry in two Roman Catholic faith communities. She has taught Psychology, Nursing, and Early Childhood Education at Villa Julie College (now Stevenson University), and has served as advisor on doctoral students’ dissertation committees at University of MD College Park. Gloria’s Ph.D. is in Human Development, and her D. Min. is in Spiritual Direction with a research focus on Ignatian Spirituality in Everyday Living. She founded and served as Executive Director of the FRIENDS of the Northeast Interfaith Peace Garden, a community garden and labyrinth located in an urban setting, dedicated to interfaith peacemaking. Together with Andrea Johnson, Gloria currently co-pastors the Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community in Baltimore MD.
Gloria was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in Boston MA on July 20, 2008, and lives in Baltimore MD with Myles, her husband of 50 years. Myles & Gloria are the parents of Robin and Penelope; grandparents to Prema, Uriah, Venus and Salvador; and great grandparents to Zyra and Ariah.
Professional Title: Rev. Gloria Carpeneto
Location: Baltimore, MD
Ordained Deacon: 2007 | Ordained Priest: 2008
Rev. Marie David, M.Ed., Reiki Master/Teacher, has more than 30 years of experience in Catholic education, spirituality, and parish ministry. From 2002–2017, she and her husband, Jim, served as directors of Evensong Retreat & Spirituality Center and co-pastors of St. Mary of Magdala Church. Following the sale of the retreat center in 2017, they continued their ministry as co-pastors of St. Mary of Magdala Church in Harwich, Massachusetts, until 2022.
Marie is the mother of two grown daughters and grandmother of three grandchildren. Her ministries include women’s spirituality and wellness, Reiki treatments and training, spiritual direction, and retreat leadership.
Professional Title: Rev. Marie David
Location: Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2004 | Ordained Priest: 2005
Rev. Sharon Dickinson has a Master of Divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School and is the Director of Spiritual Care at Salem Hospital, Salem, MA. Her priestly ordination was April 23, 2016. Sharon is the main preacher, presider and pastor for the People of the Promise, an open and affirming Catholic community founded in 1972. Visit us at https://www.peopleofthepromise.org/.
Rev. Sharon is available for sacramental ministry, spiritual direction, and pastoral counseling. To join the community, which has been gathering every Sunday at 10am for Mass on Zoom since March 2020, send Rev. Sharon an email at RevSharonDickinson@yahoo.com. Our liturgy is intentional in its attention to inclusiveness and also traditional Catholic language.
Professional Title: Rev. Sharon Dickinson
Location: Bedford, MA
Ordained Deacon: 2015 | Ordained Priest: 2016
Eileen McCafferty DiFranco has lived most of her life in Philadelphia. Ordained a Roman Catholic Womanpriest in 2006, she, along with other parishioners, founded the Community of St. Mary Magdalene in 2007. The parish meets every Sunday in person and on zoom and provides numerous educational opportunities during the year.
As a worker priest, Eileen served the children of Philadelphia as a school nurse for twenty-five years before retiring. She is the author of the 2017 book, How to Keep Your Parish Alive which provides a blueprint for founding intentional Eucharistic communities and The Cost of Sainthood, which offers a critique of those the church labels as holy, published in 2024. DiFranco is a regular columnist for Southeastern Pennsylvania Women’s Ordination Conference newsletter “Equal wRites.”
Eileen has a Master of Divinity from United (formerly the Lutheran) Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. She has been married to Larry DiFranco for fifty-two years, is the mother of four adult children, and the grandmother of seven.
Professional Title: Rev. Eileen DiFranco
Location: Flourtown, PA
Ordained Deacon: 2006 | Ordained Priest: 2006
For twenty years, I was a member of a Religious Congregation that focused on Religious Education for those at the margins. Ministry was offered through visiting every home within the parish to which I was assigned, and not only the homes of Roman Catholic parishioners. As a religious, I was assigned to a different Mission every two years. I served in Cambridge MD, South San Antonio TX, Belle, WV, Grand Junction, CO, Trenton, NJ, and finally in several parishes in the barrios outside San Juan and Santurce, Puerto Rico. At the end of my life in Religious Community, I graduated with my BS SS from Loyola College, Baltimore MD. Building a home and a family in North Baltimore County, I became a member of the Parish Council in 1976, and served as Representative of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) on that Council.
Since that time, and up until the present (2017), I have been engaged in the Religious Education activities of my parish, especially those which impinged upon Women’s Reproductive Rights, GLBTQ understanding, and Ordination of Women. I have been a widow since 2002, have three adult children, all married, and two grandchildren. My spiritual life is nourished by membership in the Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community, pastored by RCWP Priests.
Professional Title: Rev. Erma Durkin
Location: Bel Air, MD
Ordained Deacon: 2016 | Ordained Priest: 2018
Rev. D. Alexandra Dyer is a Roman Catholic Womanpriest, spiritual director, executive leader, consultant, and advocate for justice whose ministry joins sacramental inclusion with organizational stewardship. Ordained in apostolic succession to the priesthood in Roman Catholic Womenpriests on May 10, 2014, she served as Priest of St. Praxedis Inclusive Roman Catholic Community and later as Chief Financial Officer and National Board Member of Roman Catholic Womenpriests. She is also a commissioned clergy member of the Federation of Christian Ministries and a member of Spiritual Directors International.
Her formation includes a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from The General Theological Seminary, a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion, cum laude, from Barnard College, Columbia University, an MBA from Western Governors University, executive MBA (MDPE) study at Columbia Business School, and doctoral (D.Min.) studies beginning at Global Ministries University in 2026.
Across more than four decades, Alexandra has led and advised mission-driven organizations in human services, harm reduction, affordable housing, health care, youth development, the arts, community revitalization, finance, governance, compliance, enterprise risk management, and change leadership. Her service has consistently centered dignity, accountability, and systems that sustain human flourishing.
As a Roman Catholic Womanpriest, Alexandra understands ordained ministry as a call to sacramental justice, conscience formation, and faithful public witness. Her theological formation, spiritual practice, executive competence, and lifelong advocacy equip her to work for women’s ordination and the full participation of women and all baptized persons in the life, leadership, and sacramental ministry of the Roman Catholic Church.
Professional Title: Reverend
Location: St. Albans, NY
Ordained Deacon: 2013 | Ordained Priest: 2014
In 2018, when I said yes to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to becoming ordained as a deacon and then the invitation of the Spirit to being ordained priest in 2019, I used the song, “The Summons” and the question in the song was “and never be the same?” I am not the same in my ministry, and as a RCWP priest my various ministries have changed me. Each day I try to live out the vision of RCWP. I served on the Board of Directors as recording secretary from 2019-2023, I have welcomed all priests and families and guests of the women being ordained since I was a candidate. I was on the retreat team for three years. In the fall of 2024, I was asked by the Board of Directors if Myself and my wife would be the new archivists for RCWP. We both said yes. We trained with Judith McKloskey and became the archivists in July 2025. It is in the spirit of humbleness that I serve as the Archivist. I have two master’s degrees, one in Early Childhood Education and the other is in Theology and Pastoral Care. I am a certified Life Coach, which incorporates so much of our vision. I have worked with the poor in various ministries since 1998 when I moved to Maryland.
Professional Title: Rev. Leslie Frances Handy
Location: Baltimore, MD
Ordained Deacon: 2017 | Ordained Priest: 2019
Norma (Keefe) Harrington felt God’s call as an eighteen year old but was unable to respond until 2006 when she learned of the women’s ordination movement. A cradle Catholic, educated by a traditional order of religious sisters, Norma has been active in parish work in Michigan where she grew up, and in the Boston area as well. Married to Jim for forty-six+ years, Norma is the mother of three and also a grandmother. She has a Masters degree in Nursing and is a semi-retired Hospice Nurse. She received a Masters degree in Theological Studies in 2012, specializing in feminist theology. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, yoga, running and reading.
Professional Title: Rev. Norma Harrington
Location: Wapole, MA
Ordained Priest: 2015
Andrea M. Johnson M. Div., a former program officer in international education exchange with the Senior Fulbright Scholars’ Program, has worked for many years, and in several dioceses, as a religious educator at the adult and secondary levels. In the 1980’s, she served for two years as a parish life director in a priestless parish of the military diocese. Always active in her parish communities, she served from 2004-2006 on the pastoral council of her current parish, as president during the second year of her term. An active member of the Women’s Ordination Conference since 1984, she served that organization as executive director from 1996-2000. Andrea’s educational background includes a BA in French from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, an MA in diplomacy and international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and an M.Div. from Global Ministries University. Her particular interest is ministry with marginalized and underserved Catholics.
Professional Title: Rev. Andrea M. Johnson M. Div
Location: Annapolis, MD
Ordained Deacon: 2006 | Ordained Priest: 2007 | Bishop: 2009 | Bishop Emerita: 2019
Caryl Conroy Johnson is involved in pastoral and interfaith ministry. She co-pastors the St. Mary Magdalene Community, an intentional catholic community in Drexel Hill, PA and is a member of the Upper Darby Ministerium. She is also a spiritual director and leads retreats and theological reflection groups. For 15 years Caryl had served as Pastoral Associate at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Springfield, PA, working in bereavement, ministry to the sick, youth ministry, worship, and interfaith events. Prior to that she was a CYO basketball coach and was involved in liturgical ministries and marriage preparation. She has a M. A. in Religious Studies, St. Charles Seminary and a M. S. in Spiritual Direction, Neumann University. She is happily married with 3 adult children. Caryl has published the story of her call to priesthood “My Journey into Freedom” available on Amazon.com.
Professional Title: Rev. Caryl Conroy Johnson
Location: Media, PA
Ordained Deacon: 2010 | Ordained Priest: 2011
Patricia Shannon Jones has a Master’s Degree in Adulthood and Aging Studies from Notre Dame of Maryland University. She is a registered nurse and retired nursing home administrator in the State of Maryland. She has completed the Parish Nursing Certificate Program at the Ecumenical Institute (EI) of Saint Mary’s Seminary and University, and continues to pursue courses in Pastoral Care at the EI. Pat has more than 20 years experience in the development and management of research projects. During her research career, she worked at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the University of Maryland School of Medicine, an International Clinical Research Organization, ran her own clinical trials management company, and worked as a consultant with the University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology where she was responsible for operational support of an institutional strengthening grant in Haiti. In addition, Pat has spent the last two years working with immigrant families through the Immigration Outreach Service Center (IOSC) in the St. Matthew Church community in Baltimore city. She assumed the role of Director in 2013. She has led the IOSC in the development of new programs and has spent the past year organizing the local immigrant community to build power in the community in order to take action on important issues that affect immigrants in the Baltimore area and the region.
Professional Title: Rev. Pat Shannon Jones
Location: Essex, MD
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2015
Celie Katovitch holds dual standing as an RCWP priest and a Unitarian Universalist minister. She currently serves as the pastor of Mary Magdalene Church in Fairport, NY.
Professional Title: Rev. Celie Katovitch
Location: Fairport, NY
Ordained Priest: 2016
Rev. Patti LaRosa lives in Rochester, NY. She was active for 10 years with the Dignity-Integrity Group for the LGBTQIA+ community as Chaplain. She also preacher and presided in rotation with other ministers.
She currently provides preaching and presiding assistance at Spiritus Christi Church. Patti is considering training as a Death Doula as an additional ministry for the community.
Professional Title: Rev. Patricia (Patti) LaRosa
Location: Rochester, NY
Ordained Deacon: 2010 | Ordained Priest: 2011
Community: Spiritus Christi Church
Meeting Format: In person
A lifelong Roman Catholic, Rev. Leahy received her MDiv from the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry in 2017. She is also a certified spiritual director and group spiritual director. Professional endeavors include ministry with the homeless and acting for 2 years as Convener and Facilitator for the Mayor of Boston in the campaign to eradicate homelessness in the city. In 2023, Rev. Leahy planted a liturgical community in Cambridge, MA known as the Mary Magdalene Spirituality Center. Her three year tenure in building a progressive and inclusive community of faithful from all walks of life was a time of deep learning, solidarity and prayer. Last year (2025) Rev. Leahy moved fulltime to Martha’s Vineyard and is in the process of building another liturgical community there. Her primary ministry loves are preaching, administering the sacraments and sharing faith stories. Rev. Leahy is also a longtime member of Women’s Ordination Conference and contributes to its Liturgy committee at present. A highlight of her ordained life was her visit to St. Baux, France to spend time in contemplation in the cave of Mary Magdalene.
Professional Title: Rev. Mary Michael Leahy
Location: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2020 | Ordained Priest: 2021
Community Contact: newseeds28@gmail.com
Meeting Format: Both (in person and Zoom)
Website/Social: Instagram: @marymgdalenecenter
I am a retired Pastor of Good Shepherd Ministries of SW Florida. Our community remains in touch but no longer meets regularly. Our beloved co-pastor, Rev. Judith Beaumont went home to our loving God on 1/1/2018. I continue to counsel, share and write using my blog- judyabl.blog. My two more recent books are: The House on Sunny Street: A Tale of Two Brooklyns, PublishAmerica.com and, The Courage to Love and Serve: The Life Story of Rev. Judith Ann Beaumont, Outskirts Press. I have been a University Professor for almost thirty years serving at NYU, UConn and FGCU schools of social work. I especially enjoy my “foster” son Marley and his family. I am in a special relationship with a partner who lives out of state and we visit as much as possible. I care for several kitties and 3 dogs as one of my dear church members passed and left her pets here. Life is very full and l especially enjoy living on a beautiful little lake where nature abounds. Thanks be to God!
Professional Title: Rev. Judith Lee
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Ordained Deacon: 2007 | Ordained Priest: 2008
Website: judyabl.com
Email: judyabl8615@gmail.com
Community: Good Shepherd Ministries of SWFl
Where do you meet? Zoom
Eda Lorello was brought up in a devout home. Her mother taught her prayer; her father taught her justice. She did not attend Catholic school but loved going to Mass. Seduced by the candles, incense, statues, music and the mumbled prayers of the priest in Latin, she knew early on that she wanted to be a priest. In her teen years, she had a devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She acknowledges that Mary brought Jesus to birth in her. She attended a secular college where she was introduced to Thomas Merton”s autobiography “The Seven Storey Mountain” which confirmed her own call to priesthood. Merton has been a mentor for her ever since.
Eda has a MA in Theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, N.Y., a MS in Pastoral Counseling from Iona College, NYC. She is certified in Spiritual Direction, Music & Imagery and Mandala Assessment. She is also a Mid-Life/Long Life Directions Consultant and for 25 yrs. conducted workshops and retreats in Personal & Spiritual Growth in Mid-Life and Later Yrs. For 30 yrs. she worked professionally in parish ministry, in adult formation, peace & justice issues, Christian Parenting and updating Vatican II. She taught Theology & Christology in the Diocesan Formation Institute of Rockville Centre, N.Y.
Eda is a Reiki practitioner and since ordination has pastored an Inclusive Catholic Community in her home for 4 yrs until physical limitation caused her to bring it to a close. Eda is the mother of 5 sons & 2 daughters, grandmother of 9, (3 of whom are married) and the great grandmother of 2.
Professional Title: Rev. Eda Lorello
Ordained Priest: 2013
Jean Marie Marchant, M.Div., D.Min. was ordained to the priesthood on July 25, 2005, aboard a vessel on the St. Lawrence Seaway. In June 2019, she was consecrated a bishop, serving the Eastern Region of RCWP until August 2026. Jean holds a Master of Divinity degree from Weston Jesuit School of Theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree in Pastoral Counseling from the Graduate Theological Foundation.
She is a retired Certified Chaplain and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist whose vocation has centered on pastoral care, spiritual direction, and accompanying people through life’s most profound transitions. In recent years, her primary ministry has been serving as bishop to her region, pastor to her faith community, and spiritual director to those seeking a companion on their spiritual journey.
Formerly the Director of Health Care Ministry for the Archdiocese of Boston, Jean’s ministry as an ordained priest in the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement has further enriched her lifelong commitment to sacramental ministry, pastoral counseling, and spiritual care.
Over more than four decades of ministry, Jean has accompanied people facing a wide range of challenges, primarily as an interfaith hospice chaplain. She has ministered to individuals living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses; supported adults navigating spiritual and emotional struggles; and walked alongside countless families through grief and loss. Her years as chaplain at The Hospice at Mission Hill, a residence for people living with HIV/AIDS, deepened her understanding of the concerns and gifts of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and profoundly shaped her ministry of compassion and justice.
As a bereaved parent with a special place in her heart for grieving children, Jean co-founded The Children’s Room: A Center for Grieving Children and Teenagers, creating a lasting legacy of support for children and families experiencing the death of a loved one.
Jean is the mother of two adult daughters and grandmother of five. She is deeply committed to justice, inclusion, and empowering women and men in their search for wholeness and holiness. These commitments continue to inform her work as a spiritual director, pastor, chaplain and bishop.
Jean and her husband of 39 years, Rev. Dr. Ron Hindelang, serve as Co-Pastors of The Spirit of Life: A Catholic Community of Justice and Joy, an inclusive Eucharistic community that is open, affirming, interactive, and deeply committed to ensuring that all are truly welcome at the table. Visit us at: www.SpiritofLifeCommunity.org. Jean can be reached at: revjeanmarchant@gmail.com.
Professional Title: Rev. Jean Marchant (Bishop emeritus)
Location: Framingham, MA
Ordained Deacon: 2005 | Ordained Priest: 2005 | Bishop: 2019
Ordained a priest on June 4, 2011, I actively serve the Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community in locations throughout the state of Maryland, and on Zoom, alongside several other remarkable womenpriests! Recently retired from full time work as a chaplain in hospice ministry. Previously worked in the fields of health, education and campus ministry on the high school and college level, with a BA in Human Services and an MA in Holistic Spirituality. In the immediate future I continue to offer Spiritual Direction and hope to become a doula, while enjoying 40 years of marriage with my husband, Craig.
Professional Title: Rev. Marellen Mayers
Ordained Deacon: 2010 | Ordained Priest: 2011
Karen Murphy holds a BA in Theology and Philosophy from the University of Scranton, a Jesuit institution, and an MA in Theological Research: Christian Spirituality from Andover Newton Theological School, the nation’s first graduate theological school. At Andover Newton, she was awarded the Gerald R. Cragg Commencement Award for outstanding achievement in Church History. Her master’s thesis explored the imagery of the blood of Christ in the Eucharistic theology of St. Catherine of Siena.
Karen’s spiritual life is rooted in the devotional Catholic faith nurtured in her by her mother, grandmothers, and aunts. Her spiritual practices include praying the Rosary, Centering Prayer—which she learned from her mother at a young age—and Ignatian spirituality, a gift from her undergraduate years that has informed her interior life ever since. Growing up, Karen often heard the prayer, “Lord, have mercy,” which she experienced as an abiding expression of her family’s deep trust in God.
Karen felt the call to priesthood during her seminary years. At the heart of her vocation is a conviction that the Eucharist is the sacrament of God’s radical welcome. A true theology of Eucharistic Justice must welcome all to the table of Jesus Christ, especially those whom the Church has sometimes deemed unworthy or “not in a state of grace.” Jesus broke bread with Judas. Jesus welcomed sinners, outcasts, and those whom respectable religion had pushed to the margins. That is our example.
Karen believes that there is no human condition that can place a person beyond the reach of God’s sanctifying grace. The Eucharistic table is not a reward for those who have achieved worthiness; it is the place where we encounter the God who loves us into wholeness. Her priesthood is, in part, an invitation to remember that we all belong at that table.
A Jesuit Volunteer Corps: NW alumna, Karen has served in a variety of volunteer capacities and has been actively involved in campus and parish life at many levels—as a choir member, lector, cantor, trainer, lecturer, retreat facilitator, and RCIA director. She continues to praise God through music, which remains an important part of her ministry.
Karen was ordained a deacon in 2019 and a priest in 2021. She serves on the pastoral team of Dignity Philadelphia, a community that has ministered to faithful LGBTQ Catholics for more than 50 years. She also serves on the RCWP-USA Board of Directors Circle as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer.
St. Ignatius, pray for us!
St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us!
Mary Magdalene, pray for us!
Mary of Nazareth, mother of us all, pray for us!
Professional Title: Rev. Karen Marie Murphy, RCWP
Location: Exton, PA
Ordained Deacon: 2019 | Ordained Priest: 2021
Rev. Mary Murphy, M.Div., BCC was ordained a Roman Catholic Woman Priest on May 4, 2024. She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt University and is a Board Certified Chaplain. Mary served as a chaplain resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and continued providing spiritual care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also worked as a spiritual counselor in addiction treatment settings.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Mary’s educational journey took her from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop to Divinity school at Vanderbilt University. Her lifelong love of the arts includes writing poetry and studying visual arts. Since 2001, she has made her home in Nashville, Tennessee, where she and her husband, Doug, raised two children.
Mary is committed to creating inclusive, compassionate faith communities where all are welcome and where the Gospel call to justice, equality, and service can flourish.
Professional Title: Reverend and chaplain
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Ordained Deacon: 2023 | Ordained Priest: 2024
Community Contact: chaplainmarymurphy18@gmail.com
After several years of serving in a variety of parish ministries, Theresa answered the call to priesthood to minister to those who have become disillusioned with the Church but who still long to be fed spiritually. Her priestly ministry has included the celebration of weekend Masses as well as weddings and baptisms in settings not limited to a church building. Feeling especially called to offer comfort and presence to those whose loved ones have died, she officiates Catholic and spiritual funerals and celebrations of life for practicing and non-practicing Catholics, persons of other faith traditions, and those with no religious affiliation at all.
Theresa holds a Master of Arts in Theology with a concentration in Pastoral Ministry/Spirituality from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont as well as a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology. Formerly Director of Development for New Hampshire Catholic Charities and an executive director of a chamber of commerce, she has held professional positions in the areas of communications, business development, and fundraising, and has worked extensively as a speech-language pathologist and consultant in educational and healthcare settings. A native of New Hampshire, she and her husband, Gary, reside in beautiful Mid-Coast Maine, where she welcomes invitations to celebrate Mass and the sacraments.
Professional Title: Rev. Theresa Novak Chabot
Location: Brunswick, ME
Ordained Deacon: 2009 | Ordained Priest: 2010
Ann Penick is originally from the Chicago area. She and her husband, Jim, live in Maryland near Washington, DC. They have been married for 25+ years. Ann has long been an active member of the Roman Catholic Church. She has done ministry volunteer work as a music minister, minister in sacred dance, retreat facilitator, a member of the liturgy team at various parishes where she’s been a member, and a member of welcoming and hospitality committees.
In 1993 Ann received a certification in lay ministry from the Diocese of Birmingham, in Alabama. In 1995 Ann received a Masters in Counseling degree from the University of Birmingham in Alabama. In 1997 she completed 3 units in CPE at Bon Secours/St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, SC. In 2008, Ann received her Masters in Pastoral Ministry degree from Boston College. Ann served as chaplain to college students from 1997-2008—with the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina and with the Archdiocese of Boston. She came face-to-face with her calling to the priesthood in 2005 at the WOW conference in Canada.
She has been supported in her journey to the priesthood by Jim, her step-daughter, Katie, her step-son, Mike, and her brother, Rob. Currently, Ann works as a mental health counselor at a Maryland community college. In her spare time Ann enjoys music, dance, travel, her granddaughter Meg, and their cat, Numbers.
Professional Title: Rev. Ann Penick
Location: Alexandria, VA
Ordained Deacon: 2010 | Ordained Priest: 2011
Maryrose Petrizzo is also an ordained Inter-faith Minister for over 13 years, who has served in Catholic parish ministry for more than 25 years. Her service has included youth and young adult ministry, retreat direction for youth and adults, and catechists’ instruction. Maryrose has served as Formation Director for Secular Franciscans, as a Certified Spiritual Director, and as a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant®. She is an accomplished public speaker and an experienced “Master of Ceremonies.” Maryrose has a Master’s degree in Pastoral Care & Counseling and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Ministry. For the last 12 years, Maryrose has been actively participating and serving in an Intentional Catholic Community in Wilmington Delaware, Palmyra, NJ and serves as a presider for Dignity Philadelphia. In addition, Maryrose creates and officiates custom ceremonies for those who do not have a church affiliation or are not welcome in a church, and she has specialized in same-sex weddings and civil unions. Maryrose can be reached at Maryrosepetrizzo@gmail.com.
Professional Title: Reverend
Location: Wilmington, Delaware, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2013 | Ordained Priest: 2014
Community: New Jerusalem Community
Community Contact: maryrosepetrizzo@gmail.com
Meeting Format: Both (in person and Zoom)
Chava Redonnet has been the pastor of Oscar Romero Inclusive Catholic Church since 2010. She also works as a nursing home and hospital chaplain. A graduate of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, she is the author of Standing in the Light, an account of the 1998 upheaval at Corpus Christi and the formation of Spiritus, and of Don’t Forget to Breathe Glory, and Bound in a River of Light. Chava has three grown daughters, Clare, Bridget and Emily, two of whom are now living in Rochester, much to her delight.
Professional Title: Rev. Chava Redonnet
Location: Rochester, NY
Ordained Deacon: 2009 | Ordained Priest: 2010
Marilyn E. Rondeau, Ed.D., is a native of Greenfield, Massachusetts. After college, she moved to Maryland where she spent her career in teaching and administration in parochial and public schools. In addition, she served as director of Administrative I programs for 19 years on the university level.
She felt the “tug, tug, tug” toward priesthood from a very early age. When she was introduced to Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community in Baltimore, she knew that her inner voice drawing her toward priestly ministry had found a home. Marilyn received her Ed.D. and M.S. in Urban Educational Leadership from Morgan State University, a M.Th. from Global Ministries University, a B.A. in History from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Education with a concentration in Guidance and Counseling from Johns Hopkins University. In ministry, she uses her service-oriented background to foster social justice that benefits the disenfranchised. Marilyn can be reached at docrondeau@aol.com
Professional Title: Rev. Marilyn Rondeau
Location: Eldersburg, MD
Ordained Deacon: 2016 | Ordained Priest: 2017 | Bishop: 2026
Susan M. Schessler holds a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies from Providence College in Rhode Island. She is a New Jersey Certified teacher in the areas of Elementary Education and English. Susan taught elementary grades in New Jersey and Alabama before becoming the first Director of Religious Education in the Archdiocese of Newark NJ. As DRE she ministered in two parishes and was on the Staff of the Religious Education Center in the Archdiocese of Newark, when Youth Ministry was introduced after Vatican Council II. She also served as liaison to the Directors of Religious Education in the Archdiocese.
While residing and participating in the work of Genesis Farm in Blairstown NJ, Susan served on the staff of the Northeast Center for Youth Ministry housed in Paterson, NJ. Realizing the call to serve the poor in the inner-city of Newark NJ, Susan served as principal of an alternative junior high school founded and sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell, NJ. On leaving parish ministry Susan took a position with the public school system in East Orange NJ serving as mentor to over 25 alternate route teachers.
At the closing of that position Susan retired and now serves the people of Newark, NJ as a volunteer Director of Development with Future Potential Youth Out Cry Foundation Inc./The H.U.B.B. (Help Us Become Better) an organization that strives to help youth and adults achieve their God-given potential. Susan’s call to priesthood is about oneness with God, celebration and service.
Professional Title: Rev. Susan Schessler
Location: Nazareth, PA
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2015
Kathleen Gibbons Schuck’s energy is grounded in wholehearted living and inter-spirituality. She is a member of the pastoral team at the community of St. Mary Magdalene in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey (www.smmcommunity.org). As a natural connector, Kathy’s perspective is colored by her diverse experiences in corporate telecommunications sales and training; building relationships and raising funds for an international faith-based organization; and coaching individuals and teams. Kathy facilitates workshops and partners with people to accelerate identifying and achieving their goals. Kathy enjoys officiating and creating custom ceremonies to celebrate life’s transitions (anniversaries, anointings, baptisms, burials, funerals, memorial services, and weddings www.withyouinjoy.com). Kathy holds a Masters of Theology from Global Ministries University and a Bachelors in Science in Sociology from Rosemont College. She is an International Coach Federation Professional Certified Coach (PCC). Kathy lives in Blue Bell, PA, with her husband, Stan, and her daughter, Ann.
Professional Title: Rev. Kathleen Gibbons Schuck
Location: Blue Bell, PA
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2015
Wendi Steinberg is an ordained Roman Catholic Woman Priest (2024) and is active in Compassion Circle through preaching and shared spiritual leadership. Her ministry reflects an inclusive vision of church that honors the dignity and voice of all people.
A board-certified chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains and an ACPE Certified Educator, Wendi serves as Director of Spiritual Care at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, Virginia. She brings over two decades of experience in spiritual care, ministry formation, and ethical leadership, and serves as Health System Chair of both the Ethics Committee and the Institutional Review Board for Research.
Wendi’s ministry extends beyond institutional settings through relational presence and compassionate service. She volunteers with her certified therapy dog, Stella—a cancer survivor—visiting cancer patients at the Trauma Center on her days off.
Inspired by Thomas Berry’s vision of the universe as a sacred community of subjects, her vocation is rooted in compassion, inclusion, and reverence for the unfolding cosmos, honoring the interdependence of all beings.
Professional Title: Rev. Wendi Steinberg
Ordained Deacon: 2023 | Ordained Priest: 2024
Mary Steinmetz earned a Master of Arts degree in Holistic Spirituality from Chestnut Hill College and a Master of Theological Studies degree in Historical/Systematic theology from Boston College. She is particularly interested in the place where theology and spirituality intersect; the place where faith is lived out and the Spirit is found provoking, challenging, energizing and bringing new life.
Mary has served as a chaplain, teacher, conference planner, admissions director and administrative professional in higher education. She is a level II Reiki practitioner. Mary currently lives in Chalfont, Pennsylvania and is a single parent and the proud mother of one amazing adult daughter. She was called forth into ministry by the Spirit of Life: A Catholic Community of Justice and Joy in Weston, MA and now worships with the St. Mary Magdalene Community in Drexel Hill, PA.
Professional Title: Rev. Mary Steinmetz
Location: Framingham, MA
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2015
Gabriella Velardi Ward, B.F.A, A.A.S, B.Arch, M.Theo coursework– Gabriella has felt a call to the Roman Catholic Priesthood since the age of five. The institutional church’s rejection, based on gender, has led her to work in a number of non-traditional fields for women as well as in many areas of social justice. After her recent retirement from architecture, in addition to pastoring the St Praxedis Catholic Community, she is currently leading an environmental justice community, working to protect our wetland from destruction by a developer. In the early part of 2021 we lost our court case to protect 18 acres of wetland from being turned into a very large stripmall, increasing flooding dangers. In the summer of 2021 the trees were cut down and the spongy soil of the wetland was compacted along with the small animals living in that soil. On September 1st of 2021 we in Graniteville were flooded for the first time ever. We are now working to save 325 acres of wetland on Staten Island. Our website, SICWF.org tells a fuller story.
Gabriella has over twelve years of parish ministry including adult religious education, spiritual direction, organizing and leading retreats, teaching meditation and contemplative prayer. Her call also led her to explore vowed religious life, studying and spending time with the Cenacle sisters. She has explored other faith traditions including the Episcopal Church, Buddhism and Native American spirituality. Her love of learning has led her to study theology in the seminary and the continuing study, formally and informally, of theology, spirituality and psychology. She has been a justice advocate for women’s rights, animal rights, children’s rights, and the rights of the natural world. As a Roman Catholic Woman Priest, her ministries also include sacramental ministry and a Spiritual Direction ministry, specializing in survivors of child abuse. She is the mother of two and the grandmother of eight.
Professional Title: Rev. Gabriella Velardi-Ward
Location: New York, NY
Ordained Deacon: 2007 | Ordained Priest: 2008
Click on each member’s name to access their biography and additional information.
Ann Ralston was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1936, and has lived there most of her life. She joined the Pallottine Sisters in 1962, and in the late 70’s completed her medical degree, going on to work in State clinics during the years of apartheid. Ann also taught in an adult education night school in one of South Africa’s black townships.
Over the years, she has served as a spiritual companion to many. Ann has always enjoyed hiking in South Africa’s mountains and coastland, and has deep love for South Africa’s plants, animals and birds. Now retired from her medical practice, she lives in a cottage with a small garden and a view direct on to mountains. Ann will serve in priestly ministry with Rev. Mary Ryan, another RCWP priest in South Africa. They are both in discernment with a small faith community as to how to move forward, and what ministries will open up to Ann.
Professional Title: Rev. Ann Ralston
Location: Somerset West, ZA
Ordained Priest: 2016
Sarah Rule grew up in a Jewish family in South Africa, attending Hebrew School for religious education until the age of 11. At the same time her parents sent her to a Catholic primary and then high school for her academic education. She formally converted to Christianity in the Anglican Church as a late teenager. She was involved in the anti-Apartheid struggle with a particular emphasis on the Church as a site of struggle. Sarah played a variety of roles in the Anglican Church including preaching, running children’s ministry, lay minister and church warden.
Moving to the Western Cape three years ago, Sarah and her husband joined the Open Table communities in Cape Town (led by RCWP Mary Ryan) and Somerset West (led by RCWP Ann Ralston) and with mentoring and guidance from Mary and Ann, Sarah has found a home for her call to ordained ministry in the RCWP movement.
As deacon, Sarah will continue to assist in the Open Table communities in Cape Town and Somerset West. She is beginning to form an Open Table community in Stellenbosch where she lives in an eco village. Sarah has worked in the field of disability rights and community based rehabilitation for 30 years. She initially trained as a speech therapist and audiologist. She has a PhD in community based rehabilitation and she is currently completing a Masters in Theology.
Professional Title: Rev. Sarah Rule
Location: Stellenbosch, ZA
Ordained Deacon: 2020 | Ordained Priest: 2021
Uschi Schäfer was born and raised in Germany, where she went on to earn a Master’s degree in Theology from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. For twenty-three years she made her home in Johannesburg together with her husband, Peter, and their three sons, Stephan, Max and Georg, before the family eventually returned to Germany, settling in Grafing, a small town on the outskirts of Munich.
Her years in South Africa left an enduring mark on her. Witnessing at first hand the country’s remarkable transition into a democratic society shaped her outlook in profound and lasting ways. Drawing on the many examples of courageous civil disobedience found in both German and South African history, she found the foundation for answering her own call to priesthood within the Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP) movement.
At the heart of Uschi’s vocation is her work as an end-of-life companion. She devotes herself to accompanying the dying and supporting their loved ones, offering her presence and care both in people’s homes and on the palliative care unit.
She feels an equally deep calling toward those who stand at a distance from the churches, or who have been disappointed or wounded by them. For these people in particular she offers Catholic and spiritual funerals and wedding ceremonies open to all, warmly welcoming persons of other faith traditions as well as those with no religious affiliation at all.
Uschi is also committed to nurturing a women’s spirituality, one in which women’s experiences and intuitions may be freely expressed and truly find a home. To this end, she seeks out a language rich enough to convey the mystery of God in all its many layers and living vibrancy, a language that ultimately can open the way to freedom.
Today, while she continues the work of establishing a community of pilgrims on the Way in Germany, she also supports Sarah Rule from afar, co-pastoring online the Open Table Community in Cape Town, the very community in which she was ordained.
Professional Title: Rev. Uschi Schafer
Location: Grafing, DE / Johannesburg, ZA
Ordained Deacon: 2025 | Ordained Priest: 2025
I find great joy in serving as priest and co-pastor, together with Dianne Willman, for the Ru’ha Faith Community. This inclusive, welcoming, and vibrant community is my focus and the heart of my ministry.
Within RCWP–South Africa, I serve as the Public Officer for our nonprofit organization, where I represent the organisation for tax purposes.
In my local Cape Town community, I volunteer as a Trauma Volunteer with the Community Intervention Centre, offering support to those in crisis. Beyond my ministry and volunteer work, my grandchildren and family are a constant source of delight and relaxation.
Professional Title: Reverend
Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Ordained Deacon: 2025 | Ordained Priest: 2025
Community: Ru’ha Faith Community
Community Contact: ruhacommunity@gmail.com
Meeting Format: Zoom
Dianne Willman has felt called by God to serve as priest since childhood. She was ordained in January 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Catholic since birth, Dianne has actively been engaged in her faith life and is drawn to a ministry on the margins especially by sharing the Eucharist in a contemplative inclusive way. Dianne is also a South African lawyer. She has a strong sense of justice and as a prosecutor feels she can speak for victims of crime. As a trainer, she empowers prosecutors from all over Africa. Dianne holds a masters degree in law and a masters in philosophy (theology). Dianne facilitates reflection days and accompanies others in spiritual direction. She and Rev Maryanne von Essen co-pastor a growing international community intentionally named Ru’ha which is the Aramaic name for Spirit and has a feminine root in Aramaic.
Professional Title: Advocate
Location: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Ordained Deacon: 2018 | Ordained Priest: 2019
Community: Ru’ha Faith Community
Community Contact: ruhacommunity@gmail.com
Meeting Format: Zoom and In-Person
Click on each member’s name to access their biography and additional information.
Judith Bautista Fajardo is a poet and singer and much of her music and poetry is inspired by scripture, as well as her understanding of the role of spirit in human development. She is Licensed in Philosophy and Letters through the University of Saint Thomas, and she has studied Theology, Biblical Scripture and Spirituality. Her Ph.D. is in Education, focusing on affective processes and transpersonal psychology. Since 1987 Judith has taught scripture studies and done pastoral ministry with women and youth.
Currently, she is offering psychotherapeutic and spiritual direction, while she remains engaged in artistic creation. Some of Judith’s publications as writer and composer include: Destellos de Tormenta Azul- Poetry, 2012; Desacostembrame, 2009; Como Espada de Dos Filos, 2002. And she has worked collaboratively as well: Minga de la Esperanza, 2012; Palabras para el Encuentro, 2011, Mesa de Fraternidad, 2005; Las 7 Palabras de Jesus en la cruz, 2000; Celebremos en el Espiritu-Misa de Pentecostas,1998 Con Toda la gente, Cantos para la Iglesia Joven de America Latina, 1993; Que Chevere es Dios, Novena de Navidad Para Ninos, 1993.You can communicate with Judith by mail: senda.interior@gmail.com
Professional Title: Rev. Judith Bautista Fajardo
Location: Bogotá, CO
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2014
Maria Elena Sierra Sanchez has given life-long service to the young, the elderly, and poor and indigenous populations. She was a religious Sister with the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul from 1983-1996 when she left to assist her family.
Her formal degrees (her Licentiate) are in Primary Education. She also has a recent advanced degree in educational computer technology and additional studies in working with youth, social services, and educational administration. She has done extensive mission work in the poorest communities, rural and urban. In 2007, she also was ordained as a priest in the Fraternidad Eucaristica de Jesus, a movement founded by former Salesian RC priests in the Apostolic Catholic tradition. She received theological training and religious formation from the founders of this Community who are accepted theologians and teachers in the progressive Catholic Community.
She began her journey with RCWP in 2013 and was ordained a priest in 2017. She continues with her ministry in her community serving 40-50 community members and meeting regularly with groups for prayer services at their homes. As a Head Teacher in a primary school, she is on the front lines in the violence experienced in her poor community. Her way is to live and teach love and peace. Her school is a haven. Beyond teaching she is accepted by the children and their parents as the Pastor they turn to at school and in their lives. As an ordained RCWP priest she serves her school community, her home community and several poor and indigenous communities in Cali, Colombia.
Professional Title: Rev. Maria Elena Sierra Sanchez
Location: Cali, CO
Ordained Deacon: 2017 | Ordained Priest: 2017
Click on each member’s name to access their biography and additional information.
Kathleen McShane Bean has been listening to the call of God for over 30 years. She is delighted to finally be able to answer “yes”. Kathy has worked as an RN in Emergency room and intensive care. She has been married for more than 45 years to Vic, enjoying living in New Mexico and Alaska in their younger years. They have two grown daughters and six grandchildren.
Kathy completed the lay pastoral program at the Athenaeum of Ohio, earned a unit of CPE, and continued her studies completing MATS at United Theological seminary in Dayton. She has continued her hands-on healing by learning Reiki. Kathy has been thrilled to find The Living Beatitudes Community of Dayton whose weekly services celebrate the freedom of the people of God and the dignity of people of all sexual orientations, genders, races and creeds.
Professional Title: Rev. Kathleen McShane Bean
Location: Centerville, OH
Ordained Priest: 2015
Kathleen Blank Riether has felt the Spirit’s calling to ministry and service throughout her life, leading her on many different paths before she applied to RCWP’s preparation and discernment program as a candidate for ordination in 2016.
During her college years, Kathleen was a volunteer and intern in economically depressed communities, writing grants for a community organizing project and working in many parish ministries. She obtained a degree in theology and for several years taught religion and psychology in Catholic high schools. After pursuing a masters degree in organizational planning and certification as a mediator, Kathleen worked as a program analyst for a decade. During that time, she also served as a volunteer mediator in several community conflict resolution programs, before obtaining a law degree and working as a federal civil rights attorney until she retired in 2017. Throughout her career, Kathleen remained actively engaged in ministry and service through her worship communities and her deepening interest in contemplative life. Before retirement, she completed several programs on spiritual formation offered through the Shalem Institute.
After her husband Rick’s passing, she felt the Spirit’s call to share the practice of Centering Prayer through service to Contemplative Outreach of Maryland and Washington, where she is currently on the leadership team. Kathleen is also working toward certification as a facilitator of contemplative prayer groups and retreats through the Shalem Institute and continues to serve in various ministries at her worship community, Communitas, an intentional eucharistic community, and at Dignity Washington, a support and worship community serving LGBTQI Catholics in the metropolitan Washington area.
Professional Title: Rev. Kathleen Blank Riether
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Ordained Deacon: 2019 | Ordained Priest: 2020
Dagmar Braun Celeste, MA, in Theology and Addiction Counseling, BA in Women Studies and Public Policy, APP, is an experienced Life Balance coach. Her autobiography, We Can Do Together / Impressions Of A Recovering Feminist First Lady was published by Kent State University Press, 2002. She was a board member of the Women’s Ordination Conference and Mary’s Pence, First Lady of Ohio (1983-1991), taught at Kent State University, and published numerous articles. She is active in the hospice movement and lives at “The Tyrian Oasis,” a hermitage in Cleveland’s Inner City where she offers retreats, ritual celebrations and sacramental opportunities. Website: www.tyrian.net
Professional Title: Rev. Dagmar Celeste
Location: Cleveland, OH
Danube Seven Womanpriest: 2002
I heard God’s call to priesthood since childhood. I answered the only way I could as a woman, and served God as a Franciscan Sister of St. Joseph for 7 years. I am married to my partner of 50 years. She is my joy.
I worked in healthcare for 48 years before retiring. The last 33 of those years I was a Clinical Oncology Social Worker at a National Cancer Institute Hospital, working with HIV/AIDS patients at the height of the AIDS epidemic and with patients and families throughout their battle with all forms of cancer.
I was a Eucharistic Minister since 1970. I was a volunteer Minister of Care in the Chaplaincy Department at the Hospital where I worked, providing spiritual support to patients. For 7 years, I provided Communion Services at a Senior Citizens Residence.
I have a Bachelor of Science in Social Work, and a Masters of Social Work. I was ordained a Deacon in September 2022, and a Priest in June 2023. I have been pastor of Holy Spirit of Joy ICC since my ordination in 2023.
Professional Title: Rev. Carmella “Cookie” Cicirelli
Location: Canton, MI
Ordained Deacon: 2022 | Ordained Priest: 2023
Holy Spirit of Joy Inclusive Catholic Community
located at Celebration Lutheran Church ELCA
39375 Joy Rd, Westland, Mi. 48185
Holy Spirit of Joy is a community of Catholics celebrating the Sacraments, the inclusive love of God for all people and all of God’s creation. You will always be accepted and welcome just as you are. You are welcome no matter your race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or marital status. We lift each other up and lovingly celebrate our diversity. God loves you, no exceptions, all are welcome.
Contact: Rev. “Cookie” Carmella Cicirelli RCWP
at cookconn@hotmail.com
Katherine Elsner was born and raised in rural Greensburg, IN, attended boarding high school in Oldenburg, IN,and was a member of Dominican Sisters of Springfield, IL for 44 years. She taught at all levels of elementary school, then served as principal of three elementary schools in three dioceses in Illinois. She served as Chief Financial Officer for 16 years in the Dominican congregation.
Her degrees include BA in Elementary Education (St. Ambrose University, Davenport,IA), Masters of Education (University of Illinois in Champaign), and a partial masters in Financial Management (University of Notre Dame, IN). Her passion for social justice over the years drew her to support and to be called to priestly ordination, ordained November 2021 in RCWP.
She serves at Holy Family Inclusive Catholic Community in Springfield, IL where she lives. For exercise and fun she does performance dancing with Springfield International Folk Dancers, ballroom dancing with her dance partner Bob, as well as gardening and walking. She has six living siblings, with multiple nieces/nephews, great nieces/nephews, and great-great nieces/nephews.
Professional Title: Rev. Katherine Elsner
Location: Springfield, IL
Ordained Priest: 2021
Worship Community
Holy Family Inclusive Catholic Community
2939 Stanton StreetSpringfield, IL 62703
Inclusiveholyfamily.org
Holy Family Inclusive Catholic Community is a faith community in central Illinois that exists within the Roman Catholic tradition and is inclusive of all people. Weekly mass in person and via Zoom each Saturday 4:30 Central Time
Dan’s priesthood is animated by his spiritual direction practice, home masses and a blessed variety of opportunities to preach in numerous area churches. Flowing from his Masters in Pastoral Studies (2009) and Certificate in Spiritual Direction (2010) at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, he has done parish ministry and retreats before serving as Program Director for the (former) Chiara Center in Springfield, Illinois. While not currently with any community, Dan invests his energy in anti-racism work, interfaith community building, the UNITED Open & Affirming faith communities and his monthly visits to offer spiritual support to those at the Elizabeth Packard Mental Health Center. When not actively engaged in ministry, Dan plays trombone in the pit orchestras for local theatrical productions, tends his gardens and makes lots of homemade jelly. For over 35 years, he has been blessed to live with his wife Sherry as they support and celebrate their adult children Nicolas and Clare.
Professional Title: Reverend
Location: Rochester, IL
Ordained Deacon: 2023 | Ordained Priest: 2024
Website: dfrachey.wixsite.com/website
Paula Ivory Hoeffer serves the Resurrection Community in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is busy presiding at home masses, baptizing, anointing the sick, and being present to those who feel lost or marginalized. She is a former Sister of Notre Dame de Namur and graduate of the University of Dayton. She taught for 32 years as a Catholic educator, which has given her the wonderful opportunity to travel extensively worldwide through student exchanges. Paula is happily married for over 50 years to Ed, her supportive and loving husband. She has three daughters who keep her alive and energized, and nine beloved grandchildren. She never imagined that she would become a woman priest or bishop, but received a definite call in prayer and has responded humbly and enthusiastically.
Professional Title: Bishop Paula Hoeffer/Rev. Paula Ivory Hoeffer
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2013 | Ordained Priest: 2014 | Bishop: 2025
Contact: paula.hoeffer@gmail.com
Community: Resurrection Community
Meeting Type: Zoom
Eileen is the pastor of Beloved Inclusive Catholic Community in Urbana, Illinois. She was ordained as a priest in 2023, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in social work, completed 15 hours from People’s Catholic Seminary and is currently pursuing a DMin from Fuller Seminary. She worked as a clinical social worker for nearly 20 years.
Eileen first felt called to the priesthood as a young child. Coming of age during the civil rights era, she was shaped by her parents’ example of care for the poor and commitment to racial equality. She married, raised 10 children—some adopted through the foster care system—and is now the proud grandmother of 18 grandchildren. When Eileen’s parish eliminated their social justice program, she and her friends asked why they couldn’t start their own community to carry out the social teachings of the church, and so they did just that. When they sought a priest to lead them in liturgy, it was Roman Catholic Women Priests who stepped forward. 5 years later the community is going strong, and Eileen is their priest.
Professional Title: Rev. Eileen Mathy
Location: Urbana, IL
Ordained Deacon: 2022 | Ordained Priest: 2023
Elsie Hainz McGrath pastors Therese of Divine Peace Inclusive Roman Catholic Community in Saint Louis, Missouri, which was founded on the First Sunday of Advent in 2007 and has met for weekly Sunday liturgies (celebrated at Saturday Vigil Masses) ever since. Therese also celebrates together on Christmas Eve, Holy Thursday and Good Friday; celebrates an annual Memorial Mass in November and an annual Epiphany retreat in January; and celebrates one another.
We spend our meager income and our considerable talents on social justice and radical inclusivity. Elsie is happily available for weddings and holy unions, funerals and memorial services, baptisms, anointings, and other sacramental services as requested and/or needed, and is especially passionate about preaching. Theological degrees from the Saint Louis University Jesuits and Aquinas Institute Dominicans, catechetical certification from the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and extensive working relationships with the Redemptorists and Augustinians have rounded out a lifetime of ongoing studies and ministries that include international editor and writer, college campus minister, parish RCIA director, and statewide leader in marriage preparation; as well as program coordinator for the Great Waters Region from 2008-2015. A widow, she has four children, 12 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.
Website: www.thereseofdivinepeace.org
Professional Title: Rev. Elsie Hainz McGrath
Location: St. Louis, MO
Ordained Deacon: 2007 | Ordained Priest: 2007
Judith McKloskey first spoke up for women’s ordination when her fourth grade teacher said girls couldn’t be altar servers. A long time member of the Women’s Ordination Conference, she was active in Women’s Worship Circle and Never On Sunday, a group studying lectionary references to Biblical women. After earning a B.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Library Science, Judith managed library networks and religious organizations for 20 years. During that time, she served her parish in many roles, including parish council president, lector and lay preacher. Judith is the second priest from Minnesota to be ordained, and the first to be ordained in Minnesota. Semi-retired, Judith accompanies people along their life journeys, and serves as a presider and sacramental minister for families and small faith communities. She serves as one of RCWP’s archivists. After many years in Minnesota, Judith now lives in Missouri with her husband, near her daughter and family.
Professional Title: Rev. Judith McKloskey
Location: Kansas City, MO
Ordained Deacon: 2006 | Ordained Priest: 2007
Marty Meyer-Gad lives in Mankato, MN with her husband, married son and grandchildren. Her MA in liturgy and certificate in pastoral liturgical ministries led her to Detroit and Chicago where she wrote Basics: a Liturgical Education Handbook and began the At Home with the Word series. Along the way she ministered as a parish liturgist, consultant, hospice visitor, hospital chaplain and presider of worship in prison.
Having created many custom liturgies, in 1983 she danced down the aisle to preside with her husband, Bruno, at their wedding. Her journey to priesthood is told in her memoir, Seventy-Four Cents. Since her ordination she writes stories where women priests enable women, men and children to equally share their spiritual journey. Her Kimsara Detective Series highlights tweens enabling concrete change while breaking stereotypes. In Of Priests and Porcupines the fictional Molly Winters faces threats but outlines a papal plan for a Catholic Church of equals. www.martymeyergad.com.
Professional Title: Rev. Marty Meyer-Gad
Location: Mankato, MN
Ordained Priest: 2010
Mary Ellen Robertson, BA in Theology, RN, ministers through card ministry, spiritual direction & retreat work, publishes a spirituality reflection letter, The Spiritual Connection by subscription and presider for Eucharist with Sojourner Catholic communities in Muskegon area of west Michigan and Deltona, Florida. “Her Story” is published in RCWP’s book, Women Find A Way: The Movement & Stories of Roman Catholic Womenpriests. She has served as hospital chaplain and Spiritual Care Counselor for hospice. Mary Ellen has authored two books, Meditations for Working Women and Meditations for Working Men, owned and managed a motel for 17 years and written various articles including business, personal interviews and spirituality. She is a mother of three adult daughters (including twins), grandmother of five and lives with her husband, John for over 50 years in Michigan.
Professional Title: Rev. Mary Ellen Robertson
Location: Norton Shores, MI
Ordained Deacon: 2006 | Ordained Priest: 2007
Kathy Rolenc has a priestly ministry that includes presiding with three different communities. I also work as a home health caregiver with all Alzheimer’s patients. I am a certified nurses aide and an emergency medical technician.
I have volunteered in Parish life as a Eucharistic minister, homebound Eucharistic minister, catechist, Arts environment, planning Eucharistic prayer services and parish liturgies. Also being a youth minister is one of my passions! Preparing teen and young adult retreats, fundraising for world youth day and national youth Catholic conferences. I have certificates in lay ministry from the Archdiocese of Chicago, University of Saint Mary by the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, youth ministry from Loyola University, theology and ministry from Saint Xavier University Chicago, and a BA in theology. There is nothing more satisfying than doing God’s work. I thank God for my gift of faith, my vocation and the support of my wonderful husband!
Professional Title: Rev. Kathryn Rolenc
Location: Henderson, NV
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2016
Susan M. Russell has been a social worker since 2004 and opened her private practice , Heart Centered Health and Wellness, LLC, in 2024. She is certified as a gender affirming social worker through the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and volunteers with a local LGBTQIA+ support group.
She has an Master of Arts in Theology from John Carroll University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Akron. She is a member of the Community of Saint Bridget in Brecksville, Ohio, where she serves on the liturgy committee and presides with other members of her community. She formed another faith community in 2025, In the Footsteps of Rabboni, with the intention of offering masses in her home and community.
Susan has several fitness certifications (personal trainer, group fitness, yoga teacher, and USAT Level One triathlon coach) and has completed several sprint triathlons. She lives in Medina Ohio with her black Labrador, Joey.
Professional Title: Clinical Social Worker
Location: Medina, Ohio
Ordained Deacon: 2022 | Ordained Priest: 2023
Community: Community of Saint Bridget
Community Contact: https://www.communityofstbridget.org/worship-aids
Website/social media: https://russellstrong.com/
Meeting Format: Both (In person and zoom)
Before answering the call to priesthood, Tina answered a different call; the call to work with children and their families in public schools. After serving as an elementary and middle school teacher, K-12 Principal, adjunct instructor, and school district administrator for nearly forty years, Tina retired.
As an adult, Tina moved in and out of the Roman Catholic Church. Even though the institutional Roman Catholic Church rejected Tina because of her same sex attraction, she never lost her faith in God, nor her love of the mystery of that faith. In connecting with Roman Catholic Women Priests, Tina found a Catholicism rooted in treating all people with dignity; a Catholicism that renewed her spirit and invited her to live out her faith in service to others.
Just as she served in public schools, Tina looks forward to serving in a different way; by sharing the gospel of our brother Jesus Christ. As her journey continues to evolve, Tina looks forward to following the Divine Feminine, wherever that may lead her. Tina is the first Roman Catholic Women Priest to be ordained in Kansas.
Professional Title: Rev. Martina (Tina) Thompson
Location: Lawrence, KS
Ordained Deacon: 2024 | Ordained Priest: 2025
Susan Kochert Vaickasuski was born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana. Susan received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Purdue University and a Masters of Pastoral Studies from Loyola, Chicago with a certificate in Human Relations and Helping Skills also from Loyola, Chicago.
Susan felt called to ordained priesthood within the Catholic Church her whole life. She was ordained a deacon June of 2015 and a priest June, 2016. Susan has been involved in active ministry since her teens. She was on the board for the Office of Evangelization, Chicago in the 1980’s. She wrote programs to welcome back those who felt distanced from the church, began programs to reach out to the homeless and needy, was a Director of Religious Education on the high school and junior high level.
She helped begin the pastoral ministry program at her parish in the late 1970’s, trained Eucharistic Ministers, wrote prayers and was involved in ministry of care and the bereavement ministry. In 2006, Susan and her daughter founded the Fred Outa Foundation which raised money to sponsor an elementary school in Kibera Slum, Nairobi, Kenya and raised money to build a high school for girls. Susan and Ron have been married for 45 years. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.
Professional Title: Rev. Susan Vaickauski
Location: Northbrook, IL
Ordained Deacon: 2015 | Ordained Priest: 2016
Kathy Sullivan Vandenberg, MS, M.Div., is a feminist theologian, clinical therapist, and trauma specialist. She serves as an associate pastor at Good Shepherd Parrish, Nenno, WI. Ms. Vandenberg’s current ministries include counseling, adjunct graduate educator, and hospital chaplain. For the past 30 years she was active in several ministries in her parish and archdiocesan committees. She has two grown daughters and one grandson. Kathy has been active in the women’s ordination movement for over thirty years.
Professional Title: Rev. Kathy Vandenberg
Location: Nenno, WI
Ordained Priest: 2006
Click on each member’s name to access their biography and additional information.
After obtaining my MDiv at Marylhurst University in 2016, at 64 years of age, my church duties in Oregon led me to become a Lay Eucharistic Minister at the VA hospital in Portland for five years with my focus on Intensive Care and ministering to families of the deceased.
My heart lay in the Interfaith Ecumenical dialog I enjoyed with my professional colleagues. You see, I come from seven generations of Catholic Women on my mother’s side of the family. My father was baptized Methodist, yet raised us as Catholics. My first husband was a Protestant. My friends are Lutherans, Mormons, and Baptists. When in Germany, in the late 70s, I attended the combined Army/Air Force worship services which were Interfaith Christian. In Seminary, while enthralled with World Religions, I learned my Godfather was a Black Muslim, who converted from Christianity in the ‘70s.
My Master’s Thesis emphasized hospitality, my personal theology. Just before my mother died in 2018, we discussed my calling as a Roman Catholic WomanPriest (RCWP). She told me she loved me and to trust God. I had begun the RCWP Program and searched for an Inclusive Church home. I found the Holy Wisdom Inclusive Catholic Community on the RCWP Website, where I was welcomed for over four years.
I currently participate in two churches in Hillsboro, Oregon, where I live. All Saints/Todos Los Santos Episcopal Church; Calvary Lutheran Church and on occasion Spirit Of Grace combined Lutheran Catholic church. I participate in luncheon Prayer rituals, minister to the sick, companion to the homebound and assist at the local food bank, sing in the choir at Calvary and serve as a homilist.
My personal concern for humanity is that as a society we are not nearly charitable enough. Indifference runs rampant in the United States. “Let someone else do it,” is the rule; love is the exception. I prefer being the exception.
Professional Title: Rev. Vieda Baker
Location: Hillsboro, OR
Ordained Deacon: 2021 | Ordained Priest: 2022
Kathleen has felt called to the priesthood since she was seven years old. She received her early formation in radical Catholicism from her time at the Catholic Worker, from working in her large vegetable garden, and from raising her two children. Years of training as a catechist, specializing in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, strengthened her love of scripture, liturgy, sacraments and celebration. Kathleen was ordained a deacon in 2012, received her Masters in Religious Education from Graduate Theological Foundation in 2013, and was ordained a priest in 2014. She is also a graduate from the Seminary of the Wild Earth with a certificate as a Wild Guide (2025). She enjoys exploring the interplay between nature, scripture, liturgy and the liturgical year. If not crafting a liturgy, you will often find her in the garden or hiking and camping with her husband in the forest. In 2026 she was ordained as Bishop of the Region for the Holy Margins of Roman Catholic Women Priests.
Professional Title: Rev. Kathleen Bellefeuille-Rice
Location: Olympia, WA
Ordained Deacon: 2012 | Ordained Priest: 2014 | Bishop: 2026
Community: Holy Wisdom Inclusive Catholic Community and The Catholic Church of the Beatitudes
Community Contact: kbr.urbanfarmer@gmail.com
Meeting Format: Both (In person and zoom)
Jeannette Bertalan Love was ordained a deacon on Aug. 28, 2010, and a Roman Catholic Womanpriest on September 12, 2010. For nineteen years Jeannette was a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart. While there, she studied theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington School of Theology in New Jersey. She was ordained a priest and then a bishop in the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch (not under Rome) and served the Archbishops and aided in the development of the Church for eleven years. Jeannette also attended the University of Creation Spirituality founded by Matthew Fox in Oakland, CA and received a Master’s Degree awarded by Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Jeannette worked at La Casa de Maria Retreat Center in Santa Barbara as Program Coordinator and then Conference Coordinator for nine years. While there she met Suzanne Dunn, SFCC and learned about the Sisters for Christian Community and after a two year preparation time, became a vowed member. She is currentlty living in Community with Suzanne Dunn, RCWP and was with her when she began the Beatitudes Community. Presently, Jeannette is Pastor of the Catholic Church of the Beatitudes in Santa Barbara, CA. During her time at La Casa she trained as a Spiritual Director, and offers opportunities for Spiritual Direction, facilitates a weekly Centering Prayer Group, and is commissioned to give the Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop.
Professional Title: MA
Location: Carpinteria, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2010 | Ordained Priest: 2010
Community: Catholic Church of the Beatitudes
Website: https://www.beatitudes-sb.org/
Meeting Format: Both (In person and zoom)
Nancy Corran holds a Diploma in Theology from Oxford University and a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from San Francisco Theological Seminary of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. She received scholarships to continue studies in biblical languages at the GTU and to continue theological and pastoral formation at the Université de Neuchâtel in Switzerland. Certified for Ordination by the PC(USA) in 2004, Nancy has worked in many churches with children, youth, and adults. She served Mary Magdalene Apostle Catholic Community (founded and convened in 2005 by two RCWPs) in San Diego, CA from 2007-2016. Nancy was ordained a Roman Catholic woman priest in 2010 and incardinated into RCWP in 2015. Nancy is married with two young children, and currently resides in Eureka, CA.
Professional Title: Rev. Nancy Corran
Location: Eureka, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2010 | Ordained Priest: 2010
Incardinated into RCWP-USA: 2015
Mary Grace Crowley-Koch began her walk toward priesthood at age 4 when she engaged her nursery school playmates in Eucharistic celebrations. She was taught by the Adrian Dominicans for 12 years and entered that community. While completing her MA in Theology at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN, and serving as a pastoral associate at several parishes, she continued to feel the Spirit nudge. First to marriage and after Angela and Brian were on their life path, the ordination nudge returned. An opportunity to work as a hospice chaplain was offered to her and she again felt the validation of her call to priesthood from the persons she served and blessed. She and her married priest husband, Ron, also initiated a small faith community which has been meeting monthly for 30 years. A final nudge came as she and Ron, ministered to couples with RC based spirituality who wanted to get married outside the RC church building venue. Mary Grace believes in the constant call of the Spirit of the Living God to “do a new thing.” Following her call to ordination, she continues to share her talents and gifts and has been blessed abundantly in the dance of love and service to God’s people.
Professional Title: Reverend Mary Grace Crowley-Koch
Location: Mount Prospect, Illinois
Ordained Deacon: 2010 | Ordained Priest: 2011
Community: Spirit of the Living God
Contact: agraced12@gmail.com
Meeting Style: In Person
Professional Title: Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Marriage, Family, Child Counselor
Location: Long Beach, CA
Ordained Deacon: 1972 | Ordained Priest: 1973
Incardinated into RCWP-USA: 2020
Website/social media: nick.delosreyes@gmail.com
Community: Magdala Catholic Community
Community Contact: MagdalaCommunity@groups.io
Meeting Format: Zoom
Suzanne Dunn. Sfcc, (Sister for Christian Community) is currently Pastor Emerita of the Catholic Church of the Beatitudes in Santa Barbara, California. She recently celebrated her 85th birthday. She resides in Carpinteria, Ca. with another member of her religious community, Sr. Jeannette Love. Suzanne holds an MA in Religious Studies from Seattle University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Fielding Institute. She served as a Pastoral Associate at St. Joseph’s Parish in Carpinteria, Ca. for 5 years. Then she began the program of studies to become an ordained Roman Catholic Womanpriest. She was ordained a Roman Catholic Woman Priest on September 7, 2008. Suzanne founded the Catholic Church of the Beatitudes and served as its pastor until 2016 when she retired at the age of 75. Currently, Suzanne is offering Spiritual Direction, visiting sick members of the Beatitude Community in need of an anointing and Eucharist, and assisting Jeannette Love, current Pastor, at liturgies and other liturgical functions.
Professional Title: Rev. Dr. Suzanne Dunn
Location: Carpinteria, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2008 | Ordained Priest: 2008
Website/social media: https://beatitudes-sb.org/
Community: Catholic Church of the Beatitudes
Community Contact: dunnsuzanne323@gmail.com
Meeting Format: Both (In person and zoom)
Chris has a BA in Theology and studied at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, where she earned an MDiv. After 6 years of campus ministry, counseling, and teaching at Mercy High School in San Francisco, she went on to earn a PhD in Clinical Psychology. She has a background in liturgy and music, pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, and convening a small Eucharist Community. As a psychologist, she is grounded in her theological background with a focus on the wholeness of the human person. Chris was affirmed by her Eucharistic community and was ordained on February 8, 2014, in Santa Cruz, CA.
Professional Title: Rev. Dr. Christine Fahrenbach
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2011 | Ordained Priest: 2014
Community: Santa Sofia Inclusive Catholic Community
Community Contact: cmfahrenbach@gmail.com
Meeting Format: In person
Christine is a Board Certified Chaplain serving Palliative Care and Hospice. She also occasionally preaches and presides at Church of the Beatitudes (a hybrid community based in Santa Barbara, CA). She holds a Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion, a BA in Peace and Global Studies from Earlham College and a Certificate in Women’s Studies in Religion from the Graduate Theological Union. Previous to her career in chaplaincy, Christine spent over a decade working in faith-based social justice organizations, including: Women’s Ordination Conference, Call To Action and Equally Blessed. She lives in the Sacramento area with her spouse (Rev. Alex Haider-Winnett, a Unitarian Universalist minister), two young children and a few cats.
Professional Title: Rev. Christine Haider-Winnett
Location: Davis, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2015 | Ordained Priest: 2018
Donna Johnson-Smith was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, in 1951. She went through Catholic grade school at Sacred Heart Academy and St. Philip Neri. After graduating from high school, she entered the convent at 19 with the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. Donna was a member of the community for 14 years, during which time she finished her undergraduate work in psychology. She worked at St. Joseph’s Children’s Home in Spokane and also taught at a Catholic school for 3 years. After deciding teaching was not for her, she went back to school and got a master’s in psychology from Santa Clara University and did individual counseling. After leaving religious life in 1985, Donna moved back to Portland and continued working in counseling. Donna met her first wife, Joy, and was married for 28 years, before Joy sadly passed away. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Pacific University in 1998 and worked as a clinical psychologist until her retirement. Donna met her second wife, Janis (an Episcopal priest) and they’ve been married for 6 years. Donna was ordained a priest for RCWP in 2022, and is presently retired from her priestly ministry at Holy Wisdom Inclusive Catholic Community in Washington State.
Professional Title: Rev. Dr. Donna Marie Johnson-Smith
Location: Lacey, Washington, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2021 | Ordained Priest: 2022
Community: Holy Wisdom Inclusive Catholic Community
Community Contact: psydmsmith@gmail.com
Meeting Format: Both (In person and zoom)
Chris Kanowitz (he/him) is from Reno, Nevada. His parents are Morris and Aida, and he has a younger sister, Leslie. Chris was canonically ordained a priest for the Diocese of Reno in 2017 and served three parish communities. He also lived for a time as a hermit at the Carmelite monastery in Reno. During his time of ministry in the diocese, Chris struggled to help create communities where all could truly be welcomed unconditionally. After 7 years as an institutional cleric, he was received into the Region for the Holy Margins of RCWP. Chris helped co-found and currently serves on the leadership team of Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community in Seattle, is a practitioner in the Tiger Mountain Sangha (Buddhist meditation community) which practices in the Plum Village tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, is an Associate in the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, and is also a member of the Co-Dependents Anonymous Fellowship. Chris is a certified Death Midwife and hopes to study Kabbalah one day. He currently lives in Ellensburg with his partner, Jonathan, their little girl, Lila, their pet rabbit and their four dogs.
Professional Title: Rev. Christopher Kanowitz
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2016 | Ordained Priest: 2017
Incardinated into RCWP-USA: 2024
Community: Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community
Website: seattleinclusivecatholic.org
Email: chris@seattleinclusivecatholic.org
Meeting Format: In person
Suzie has a BA in Religious Studies from the University of San Diego, extensive studies in theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and the Franciscan School of Theology. Her pastoral work in Catholic parishes and high schools includes retreat coordination, sacramental preparation, catechetical formation, liturgical planning, and preaching. For over 30 years, she taught Religious Studies and served as Campus Minister at Catholic high schools in Phoenix, Oakland, and San Diego. A founding member of MMACC with her husband, Dave, Suzie was called to the priesthood by the community and ordained a Roman Catholic Womanpriest in January 2024.
Professional Title: Rev. Suzanne Knapp
Location: San Diego, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2023 | Ordained Priest: 2024
Maureen is an ordained Roman Catholic Womanpriest (RCWP-USA). She received her M.Div. from the Jesuit School of Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. In addition, she holds a teaching credential in English. Her areas of emphasis is Feminist Liberation theology, social justice and the emergent field of eco-theology. Maureen has been a high school theology teacher, Campus Minister, hospital chaplain and liturgist giving workshops on both the local and national level. She was pastor of St. Hildegard’s Inclusive Catholic Community from 2015- 2020. Currently, is an officer of the Board of Directors Circle for RCWP-USA.
Maureen is a published writer and poet. Presently, she is a contributing writer to This Is My Body found on Substack.
Professional Title: Rev. Maureen Mancuso
Location: San Ramon, CA. USA
Ordained Deacon: 2011 | Ordained Priest: 2013
Professional Title: Rev. Rosa Manriquez
Location: East Los Angeles, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2016 | Ordained Priest: 2017
Barbara Mattus first heard the call to priesthood at age nine. Her spiritual journey began at even a younger age through a profound attraction to the Liturgy and especially to the Eucharist. This desire only deepened through many years of questioning and longing for a relationship with Jesus. Barb was ready to enter a religious community of sisters in 1959 but it just didn’t seem like the right ‘fit’, so she delayed entering the convent. Later, she married in 1962 and she and her husband entered the world of the United States Air Force, started their family with two wonderful and caring children, and lived mostly in the Western USA. Barb became involved in religious ed in 1967 when she began ministering in the military chapel youth program. She has spent almost a lifetime travelling. She holds a B.A. Degree in Theology, an MA in Christian Spirituality and an MA in Counseling and Guidance. She continued as the Diocesan Director of Religious Education and as a Catholic Youth Worker at an Arizona detention center near Tucson and more than 29 years as Director of Detention Ministry for the Diocese of Tucson. Currently she is retired from active ministry at “Mary of Magdala Inclusive Catholic Community” and has a ministry of presence to the retired community of Fellowship Square, a Christian Independent Living Facility in Tucson, AZ.
Professional Title: Rev. Barbara Mattus
Location: Tucson, AZ
Ordained Deacon: 2009 | Ordained Priest: 2010
Adina Meyer entered the Catholic Church in 1989 and spent many years as an RCIA teacher and cantor. She compartmentalized her call to ministry until 2013 when she attended her first inclusive Mass while at the SOA Vigil in Fort Benning, Georgia. Seeing a woman at the altar opened up a flood of emotions for her, and she recognized her own vocation to the priesthood.
In 2019, she quit her job as a high school humanities and religion teacher in order to attend Portland Seminary full time, where she graduated with an M.Div. in 2024. She helped found Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community in Seattle in 2022. She was ordained a deacon in 2023 and a priest in 2024. In 2025, Adina was ordained as an authorized minister in the United Church of Christ, and now serves as the pastor of Keystone Congregational UCC while continuing to serve Living Water as one of their priests. The two congregations worship together on the fifth Sunday of the month.
She is married to husband Matthew and has two children – Rowan and Jack, and one grandchild, Zara.
Professional Title: Rev. Adina Meyer
Location: Seattle, WA
Ordained Deacon: 2023 | Ordained Priest: 2024
Website: www.seattleinclusivecatholic.org
Social Media: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083095282306
Community: Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community
Community Contact: junia@seattleinclusivecatholic.org
Meeting Format: In person
Mary Alice Nolan is the 4th of six children raised in Denver Colorado. A cradle Catholic and educated from Kindergarten through her Bachelors in Nursing in Catholic Institutions. Working with the Migrant Farmworkers early on in her career and then spending the last 30 years in nursing in Cancer Centers with a focus on end-of life has exposed her to many social justice issues. But the ultimate injustice of denying women, and many others, a place at the table for Mass, propelled her to compete her theology degree at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University.
Ordained in 2016 in San Francisco and ministering to the Sophia In Trinity community enlightened her Spiritual life and allowed her to fulfill the goal of welcoming all to the Table of God. As her devoted friend and mentor Maria Eitz said: “Being called to the priesthood, is “a challenge, an honor, a mission , a responsibility; it is speaking for all the women throughout history who were denied by the institutional church, the hierarchy, to serve at the Table of God.”
Professional Title: Mary Alice Nolan, MS, RN, MTh
Location: San Rafael, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2015 | Ordained Priest: 2016
Jennifer O’Malley holds a Masters of Pastoral Studies from Loyola University of Chicago, a Masters of Special Education and Certificate in Educational Leadership. She is currently a Director of Special Education. Jennifer previously worked as a Coordinator of Youth Ministry at a parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and was a Program Director for a national catholic service learning program. Jennifer is committed to social justice, she has traveled throughout central and south America meeting with local community leaders and union groups. She is currently working with local community groups to promote the rights of hospitality workers and is the pastor of Holy Wisdom Catholic Community in Long Beach. Jennifer lives in Long Beach with her wife, Elizabeth Carlin.
Professional Title: Rev. Jennifer O’Malley
Location: Long Beach, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2009 | Ordained Priest: 2012
Kori Pacyniak (they/them) is a trans, nonbinary, queer catholic priest who grew up in a Polish immigrant family in Chicago. Called to the priesthood from an early age, Kori’s vocational journey spans both academia and the non-profit sector, working in communications, church leadership, and with queer and trans communities and activist organizations. Kori served as pastor of Mary Magdalene Apostle Catholic Community (MMACC) in San Diego, California from 2017 to 2022. They hold a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Harvard Divinity School, a Master of Sacred Theology (STM) from Boston University School of Theology with a concentration in Trauma and Theology, and a PhD in the Study of Religion with a focus on queer and trans studies in religion from the University of California, Riverside. Kori’s scholarly work has focused around issues of identity construction within queer and trans religious communities and the ways in which we process trauma. Kori was bitten by wanderlust at a young age and spent time studying in Rome, Poland, and Brazil and participated in multiple social justice trips and pilgrimages to Israel and Palestine. Currently they reside in Bloomington, Indiana where they serve as the postdoctoral fellow in American Religion at the Center for Religion and the Human at Indiana University. Their ministry focuses around celebrating the sacred lives of queer and trans folks and working for trans justice and affirmation in the church and the wider world.
Professional Title: Rev. Kori Pacyniak
Location: San Diego, CA / Bloomington, IN
Ordained Deacon: 2019 | Ordained Priest: 2020
Victoria Rue, M.Div., Ph.D. was ordained a priest in 2005 on the St. Lawrence Seaway. She founded Sophia in Trinity in San Francisco in 2009. She retired from that community in 2013. She was a Hospice Chaplin, 2008—2012. Dr. Rue lectured in Comparative Religious Studies and Women’s Studies at San Jose State University, 2004—2021. She is now Emerita. Theatre has always been Victoria’s ministry. She has written and directed plays for over 50 years on both coasts. In 2018/19 Dr. Rue was a Fulbright Scholar at Dar al Kalima University, Bethlehem, Palestine. There she interviewed Christians and Muslims on the subject of Mary/Maryam and created/directed the play, “Maryam, A Woman of Bethlehem.” It premiered in Bethlehem and toured Palestine through the US State Dept. In 2022 the play and actresses came to the US and performed at the Hammer Theatre in San Jose, CA/youtube. Her most recent plays are “Mary and Maryam, a Conversation” (performed in churches with collaborating mosques in the Bay Area and Santa Barbara), and “Voices from the Silenced: Pre-Roe Stories” (made into a film: www.voicesfromthesilenced.com). Victoria’s spouse of thirty-six years is Dr. Kathryn Poethig. They met while studying at Union Theological Seminary in NYC and presently live in Walnut Creek, CA.
Professional Title: Rev. Dr. Victoria Rue
Location: Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2004 | Ordained Priest: 2005
Website/social media: www.victoriarue.com
Rev. Dr. Joanna Truelson was ordained a RCWP on June 25,2016 at the Orinda Community Church, Orinda California. With the enthusiastic support of her Namaste Inclusive Catholic Community, she transitioned from a 14 year Interfaith Minister background to their Pleasant Hill, Ca. home-church in 2011. Previously her world-wide interfaith ministries had begun after receiving a MA in Spirituality and a Doctorate in Ministry when studying under the tutelage of Rev Matt Fox in Oakland, Ca. from 1995-1999. She thereafter entered the CHI (Chaplaincy Institute for Arts and Interfaith Ministries) where she was ordained an interfaith Minister.
After all her schooling and academic endeavors, Joanna’s real spiritual journey had begun in childhood. Joanna was born in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania on February 4,1945 as Joanne Beretsky. Her Polish parents and heritage brought her family first to Brooklyn, NY then to Massapequa, Long Island. Joanna attended St John Cantius Polish Catholic School in Brooklyn but transferred to public school on Long island when Catholic Schools weren’t available. However, the deep Catholic roots had been well planted into this little girl who addressed “Jesus-Mary-Joseph” as her true parents…
Joanna’s education began at Bellevue Nursing School as a RN. After ten years of night school she received a BSN (Sacramento State University) followed by a MS in Mental Health Administration (at UCSF). Joanna was an avid seeker; curious, adventurous and always faithful to God.
Her curiosity took her all around the world, first as a tourist, then on sacred pilgrimages, followed by ministries delivering supplies to countries such as: Haiti, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Nepal, South Africa, Russia and Siberia. Indigenous peoples worldwide taught her the sacred values of our Oneness; the dynamic evolving energy for our forever expanding universe and the evolution of our religion and church. She is honored to be growing & a part of RCWP.
Professional Title: Rev. Joanna Truelson
Location: Walnut Creek, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2016
Jane Via was born in St. Louis, Mo. in 1947, where she grew up. She earned a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from Purdue University, a PH.D. in Theology and Religious Studies from Marquette University and a J.D. from the University of San Diego. Jane taught Religious Studies with a focus on New Testament at Mercy College of Detroit and at the University of San Diego.
After graduating from Law School, Jane served as a research attorney for the San Diego Superior Court and later for the 4th District California Court of Appeal before working as a Deputy Prosecutor in San Diego County for approximately 20 years. Jane was ordained a Deacon on the Danube River in 2004 and a priest on the Bodensee (Lake Constance), off Swiss shores in 2006.
In 2005, she and now deceased Diocesan priest and Liturgist Rod Stephens, founded RCWP parish, Mary Magdalene the Apostle Catholic Community (MMACC). The parish celebrated its 20th anniversary in November 2025 and continues to meet weekly in a hybrid Mass (https://www.mmacc.org/liturgy/livestream-online-liturgy) with an approximate average attendance of 55. Jane serves as a member of the 3-priest Pastoral Team. MMACC, to our knowledge, is the only RCWP parish in the U.S. that pays the equivalent of a full time pastor’s salary (currently divided among the 3 pastors).
In 2017, Jane was elected one of two Bishops in the Western Region. She participated in the development of a new region of RCWP-USA, the Region for Holy Margins, serving as Bishop to its non-geographically situated members, until she retired in April 2026. She and her colleague, Nancy Corran, RCWP, “author” the Comprehensive Catholic Lectionary (CCL), which brings Biblical writings about and references to Biblical women into the Roman Catholic Sunday & Major Feast Day Lectionary. The CCL is available on the Women’ s Ordination Conference website (www.womensordination.org/resources/inclusive lectionary). Jane shares her life with her husband of more than 40 years. They have two adult sons. You can contact Jane through the “Contact Us” link on the MMACC website: www.mmacc.org. Her story and the MMACC story are documented by author Lisa Shapiro in her 2025 book, Empty Shoes in the Vatican, published by Kay Publishing.
Professional Title: Rev. Elizabeth Jane Via, IHM (Bishop emerita)
Location: Jamul, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2004 | Ordained Priest: 2006 | Bishop: 2017
Diane loves people and finds great joy serving Holy Wisdom Inclusive Catholic Community in Olympia, WA. She experienced a call to priesthood when she was very young and answered that call in whatever ways were available to her in parish ministries, as a Jesuit Volunteer, social worker, spiritual director and teacher/ supervisor of spiritual directors. She completed a BA in Religious studies, Masters in Social Work, MA in Ministry and D. Min in Spiritual Direction and continues her work of spiritual direction. She and her husband, Bill have been happily married 42 years and have two adult daughters. Diane enjoys singing, traveling, cooking, taking walks and spending time with family and friends. She believes passionately that all Christian ministry flows from baptism and that her ordained priesthood is the way she has been invited to express that baptismal call to service. Diane invites you to visit their community’s website to meet the wonderful people she gets to do life with at www.holywisdomicc.org.
Professional Title: Rev. Diane S. Whalen
Location: Olympia, WA
Ordained Deacon: 2009 | Ordained Priest: 2010
I was incardinated into RCWP-Region of the Holy Margins in 2023. Prior to that I was ordained a priest by the Old Catholic Order of Holy Wisdom in 2012. I received my priestly training under Bishop John Mabry of OHW, who trained me for seven years. I graduated with a DMin from Wisdom University, in Creation Spirituality. I have an MA in English Literature, BA in Journalism, from the California State University, both with minors in Writing. I was certified as a Spiritual Director from the Mercy Center in Burlingame CA, where I also studied Centering Prayer, the Ignatian Exercises, and leading spiritual retreats. I am a Reiki Master and Healing Touch 4th level Energy Healer. I have worked as a Hospice Chaplain for 15 years with one CPE year.
In addition to my Catholic studies and ordination, I also have Sufi ordinations as a Cherag (minister) and a Sufi Healing Minister. I am trained as a Sufi Spiritual Healing Retreat Leader and Healing Circle Conductor. I am a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, which brings joy into my heart.
Professional Title: Rev. Amina Jessy Wolf
Location: Berkley, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2010 | Ordained Priest: 2012
Incardinated into RCWP-USA: 2023
Click on each member’s name to access their biography and additional information.
Maria T. Annoni, PhD, is a native of Duluth, MN. She grew up on the western shores of Lake Superior, and the sounds of the lake still call her home. Schooled in the Benedictine tradition from an early age, Maria strives to live by its principles. An accomplished musician, Maria began playing the organ at mass by the time she was 10 years old, and is a professional guitarist and theorist. She thrived on liturgy and liturgical music at the time when Vatican II was revolutionizing both, and she has been a leader in training liturgical musicians, parishioners, and priests, in the implementation of the philosophy and tenets of Vatican II at diocesan, regional, and national levels.
She holds a BA in Music and Education from the College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, MN); MA and PhD in Historical Music Theory from The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH), and MA in Scripture from St. John’s University (Collegeville, MN) in preparation for RCWP ordination to the diaconate and priesthood. She currently serves Spirit of Christ Catholic Community, an inclusive “house church,” in Cohasset, MN—a community that supported her for ordination in 2017.
Her commitment to ecumenism and the Benedictine tradition is foundational to the building of the community of “God’s table.” Along with ministering to her own community, she offers assistance and expertise (music, liturgy, sermons, lectionary preparation, etc.) to other local denominations in the Grand Rapids (MN) area.
“All are to be welcomed as Christ.”—St. Benedict
Professional Title: Rev. Maria Annoni
Location: Cohasset, MN
Ordained Deacon: 2016 | Ordained Priest: 2017
My journey toward priesthood has been life-long. After teaching with the Peace Corps in Liberia, West Africa, I completed graduate programs in teaching and anthropology. While raising a faculty of three adopted children, two from Korea and one from Honduras, I was active in parish ministry for many years in the areas of marriage preparation, family life, RCIA, and social justice. During this time, I was an active Lay Franciscan. More recently, I received a Masters of Arts in Women’s Studies: Religion, Theology, and Ministry from United Theological Seminary in New Brighton, MN. I completed a Spiritual Direction Preparation Program at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, WI. Currently, I preside at the Celebration of the Word and the Eucharist at the House Churches and at Bay View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Red Wing, MN. I was widowed for two years and remarried. I continue to work ten hours at Bay View in the volunteer program for brain injury and the elderly.
Professional Title: Rev. Corene Besetzny
Location: Rochester, MN
Ordained Deacon: 2012 | Ordained Priest: 2013
Amy Louise Bruner was called by the Holy Spirit in 2015 to begin her journey toward priesthood. She was ordained a deacon in 2018 and a priest on October 6, 2021. Amy has been involved with Parish Ministry all her adult life participating with her husband in the Sponsor Couple Program for Engaged Couples, as a facilitator of a Faith Formation Commission encompassing a Catholic Elementary School, Adult Formation and RCIA.
Her work as a facilitator of women’s retreats through the Emmaus Program and ministering to women was particularly instrumental in response to answering the Spirit’s call. Her ministry has involved working as a Shelter Advocate at a homeless shelter in Des Moines Iowa where she assisted the chronic homeless in establishing a source of income and permanent housing. Currently, Amy practices street ministry in coordination with Des Moines Catholic Worker.
In addition to sharing her faith, Amy helps to provide hospitality in the forms of meal service, clothing, a food pantry, immigrant support and offering prayer and companionship to people on the margins of society. Amy’s other interests include practicing as a Reiki Master, ministering by bringing God’s healing touch to those suffering emotionally and/or physically; raising monarch butterflies and being a foster mom to kittens.
Professional Title: Rev. Amy Bruner
Location: Des Moines, IA
Ordained Deacon: 2018 | Ordained Priest: 2021
Annie (she/her) grew up a cradle Catholic with a love of ritual and the spiritual life. She started creating liturgies for social change as a Catholic high school student. In college, she studied to become a lay leader in the church—but quickly hit the “stained glass ceiling,” growing disillusioned with church patriarchy and homophobia. This sent her wandering in the wilderness a while, devoting herself to the Earth and the wisdom of her own body. She re-emerged into the Catholic lineage as a seminarian at Eden Theological Seminary, completing her M.Div. in 2021. Annie is a devout animist on a pluralist path, blending Catholicism with wisdom of contemporary Earth-based and shamanic teachers. She is a queer person devoted to Divine Eros. In priesthood, she tends the seeds of a healed future where human beings once again live in balance with one another and this wild, fragrant Earth. Annie has served professionally as a hospice chaplain, union/community organizer, and church program director. She is a spiritual director and death doula. She likes sharing her ideas through writing and aspires to publish. She loves dance and adores her niblings.
Professional Title: Spiritual Director, Death Doula & Grief Tender
Location: Oakland, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2024 | Ordained Priest: 2026
Website/social media: reclaimingspirit.substack.com
Rosemarie Henzler, a native Minnesotan, knew as a child she was being called to priesthood but put it out of her head because, “it wasn’t possible.” She stayed involved and remained active in various ministries in every Catholic parish of which she was a member. After her husband died suddenly in 1984, she went back to school and received degrees from St. Catherine’s University in English and Theology and was hired by Twin Cities Public Television as a publicist and outreach coordinator developing educational programs for schools and communities. In 1992 she married a longtime friend, Bill Henzler. After two years of retirement in Florida, they returned to Minnesota and bought a home in Park Rapids where Rose was hired by St. Peter’s Catholic Church as its liturgy director. Bill died in 2004, and circumstances found her settling in St. Cloud, MN where she discovered Mary Magdalene, First Apostle womanpriest community. She says, “I believe the Holy Spirit led me there, although it was in a roundabout fashion, to the people and place where I could finally say, “YES!” to God’s call.”
Professional Title: Rev. Rosemarie Henzler
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Ordained Deacon: 2016 | Ordained Priest: 2017
Attended St. Frances de Sales Catholic Seminary. Earned the Master of Divinity Degree in June 2006. After ordination co-pastored a community with five married priests, before establishing the Mary of Magdala, Apostle to the Apostles community in 2010 in Milwaukee WI. Co-pastored it with a married priest until June, 2024. Founded the Body of Christ, Blessed Community house church December, 2024, also in Milwaukee. Taught college for four decades prior to ordination. Mother of three, grandmother of five and great grandmother of three. Single since 1994. Avid gardener, social justice advocate and life-long learner.
Professional Title: Rev. Alice Marie Iaquinta
Location: West Bend, Wisconsin
Ordained Deacon: 2007 | Ordained Priest: 2007
Community: Body of Christ, Blessed Community
Meeting Format: In person
Since my ordination in 2010, I’ve had a faith community that now meets only on Zoom. This gives us broader attendance for many who are not local. We use a model where everyone has a voice and can participate in decision-making and liturgy. Every Sunday, we alternate between having a Eucharist Liturgy and then doing a check-in and Liturgy of the Word. Join us at 4:00pm by going to our website: www.fullcircleic.com.
I’m the proud mother of four adults with three grandkids so far! My spouse and I are now retired and enjoying the freedom to travel. We also love to read, garden and host gatherings. I raise monarch butterflies in the summer and paint rock mandalas as often as possible.
After working for over 30 years as both a hospice and palliative care chaplain, I’m currently a Certified Death Doula. Using my past experiences in healthcare, I get to help others talk about death and dying. I now facilitate Death Cafes for staff at the University of Iowa Healthcare and their PA and nursing students. My hope is that everyone gets to create their own Death Plan so their transition is what they want it to be.
Professional Title: Rev. Mary Kay Kusner
Location: Iowa City, IA
Ordained Deacon: 2009 | Ordained Priest: 2010
Community: Full Circle Catholic Community
Website: www.deatheducationcenter.com | www.fullcircleic.com
Meeting Format: Zoom
Ruth Lindstedt, M. Div., BSN, Master’s of Public Health, Certified Spiritual Director. After retiring from a 40-plus year professional career as a nurse and administrator in home care and hospice settings, Ruth joined with a group in St. Cloud, MN to form Mary Magdalene First Apostle served by womenpriests of RCWP-USA. This process spurred her own call to pastoral ministry and she pursued theological preparation at Saint John’s University School of Theology graduating with an M.Div. in 2015. Ordained to the diaconate in August 2015, and to the priesthood in 2016, Ruth served at Mary Magdalene before relocating to Driggs, ID in July 2017. At present, Ruth continues to serve RCWP-USA as a member of several circles and as a member of RCWP-Midwest Leadership Circle. In her local community Ruth co-facilitates a spiritual growth group at a local Episcopal parish where she also preaches and serves as church treasurer. Ruth enjoys time with her family, especially a precious granddaughter, and continues to connect with nature through hiking, cross-country skiing, and photography.
Professional Title: Rev. Ruth Lindstedt, M. Div., BSN
Location: Driggs, ID
Ordained Deacon: 2015 | Ordained Priest: 2016
Maria Thornton McClain is Pastor Emerita of St. Mary of Magdala Catholic Community in Indianapolis. She didn’t seek ordination but her passion for justice, especially for people on the margins, led her to RCWP. She has an M.A. in Religious Studies and a Certificate in Pastoral Studies. She grew up mainly in Buffalo, NY, joined the Sisters of Mercy there and taught in Catholic schools. After leaving the convert, she moved to Indianapolis in 1977 to take a position as parish DRE. She met her husband, Ed, was Coordinator of Boards of Education, wrote and edited publications for the NCEA; later served as consultant to religious and nonprofit organizations until she retired. She helped found a recovery home for women with drug addictions and served on that board for 11 years. She is a Toastmaster, loves to explore new places and ideas and is involved in ecumenical efforts as part of her ministry.
Professional Title: Rev. Maria Thornton McClain
Location: Greenwood, IN
Ordained Deacon: 2011 | Ordained Priest: 2012
Angela Nevitt Meyer was ordained a deacon in 2019 and a priest in 2021. She holds a BA from Butler University, an MA in Religion with emphasis in Biblical Studies from Earlham School of Religion, and a Master of Public Health from Boston University.
Angela serves as co-pastor of Brownsburg Inclusive Catholic Community alongside Bishop Nancy Meyer — a hybrid community gathering in person and via Zoom, featured in FutureChurch’s Pentecost Project (https://futurechurch.org/brownsburg-inclusive-catholic-community). Her ministry is rooted in liberationist and feminist theology, attentive to the holy realities of God-with-us and the collective flourishing of life on earth as it is in heaven. Deeply influenced by the human rights framework of reproductive justice, her ministry is grounded in reimagining ways of being church together that dismantle systems of oppression and nurture collective wellbeing.
Her own motherhood and work alongside infants and families in crisis have shaped her theology — deepening her conviction that every child is precious, every family deserves the dignity of a safe and healthy environment, and that the practices of religion and public health are intimately tied.
Angela is bilingual (English/Spanish), collaborates with Catholics for Choice and Women’s Ordination Worldwide, and serves on the Board of Trustees of FutureChurch.
Her spouse and children are at the center of her world — shaping how she shows up every day. The women who have gone before her are her heroes. The generations who inherit the world we give them are her inspiration.
Professional Title: Rev. Angela Nevitt Meyer
Location: Brownsburg, IN, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2019 | Ordained Priest: 2021
Website/social media: binclusivecatholiccommunity.org; https://medium.com/@amnevitt
Nancy L. Meyer was ordained a deacon in August 2009, a priest in May 2010, and a bishop in June 2014. Nancy is co-pastor of Brownsburg Inclusive Catholic Community in Brownsburg, Indiana. It is a Eucharistic Community that practices all sacraments for all peoples. It is inclusive of everyone as we reach out to all, no exclusions. The strong community spirit is evident as we strive to live the gospel message of love, justice and inclusion. Nancy participates in the Women Priest’s community in the Indianapolis area as well. She is a spiritual director with a Master’s in Spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, and a B.S. in Biology from Marian University. She also holds certificates in Theological Studies from Washington Theological Union and in Pastoral Family Life from the University of Mount St. Joseph. For 25 years, Nancy served as a pastoral associate in a Roman Catholic parish, where she worked with RCIA, marriage preparation, women’s spirituality, outreach, and refugees, especially those from Sudan. As a Sister of St. Francis, she taught in secondary schools and served as vocation-formation director. She is bishop emerita of the Midwest region.
Professional Title: Bishop Emerita
Location: Brownsburg, Indiana, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2009 | Ordained Priest: 2010 | Bishop: 2014 | Bishop emerita: 2022
Community: Brownsburg Inclusive Catholic Community
Community Contact: binclusivecatholiccommunity.org
Meeting Format: Both (In person and zoom)
Kathy Redig, M.A. in pastoral ministries, served as a certified chaplain in hospice, acute and long-term care for 20 years, retiring in 2015. Through this ministry, she became aware that many besides herself felt disenfranchised from the Catholic church as well as other churches. Her call to priesthood came as a gentle invitation over the years wherein she chose first to enter the convent, taking another direction after 2.5 years, which included marriage. With her husband, she raised two children and has been blessed with one grandchild. Through all these experiences, the call toward priesthood continued and when the option became possible through Roman Catholic Womenpriests, she pursued it realizing she needed to become part of the change she hoped to see in the Catholic church. She found the program of discernment toward ordination, first as a deacon, after which she began forming a community around her and then ordination to priesthood most valuable and affirming of the call she felt long ago. After ordination, Kathy and her husband, Robert established All Are One Roman Catholic church in 2008. Their inclusive parish reaches out into the community through the local food shelf, the Catholic Worker homes and sharing most of their revenue with local, national and international organizations in need. AAORCC is a Vatican II parish where all are welcome at the table.
Professional Title: Rev. Katherine Redig
Location: Winona, MN
Ordained Deacon: 2007 | Ordained Priest: 2008
My journey to ordination began when I was a child but, of course, “women can’t be priests,” so I allowed myself to veer from the path, since at that point there was no path. However, it seems that my entire life has prepared me for ordination, even when the path was not apparent. Following the promptings of the Spirit I earned an MDiv degree from St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee in 1992. That same Spirit, which always leads one into the unknown, guided me during the 20-plus years of service in justice and peace ministry with a congregation of women religious. And, by raising a recurring question over the course of several years, I finally was able to discern the voice of the Spirit who has been so very patient with me, allowing me to move towards ordination at the right time. The journey continues, still into the unknown, but I have come to trust her leadership. Thus far she has led me to serve a growing House Church community in southeastern Wisconsin for over five years. My husband, Bob, and I have four adult children and nine grandchildren and we are fortunate that they all still live in the area.
Professional Title: Rev. Irene Senn
Location: Franksville, WI
Ordained Deacon: 2012 | Ordained Priest: 2013
Martha Sherman grew up in St. Charles, MO, across the street from her parish and school. The School Sisters of Notre Dame strongly influenced her during elementary and high school. After graduating from St. Louis University with BA in English and Theology, she entered the SSNDs. Though she left after just four years, she continued to teach in an SSND run school for eight more years. She completed her MTh from Global Ministries University. For the past 25 years she and her partner, Marie, have owned and operated Camp America Campground in Salem, SD. They considered this a ministry of hospitality. Having retired from the camping industry, she prays with an RCWP led community in Coralville, IA, writes and uses her gifts in the national leadership of RCWP-USA.
Professional Title: Rev. Bishop Martha Sherman
Location: Washington, IA
Ordained Deacon: 2012 | Ordained Priest: 2013 | Bishop: 2022
I am a retired registered nurse who worked in psychiatry for forty-three years, in staff and in leadership positions. My husband of fifty years is my strongest advocate in all my endeavors. I am also supported by three adult sons, an adult stepdaughter, their spouses, and six grandchildren. I earned my Master of Arts Degree in Theology from The College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota in 2008. I have a certificate in spiritual direction from Christos.
I was ordained a Roman Catholic deacon by Bishop Patricia Freson in 2008. I was ordained a Roman Catholic womanpriest by Bishop Regina Nicolosi in 2009. There is a lovely but challenging Zen koan that says, “Show me your original face, the face you had before your parents were born.” This sense of deep awareness is descriptive of how I felt on the day of my ordination to Roman Catholic priesthood. With some trepidation, but also great joy, I realized as I stood at the altar, in persona Christi, that I was doing what I had been born to do.
It has been as a Roman Catholic laywoman that I have always experienced the Church, the powerful social institution that framed my spiritual life from my birth. My belief in the progress of women in the Roman Catholic Church is very deep and strong. It is my joy to stand with women and men who bring life and growth to the Church.
Professional Title: Rev. Mary Smith
Location: Long Lake, MN
Ordained Deacon: 2008 | Ordained Priest: 2009
Bernadyne Sykora has longed to be at the altar to celebrate the liturgy of the Eucharist throughout her life. In her early adult life she spent five years in the Maryknoll community. After leaving there, she taught in various school districts in the state of Minnesota for 25 years, and earned a Master’s degree in education of children with special needs. She is currently taking classes from Global Ministries University in theology. She is on the leadership team of the Community of Mary Magdalene, First Apostle in St Cloud MN, which is pastored by RCWP Womanpriest Mary Smith. Working on the leadership team has afforded her with a view of the feminine Godde who gives her much comfort and joy. Bernadyne was married to Don for 49 years before his death, and together they raised four children; she has seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Professional Title: Rev. Bernadyne Sykora
Location: Post Falls, ID
Ordained Deacon: 2012 | Ordained Priest: 2013
Helen Weber-McReynolds was ordained June 3, 2018, in Indianapolis, IN. In January of 2019, she assumed leadership of the St. Mary of Magdala Catholic Community, from Pastor Emerita, Maria McClain. Helen is a Physician Assistant in Family Practice and Emergency Medicine, with a BA in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, a BMS in PA Studies from St. Louis University, and an MTS at Christian Theological Seminary. She and her husband, Jeff, have four children and seven grandchildren.
Professional Title: Rev. Helen Weber-McReynolds
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Ordained Deacon: 2017 | Ordained Priest: 2018
Professional Title: Rev. Barbara West
Ordained Deacon: 2009 | Ordained Priest: 2010
I received my M.A. in Theology and Pastoral Ministry at the College of St. Catherine in 2005. I have been active in a variety of ministries through the years in my parish, including the Just Faith program. My husband and I belong to a small faith community. Most recently I have been involved in hospice, ministry to the homeless, and hospital chaplain ministry. I have been a Benedictine Oblate with St. Paul’s Monastery in Maplewood, MN. for eight years. I became interested in women’s ordination through exposure to the movement at the Call to Action gathering that I attend each year. I have a passion for cooking. As I discerned my call to the priesthood I felt a strong connection between planning and preparing a meal and the Benedictine value of hospitality. I am now co-pastor of Compassion of Christ Catholic Community in Minneapolis, MN where I gather at the table with community and celebrate the breaking of bread at an inclusive table where “all are welcome.” Linda and her husband Russ are parents of four grown children.
Professional Title: Rev. Linda Wilcox
Location: Afton, MN
Ordained Deacon: 2008 | Ordained Priest: 2009
Click on each member’s name to access their biography and additional information.
Having retired as regional bishop in 2017, Olivia is serving as a temporary liaison person to the RCWP-USA National Bishops’ Circle until such time as her region is able to elect a new presiding bishop. In the past,she served her region not only as Bishop, but also as Administrator, and Program Coordinator. She holds an MA in Theology from Regis University, Denver. She has been married to Slavo Doko for 63 years, is the mother of two sons and the grandmother of three grandsons.
Professional Title: Olivia Doko, MA – Bishop Emerita
Location: Pismo Beach, California, USA
Ordained Deacon: 2006 | Ordained Priest: 2006 | Bishop: 2010
Community Contact: merlene.doko68@gmail.com
Teresa Gregory states, “My life-long passion is to serve. This was instilled in me by the example of my parents. Growing up, our table and home were never too crowded that one or more could not be added. Our doors and hearts were always open to the needs of others. I am happy to continue this way of life in central Idaho.” Teresa ministered in the Roman Catholic Church as a lay- person for 30 years. She received her Masters of Divinity from Seattle University in 1991 and has served in both the Archdiocese of Seattle and the Diocese of Boise. From 2002 to 2011 she served as a Parish Life Director for Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Sun Valley, Idaho in the Boise Diocese. After many years of discernment, she followed her heart and decided to pursue ordination with the RCWP. Teresa was ordained a deacon on September 6, 2014 with six other incredibly gifted and compassionate women. “I hope to help form and reform the Church by responding to the desires of people, especially Catholics, who long for a Church welcoming to all people.” Teresa was ordained a priest on August 1, 2015. She with several others from her area have formed the Wood River Inclusive Catholic Community. She works for the Blaine County School District and manages the Community Campus, a center for the arts, education and recreation. She lives in Bellevue, Idaho with her wife MaryAnn.
Professional Title: Rev. Teresa Gregory
Location: Sultan, WA
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2015
Born a cradle Catholic in Chicago, Illinois, Donna felt a call to the priesthood from the time she was a child. She has been active in supporting equal rights, renewal in the Church, civil rights and LGBTQIA+ rights. She raised two sons and a daughter, and is now a proud grandmother. While serving as a registered nurse for over 25 years, she incorporated holistic and evidence based methods of health care into her service. Active in promoting and caring and respect for the environment and for the dignity and personhood of all creation, she is also learning ASL and goes to Renaissance Faires. She presides at Catholic Church of the Beloved in Simi Valley, CA.
Professional Title: Rev. Donna Shaw
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Ordained Priest: 2019
Donnieau Snyder, PhD is a member of New Spirit Rising, an inclusive Catholic faith community located in Fresno, CA. She loves and is deeply devoted to the various facets of her ministry which includes serving her faith community, religious education, working with homeless veterans dually diagnosed with mental health needs and substance abuse issues, as well as working with homeless teens and young adults. Her ministry work stretches across California’s central valley and the San Francisco bay area. She has a deep passion for social justice which includes advocating for women’s leadership across all faiths, community outreach to assist with appropriate access to mental health services and providing education about mental health.
Professional Title: Rev. Donnieau Snyder, PhD
Location: Ceres, CA
Ordained Deacon: 2014 | Ordained Priest: 2016
Claudia Nora Adamson (Great Waters)
Maureen Andrew (Eastern Region)
Judy Beaumont (Eastern Region)
Beverly Bingle (Great Waters)
Ruth Broeski (Western Region)
Janine Denomme (Great Waters)
Patricia Fresen (Bishop, mother of the RCWP-USA movement)
Claire Gareau (Eastern Region)
Alta Jacko (Great Waters)
Marybeth McBryan (Great Waters)
Regina Nicolosi (Midwest and Western Regions)
Kathleen Nuccio (Midwest Region, support member)
Josie Petermeier (Midwest Region)
Mary Ann Schoettly (Eastern Region)
Ann Searing (Eastern Region)
Catherine Shinn (Great Waters)
Rod Stephens (Holy Margins)
Mary Styne (Midwest Region)
Dick West (Midwest Region, support member)
Mary Qin P (Eastern Region)
Every Ministry and Worshipping Community served by a RCWP member operates separately and independently from Roman Catholic Womenpriests-USA, Inc. RCWP-USA, Inc. disclaims any responsibility for the operation of these ministries. The biographical information and descriptions of the ministries are for informational purposes only. This website also contains links to third-party sites. Such links do not constitute or imply an endorsement and/or sponsorship by RCWP-USA, Inc. RCWPUSA, Inc. is not responsible for such third-party websites and is not liable for the contents therein.
If you feel called to priest or deacon ministry within an inclusive Roman Catholic tradition, we offer a supportive path of formation, mentorship, and discernment.
Across continents and communities, womenpriests and members are celebrating sacraments, building inclusive parishes, and advocating for equality.
These are stories of courage, community, and commitment.
Roman Catholic Womenpriests-USA is organized into six geographic regions, helping you find a church community near you or via Zoom. Wherever you are, there is a community of support, shared liturgy, and collaborative leadership ready to welcome you.