Catholic campuses host events seen as alternative to 'Monologues'

Published: 2005-02-07

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (CNS) -- Around Valentine's Day every year, a play called "The Vagina Monologues" is performed by college students on their campuses, including many Catholic campuses. Sponsors of the play say it calls attention to violence against women, and playwright Eve Ensler allows college groups to put on the play royalty-free with proceeds going to local organizations that assist women victims of violence. The play -- featuring female characters as vaginas that speak out in a series of monologues -- has been protested by some students, faculty and alumni who object to its depiction of pre-marital sex and its graphic language and what they say is its lesbian overtones and themes degrading to women. "The Vagina Monologues" is scheduled to be performed at 33 Catholic colleges in February, according to the play's Web site on the Internet, but Our Sunday Visitor found three Catholic college campuses where student groups organized alternative educational programs about violence against women that they say promote respect for women and incorporate Catholic teaching. At the University of Notre Dame, "The Maria Goretti Project: Empowering Women to End Violence" took place during the last week of January; "The Vagina Monologues" is to be performed there Feb. 16-18. The Goretti project was a four-night program that included open discussion of five presentations by the two student organizers and three invited speakers who are Catholic women attorneys active in women's issues. "Daughters' Week" was scheduled to run at the University of Dayton Feb. 11-14, the same time as three performances of "The Vagina Monologues" were planned. The event was going to include a night of speakers followed by discussion and free pizza; another evening with a speaker and a free dinner for women students cooked and served by male students; and distribution of flowers to all women students. "Monologues" was to be performed on the St. Louis University campus the second weekend in February, but students there will present their "Genius of Women" program April 8, during Celebrate Life week on their campus, when Sally Winn of Feminists for Life will be speaking. The St. Louis program will include performances by women and will highlight the works of Christian feminists and Pope John Paul II's writings on women and the family.

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