September 6, 2020 - "Nineteenth Amendment Anniversary"

August 26, 2020 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the passage of the nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution.  This amendment was the result of decades of steadfast advocacy by women from all walks of life throughout our nation.  One woman who was jubilant at the passing of this amendment that gave women the right to vote was my paternal grandmother:  Anna Dougherty Dillon.  My father would tell me that Grandma often would say women should have been granted the right to vote long before 1920, but that she was grateful to have that right.  And exercise it she did!  My grandmother wasted no time in registering to vote and never missed an opportunity to vote right up to her death in 1964.  Another thing my father told me was that she would never tell my grandfather or her children for whom she voted.   When asked she was just smile and say that she wasn’t going to say. This annoyed my grandfather who wanted to know how she voted, but he or her children never found out.
 
The Catholic Bishops of Maryland issued a joint statement on August 26, 2020 to celebrate a century of women’s suffrage.  Included in their remarks was this tribute to the role of women in the life of the Church in Maryland:
 
Given the contributions of women to the electorate over the last century, it seems almost inconceivable that so many did not support women’s suffrage 100 years ago, including some of our predecessors [that is to say. Catholic Bishops].  We express our gratitude for the women who devoted their lives to fighting for the dignity of women at a time when this was considered unacceptable.
 
The life of the Church in Maryland and, indeed, throughout our nation and world, has been enriched by women of the greatest caliber, women who have left their mark not only on the Church, but on all aspects of civilization.  These women, and countless others, continue to inspire new generations of girls and women to share their unique gifts in service to the Church and for the common good.
Our Bishops also recognize that women still confront many hurdles as they live out their vocations.  They recall the words of Pope Saint John Paul II in his Letter to Women, “…there is an urgent need to achieve real equality in every area:  equal way for equal work, protection for working mothers, fairness in career advancements, equality of spouses with regard to family rights and the recognition of everything that is part of the rights and duties of citizens in a democratic State” while recognizing at the same time that “…much remains to be done to prevent discrimination against those who have chosen to be wives and mothers.”
 
They note in their letter to the Catholics in Maryland that Pope Francis both calls for respect for women and acknowledges that we as a Church must recognize our own history:  “A [living] Church can react by being attentive to the legitimate claims of those women who seek greater justice and equality.  A living Church can look back on history and acknowledge a fair share of male authoritarianism, domination, various forms of enslavement, abuse and sexist violence.” These remarks can be found in Christ Is Alive. 

In that document Francis also notes the desire of young women in the Church to have women as models and mentors.  To that end we in the Church are grateful in a particular way to the women who serve in leadership positions in their own (arch)dioceses, parishes, schools, and Catholic ministries for the witness and encouragement they provide to young people as women of faith, intelligence and leadership.  Pope Francis also holds up, as well, all women who provide their children and our society a loving witness to the beauty of family life.
 
The Maryland Bishops conclude this letter by expressing the desire that the next 100 years of our nation’s history will serve as a time of continued progress that never fails to respect the God-given dignity of all women.  The voices and contributions of women are needed more than ever as we seek to build a culture that recognizes that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights and those rights must be protected and preserved.
 
Finally, they pray that all people of good will, will join us in celebrating this momentous anniversary for women in the United States and may God’s grace continue to bless all women as they seek to live out their vocations.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John