A study of the Sinsinawa Dominicans (hint: LCWR). Read and weep.
One of the stranger groups of women religious who belong to the LCWR crowd are the Sinsinawa Domincans, whose motherhouse is in southern Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Madison.
You might review my post NUNS GONE WILD for a glimpse of Sr. Donna Quinn, a Sinsinawa Domincan and pro-abortion advocate.
A blogger in the Madison, WI, area, Elizabeth Durack, who is also a commentatrix here, has put together an objective study of the Sinsinawa Domincans in order to find out who they are and what they are doing.
Here is the email I received:
“This email is the first announcement (except to the Sinsinawa Dominicans themselves) of an unprecedented and detailed report on doctrinal and disciplinary problems within one of the largest congregations of LCWR women religious. This is now available in full on a website, fathermazzuchellisociety.org , it is also available as a PDF, and I have made a print-on-demand book edition also, priced to avoid making any profit off it. The aim of this grassroots lay project is the good of souls, the good of the Church, the advancement of the New Evangelization. Under the name The Father Mazzuchelli Society, we are also promoting devotion to their holy Founder, whose own words about his intentions for the sisters are a stark contrast with what many of them have turned into. We want the Catholic mission of Venerable Father Samuel Mazzuchelli to be carried forward in our day, and in order that he may inspire the New Evangelization we are announcing also today that we have published a new and less expensive book edition of his excellent Memoirs.
A Report on the Sinsinawa Dominicans Today is by a 35 year old lay woman, Elizabeth Durack, acting on her own initiative after becoming sad and disturbed at witnessing the apparent state of things. The Report is based primarily on the Sinsinawa Dominicans’ publicly viewable email discussion list archive, and tells of the sisters’ discussions on “what is Eucharist to me,” their adversarial “relationship with the institutional Church,” and the most complete telling yet of the story of radical feminist and abortion-rights activist Sister Donna Quinn, as well as the story of a good and true sister who has been entirely obscure, the late Sister Francis Assisi Loughery. Read about the Dominican sisters’ feminist alternative to the Liturgy of the Hours, their angst filled discussions about removing male language for God from their vow formula, and their attachment to giving homilies at Mass. And throughout the project, learn of their belief in “women priests,” a key motivating concern behind this initiative, because this is something that breaks the Communion of the Church.
I have done my best to approach this project with charity and for the good of souls, and I ask media outlets including blogs to also have that at heart, while doing all that is possible to promote Catholic truth and warn people away from error.”
For the sake of full disclosure, I have a bone to pick with these sisters, but that is not why I am posting this.
Here is a sample from page 31 in the PDF version of the document:
Some Sisters felt affronted by what they felt were “unsubstantiated accusations” in the LCWR doctrinal assessment. In particular, not all the Sisters thought of themselves as “radical feminists.”
However, some very much did see themselves in the CDF’s assessment. Sister Clare Wagner wrote on the Sinsinawa email discussion list SinsinOP:
The phrase “unsubstantiated accusations” gave me pause and cause me to wince. That is because for myself, many religious and LCWR members the “accusations” are not “unsubstantiated.”
- We do support Network.
- We talk about and look toward the choice of ordination for women.
- We are at odds with some of the teachings on human sexuality.
- We are radical feminists who oppose patriarchal domination.
- We do at times challenge positions taken by bishops.
- We do not agree to “submission of intellect and will.”
- We differ with the magisterium on ecclesiology.
- We accept the Systems Thinking Handbook.
Sister Clare Wagner tells the truth when she says: “The accusations ARE substantiated.”
