 Shanon Marie Sterringer was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Women Priest Movement on Saturday, August 3, 2019, in Linz, Austria. The ordaining bishops were Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger and Mary Eileen Collingwood. Her diaconate ordination took place in Boston Hts., Ohio on July 10, 2019. She is the Founder and Director of the Hildegard Haus (formerly the Hildegarden) and the developing Community of St. Hildegard in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, and a member of the presiding team at the Community of St. Bridget in Brecksville, Ohio. Shanon earned a Ph.D. (2016) in Ethical and Creative Leadership (focused on the leadership example of St. Hildegard of Bingen) from Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio; Doctor of Ministry degree (2012), Master of Divinity equivalent (2010), and MA in Theology (2007) from St. Mary's Roman Catholic Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Wickliffe, Ohio; MA in Ministry (2011) from Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio; and a BA in Religious Studies (2003) from Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to following her call to ordination, Shanon served as a certified lay ecclesial minister and master catechist in the Diocese of Cleveland. In the parish she worked in the area of catechetics, liturgical and pastoral ministry, parish administration, theology, and leadership training. She has travelled to Bingen, Germany several times over the last few years to walk in the footsteps of Hildegard of Bingen for research and personal/professional development. She has also traveled to the Holy Land and India where she offered seminars on women and ecclesial leadership. She is currently interested in studying non-profit administration and leadership. Shanon is a well-seasoned retreat director and has offered numerous retreats for women and men on various topics, most notably topics relating to St. Hildegard of Bingen. She has recently published a book through Fortress-Augsburg Press, “30 Day Journey with St. Hildegard of Bingen” and is currently writing a new book on her call to ordained ministry. She is an adjunct faculty member of Global Ministries University and the People’s Catholic Seminary, and is a commissioned member of the Federation of Christian Ministries. Shanon married Richard Sterringer in 1990, while still a senior in high-school. They have three beautiful daughters. The Sterringer family resides in Fairport Harbor, Ohio where they have been active in the community for almost three decades. Shanon was named the Fairport Harbor Citizen of the Year in 2019 for her long-time dedication to her local community.
 Bishop Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger’s homily: I chose the image "universe" or "cosmic egg" for today's ordination service. Shanon, Hildegard is your life motto and role model for your pastoral work as a deacon and priest - you have chosen this life form that you can not and do not want to take off. Deacon, because this ordination obliges you to have the welfare of the "poor" in many forms in mind. It also means providing food for people. Priesthood also means to lift the necessities of life out of daily use and place them in the light of God. "Give them food" has many meanings. I have read all sorts of explanations and interpretations of the picture - mainly of men. Now I put everything aside and offer you some meditative thoughts: Hildegard is a woman, a wise woman. She knows the universe from her observations, from her studies, from her experiences. She senses that the universe outside is also present in her: the fire of the sun, the darkness, water and earth, heaven and hell, diversity and desert, a breeze and deadly storm, the cycle of the moon and the planets, the heat of the day and the cold of the night. Hildegard draws her experiences, paints them with love of detail in wonderful colors. Hildegard paints her life into this picture herself. With this she gives inexpressible information. All life comes from the woman. The divine is in her. In her writings she systematically rationalizes what is expected of her. Hildegard is smart. She can not be convicted by the men. But I see the smiling Hildegard when she tells in mystery/brain teaser what only women can read. She replaces the real information with pictograms. The cosmos is in our view the space of infinity. Our work as a priest may be just a pictogram in time and space and size, a very small symbol of something great. In the great things of the world and the church, we are perhaps only small dots, stars, a flower, a delicate breeze, sometimes perhaps the glow of a sun or the moon. Sometimes we are bread for people or water, or wine, when we try to give them food for the soul. Being a priest means, in the sense of Hildegard, knowing the ways - being a scout for the people - to seek and find ways to lead people to God, to heal ourselves and for those entrusted to us for the church and the world. In the church, however, the divine visions remain - to follow the spirit of God and, in the spirit of Ignatius, to consider the distinction of the spirits. In the rule of St. Benedict – this is the order of Hildegard - this is called the Discretio. An important point in Hildegard's teaching is food. We are called to gather people together, to remember the good news of Jesus, and to give them the food of bread and wine.  Bishop Mary Eileen Collingwood’s homily:
Wisdom has been given to me… and she who makes others friends of God and prophets will find a home in Wisdom. Rays of sun shine upon you and you will flourish, and you will be gathered into God’s bosom. You have been pruned and will live on in me; my joy will be yours and your joy will be complete; I have made known to you everything I have learned from Abba God. I choose you to go forth and bear fruit that will endure. Whatever you ask will be given to you. The scripture passage that summarizes all our readings today is from Luke 12: 48: “From those who have been given much, much will be required; from those who have been entrusted much, much more will be asked.” As many of us present here today know, this journey is not for the faint of heart. We have been called and entrusted to bear witness to what is true and just--what needs to be proclaimed for future generations. Yes, we have been given much, and, therefore, much more will be asked. This journey that you are entrusted with today, Shanon, is a courageous one that will need strength and vision as you go forth. But you need not carry this responsibility alone. In fact, if you try to go it alone, you will fail. Jesus formed a community of disciples and sent them out two by two. It is within community—the Roman Catholic Women Priest Movement-- that you now find yourself and will be here with you and for you. While you have been given much personally and communally through your past academic, ministerial and spiritual experiences, you will now find yourself needing the support and strength of this new community of prophets. The Spirit of God has plainly shown us what is required for our journey in the passage from Micah (6:8): “simply do justice, love kindness, and walk with integrity in God’s presence.” From these inspired words of scripture, we launch our mission. Now is the time to fully grasp that this mission of ours is a communal mission. Only by understanding this will your strength and grace of character remain strong and vibrant. Yet, communication is part of the life force that drives us, shapes us, brings us to fullness of life. And the way we communicate will determine the quality of our own lives as well as the lives of those we touch. Great women and men are all around us. Great people will share their vision and ministries, great people will tell you their secrets. Look for them, call them on the phone or buy their books. Go where they are, get around them, talk to them. They will give you all they have. For being “great” is exactly what you are called to be and called to do. Shanon, you have been entrusted with much, and therefore, more will be asked of you. These are exciting times for prophets in our church—and we are very fortunate and blessed to have you among us! This is a holy mission. Your presence increases our holiness! And so you are sent forth in the words many an Irish lass would say: They rose in dark and evil days To right their native land; They kindled here a living blaze That nothing shall withstand.
(RCWP) For Immediate Release
Roman Catholic Womenpriests Ordain Two Bishops in Local Synagogue On Sunday October 1, 2017 at 10:30am, two women priests, Jane Via and Suzanne Thiel, will be ordained Bishops of the Western Region of Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP). The ordination will take place in the sanctuary of Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos, CA. Rabbi Paula Marcus will participate in the ceremony. Other representatives of other faiths will also be present. continue reading  The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests joyfully invites you to the Priestly Ordination of Lindy Sanford And the Diaconate Ordination of: Lynn Kinlan Margaret Alderman Anne Keller Ordaining Bishop: Bridget Mary Meehan July 8, 2017 2:00 PM First Unitarian Universalist Church 405 Washington Avenue Albany, NY 12206 On Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 1 p.m., the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) will ordain Sydney Joan Condray a priest and Karen Kerrigan a deacon. Michele Birch-Conery of Windsor, Canada will be the presiding bishop. The ceremony will take place at Sylvania United Church of Christ, 7240 Erie Street, Sylvania, Ohio 43560. All are welcome.
Sydney, 78, the mother of three, worked for many years in Toledo as a therapist to developmentally disabled children and adults. She said her journey to priesthood included growing up as a child without religious affiliation, but as a young adult she went to church and “found there was something there, a Mystery. It’s been a lifelong journey to discover who this gracious mystery was and what God wanted of me.” For many years when the parish priest was not available for weekday Mass, she and six other people would fill in. She started writing prayers to use during this worship service that were well received. A mystical experience convinced her that priesthood was what God wanted of her. Karen Kerrigan from Westland, Michigan who will be ordained a deacon is a retired special education teacher and an activist with particular concerns for water, environmental and gender justice. The Catholic Church teaches that individuals must always follow their consciences and “an unjust law cannot be obeyed.” In prophetic obedience women priests are breaking Canon law forbidding ordination to bring equality to the church, so too, we call on our bishops to embrace sanctuary in order to propel immigration reform and legal status.  The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
joyfully invites you to the PRIESTLY ORDINATION of ABIGAIL ELTZROTH Ordaining Bishop: Bridget Mary Meehan April 30, 2017 5:00 PM Jubilee! Community 46 Wall Street Asheville, NC 28801 Kindly RSVP by April 1 All clergy are invited to wear red stoles.  The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
La Asociación de Presbíteras Católicas Romanas joyfully invites you les invita con júbilo to the / a la PRIESTLY ORDINATION ORDENACIÓN PRESBITERAL of/de SILVIA ANTONIA GUILLERMINA BRANDON PÉREZ Ordaining Bishop/ La obispa que ordena: Olga Lucía Álvarez Benjumea April 8, 2017 – el 8 de abril de 2017 11:00 AM / a las 11 a.m. St. John’s Presbyterian Church en la Iglesia Presbiteriana de San Juan 2727 College Avenue Berkeley, California 94705 All clergy are invited to wear stoles with the color of their choice. Se invita al clero a ponerse estolas del color que quieran.  The Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
Invites you to the Diaconate Ordination of Elena Garcia Presiding Bishop: Bridget Mary Meehan March 25, 2017 - 4:00 PM Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community St. Andrew’s United Church of Christ 6908 South Beneva Road Sarasota, FL 34328 The Eastern Region of Roman Catholic Womenpriests
invites you to share our joy at the ordination of Marilyn Elizabeth Rondeau, Ed.D. to the Priesthood Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon St. John’s United Church of Christ 1000 South Rolling Road Baltimore, Maryland 21228 Officiating, Bishop Andrea Michele Johnson RCWP-USA, Eastern Region  Last Wednesday, Sept. 14, in Cincinnati, Claudia Adamson (center) was ordained a deacon
by Bishop Joan Houk (left). Also pictured: Rev Elsie McGrath, Program Coordinator. Here’s a picture from the August 6th Ordination of Kathy Rolenc in Oaklawn Illinois:  Back row: Revs. Mary Grace Crowley-Koch (Chicago), Lillian Lewis (Three Oaks, MI), Mary Keldermans (Springfield, IL), Marty Meyer-Gad (Mankato, MN), Ann Klonowski (Cleveland, OH), Paula Hoeffer (Cincinnati, OH), Susan Vaickauski (ordained 6-11-16, Chicago).
Front row: Revs. Elsie McGrath (St. Louis, MO), Kathy Rolenc (ordained 8-6-16, Chicago), Bishop Joan Houk (South Bend, IN), candidate Catie Shinn (St. Louis, MO). From: The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader Port Townsend, WA Ordination of a renegade priest: 'I am ready’ By: Ross Anderson Contributing Writer Aug 10, 2016 As a devout Catholic schoolgirl in the 1950s, Judy Dahl was certain that she had been called to become a priest. Lamorinda Weekly Published June 29, 2016 Womenpriests Ordain First Orinda Woman Catholic Priest By Sora O'Doherty CALIFORNIA: Joanna Truelson took a big step in her spirituality when the Orinda resident was ordained a Roman Catholic womanpriest at a ceremony at the Orinda Community Church June 25. From the Chicago Tribune Northbrook woman to be ordained by Womenpriests group By Phil Rockrohr Despite the disapproval of some fellow Catholics and her likely excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church, Susan Vaickauski says she must answer the "call." From MS Magazine - Flying in the Face of Catholic Law, These Women Are Claiming the Priesthood ~by Allison Shapiro In the rest of the city, people are trudging through the rain and struggling to keep their umbrellas from flipping inside out. But inside Chicago’s Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, it’s warm and bright. A small choir and a guitarist are warming up, the sound of their hymn barely filling the open space of the nave. Soon they’ll have the voices of the congregation to bolster them. Iglesia Descalza has published an update on the Women's Ordinations celebrated during March and April. They provide brief bios of the Women Priests and Deacons along with some Ordination pictures. We extend our congratulations to these women and pray that their ministries will bring compassion, love and healing into a broken world.
From the Fresno Bee - Stanislaus County woman defies ban on Catholic women priests By Razi Syed Donnieau Snyder knew she had to answer the call to priesthood, even though it meant she would be excommunicated from the faith she grew up in. Iglesia Descalza provides us with a recap of Women's Ordinations - August-December 2015 with both pictures and bios of the newly ordained women. Included in the article is information about the Ordination of Carol Giannini in Albuquerque, New Mexico with Cleveland’s own ARCWP Bishop Mary Eileen Collingwood presiding.
Bridget Mary's Blog has photos of Carol Giannini's Ordination as Priest in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP) on Oct. 25, 2015 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mary Collingwood was the presiding Bishop.
Marry Collingwood (ARCWP) will serve as the Presiding Bishop at the Ordination of Carol Giannini to the Priesthood. That Ordination will take place in Albuquerque on October 25th.
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