“Women of Wisdom!”
From the Bay Area Conference of Associates, Affiliates, Friends and Religious
February 19, 2025
It’s true – women are erased from the liturgy and rarely sited in the Old and New Testament. This made BACAR, Inc. realize we needed to talk about these stories. Women have been the backbone of our church, our world since, dare I say, Adam and Eve! So, BACAR, Inc. threw open the doors, and made space at the table: celebrating the hidden women of the Scripture.
Based on the prayer service held by FutureChurch in Rome, during the synod 2024, “Women of Wisdom” was first created by Maggie Albo with modest contributions by Chris Schenk, for the 2007 and 2008 celebrations of the Feast of St. Mary of Magdala. Creative liberties were then taken by FutureChurch staff to adapt this service for the current moment. BACAR, Inc. adapted these events to a gathering of like minds on February 19, 2025.
We gathered that day to celebrate the women of our faith who are so often invisible. The women whose stories are not mentioned in our Sunday readings were called upon; the women who are not given seats at the table were listened to. We began with a litany for the Women of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Women of Christian Scriptures, for mystics and saints, for leaders and theologians, for workers and ministers, for mothers and daughters, and for all the holy within our community and within the world today and yesterday. Yes, even you were thought of that day!
Among these women we studied and listened to Shiprah and Puah of Exodus, our sister Phoebe – deacon of the church in Cenchreae, Junia – woman apostle with Paul, Miriam, who saved Moses from the water, and Judith, who risked her own life and saved her people. And certainly a deep caring for all the Mary’s was preached including Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and our Mother Mary.
Our breakout sessions and large group sharing were particularly rich with a great desire to tell our story! Great ideas surfaced particularly from three separate archivists of three different communities who shared how their sisters, and some associates, have been chronicling each and every one’s own gifted story.
We concluded that we should not to be discouraged but rather use the fire of the Holy Spirit to build equality and respect in our Church and in our world. Trusting in our Lord’s Resurrection of Love, first proclaimed by Mary of Magdala, one day this will be a reality and women will take their place – never to be erased.
Our next event is not yet planned, but hope it will be in early October during this Jubilee Year of HOPE!. It will celebrate BACAR, Inc. 30th Anniversary!!!!
Submitted by Kathy Noether, AND
Co-director of BACAR, Inc.
BACAR, Inc. 