Reading Materials The book "Elizabeth Packard: A noble fight" by  Linda Carlisle gives us the opportunity to learn more about the forgotten story of a woman, Elizabeth Packard, who fought for changes that would give both married women and the mentally ill greater rights. The book highlights women’s lives back in the 1860s when it [...]

I keep seeing articles and blog posts about Generation Y.  We’re lazy, we don’t want to do real work, we spend too much time online, we don’t get married soon enough, or at all, we move back home after college.  Yes, a lot of it is negative, and not entirely accurate.  But more has been [...]

Last night in St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church in Washington, DC twenty-five justice-seeking men and women of faith gathered to watch a screening of the documentary, “Pink Smoke Over the Vatican,” directed/produced by Jules Hart. The film offers a patchwork history of women’s ministry and leadership within the Catholic community, and critiques the [...]

Jewish culture has a long history of tolerance and social justice that I deeply admire. Of course, some Christian communities do as well – the United Church of Christ makes social justice one of its hallmarks.  But Reform Judaism has always had a special place in my heart for its commitment to the oppressed and [...]

Tomorrow, I will join millions of Christians around the world in celebrating the resurrection of Christ and the saving of humanity.  But as I stood in services for Holy Thursday this week, I thought instead of the women in Christ’s life who have been ignored, misrepresented, and used in the politics that infused the rise [...]

Reading Materials: The book, Wait Until Tomorrow  by Pat MacEnulty, showcases the relationship between the author and her elderly mom, a drug addict and a small-town idol as a composer, pianist, organist and musical director.  Find out how Pat will achieve her two goals, which are to help her mother to find a new life [...]

Violence against women is serious.  And it seems to be discussed everywhere lately.  So why is all the talk about Charlie Sheen focused on the crazy things he’s been saying and not on the women he has abused and threatened.  I missed the beginning, or the beginning of the end (it is coming to an [...]

These days, I cannot escape the subject of weddings. I’m at the point in my 20s when lots of friends are becoming engaged. The royal wedding is in the papers and on the news. The BBC just ran a photo essay on extreme weddings. Last night, the subject of “bridezillas” came up in conversation. We’ve [...]

This piece was cross-posted at Pundit Mom.  In light of Jon Kyl’s ongoing outrageous public comments, I’ve come to the conclusion that the junior Senator from Arizona must hate women.  Odds are that unless you live in Arizona, you either don’t know or don’t pay a lot of attention to Kyl, but he’s gotten some [...]

Reading Materials: It is always hard to accept that your parents are getting older. How you will take care of them and how you will face the realities of aging. Pat MacEnulty and Tamara Titus  in their new book "This is the Way We say Goodbye" are trying to explore how you can keep the [...]