U.S., Canadian Catholics tour Rome to honor lives of church women

Published: 2006-04-07

ROME (CNS) -- A group of female Catholics from the United States and Canada headed to sacred sites in Rome to honor the lives of women who played important roles in the early life of the church. The March 30-April 8 pilgrimage, sponsored by the U.S. Catholic coalition FutureChurch, also aimed to show that some archaeological sites suggest women held positions of leadership in the early church, perhaps serving as bishops and priests who celebrated the Eucharist. The itinerary included visits to Rome's ancient catacombs and early Christian churches to view frescoes and mosaics that depicted women apparently wearing priestly vestments and celebrating the Eucharist. Inscriptions on tombs or artwork referred to some women as presbyters or bishops. Sister Christine Schenk, a Sister of St. Joseph and founder of FutureChurch, organized the tour with Dorothy Irvin, a Catholic archaeologist who has a doctorate in theology from Tubingen University in Germany.

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