A Sunny Day in Sarasota with the ARCWP candidates

My friend Donna from Lexington KY is now a candidate with the ARCWP. This week four women met with the formation team, Revs Judy Lee, Elly Marinaro and Bishop Bridget Mary to review the process and to plan their (for some) ordination to the deaconate in April.

They were done late Friday so I planned to come to Sarasota to meet who I could and to spend time with Donna. I arrived at 10:30 to turn over the items for the archives that candidate Wanda will add to the website in transparency and to make us a resource for RCWP seekers of information. She is much more computer savvy than I and also has a scanner which will make the process much more easily transferable. The idea came from my daughter Lisa who works at U of T said, "Mom your archives really should be on the web. That way the material will never be lost!" And accessible to so many more persons interested in the story of RCWP.

I met them in the lobby and turned over the material. Then we had to decide what to do, Annie and Adele both from TX wanted to see the Gulf of Mexico so off we went to Lido Beach N of Sarasota I believe and on the Gulf. It was the perfect day; sunny and 80's. None of the women were prepared for summer sun in February so I provided sun tan lotion, sunglasses to Annie and Donna let me borrow a long sleeve shirt as I could not find mine at home.

We spent about 1/2 walking the beach(the blues of the gulf touched the sky blue of the sky at the horizon-beautiful is God's creation) then headed out to find a place for lunch. We wandered N and found a Jewish deli "New York deli" was its sign and decided to eat. I found an item I had never seen on any menu in my life: a sardine platter. Yup a sardine platter it was: coleslaw, potato salad, sauerkraut and sardines from the can that had been skinned and de-boned. I asked for mustard and they were deliciously delicious. I could not believe it but I ate the platter gone!

We sat and talked and ate and ate until the clock struck 3PM I said, "Let us head back, rest a while then head out for the Mary Mother of Jesus' community liturgy at 6 PM. While Adele and Annie were resting Donna and I scoured the neighborhood looking for a food store. We finally had to settle for a Wahlgreens to stock up on candy and sodas for the "after mass" theater.

The liturgy as always was beautiful. We burned the palms for Ash Wednesday outdoors. The dialog homily was enriching and 2 male priests and 2 female priests presided. I love to see men and women priests at the altar together. It is indeed a life giving heart experience.

After we headed over to Bridget Mary's to watch a screening of "Pink Smoke Over the Vatican" http://eyegoddess.com/pink_smoke.php to see the flyer and if it coming near you. It is not yet out on DVD as the Producer is entering it in many film festivals.
The individual stories of RCWP women are told and good footage of Fr. Roy Bourgeois is also included. The editing was completed in 2010 so it is very current.

When available I encourage each of you to show it in as many venues as possible in your community. If you have a WOC, CTA, RCWP or other progressive RC group you can work with them to get the word out.

I came home hopeful and blessed in meeting four more women who heard the call from God and are now stepping up and out to say "I am here God, I am listening." We enjoyed each other's company, encouraged one another, prayed for each other and laughed a lot. It was God's blessing to be outside experiencing the Love of God for each of us through God's creation. For these blessings I am truly thankful.