Beginning of the quest: finding our voices

 January 10, 2023

Finding our voices

1974 Bishops Daniel Corrigan, Robert DeWitt and Edward Wells II ordained 11 women as Episcopal priests:

Merrill Bitner, Alla Bosarth-Campbell, Alison Cheek, Emil Hewitt Carter Heyward,Suzanne Hiatt, Marie MoorefieldJeannettePiccard, Betty Schiess, Katrina Swanson, and Nancy Wittig

1994 Bishop Barbara Harris preached at the 20th anniversary celebration of their ordination, at the Cathedral Church of Our Savior in Philadelphia.

Despite the experience of 20 years of female  priestly ministry, many laywomen still felt left out of Episcopal worship.  Episcopal liturgy and music were still dominated by masculine voices.  In Philadelphia, some women gathered at the Church of St. Mark's, Locust St. to find women's voices in liturgy and song.  That women's group's theme was "Finding our voices."

And so the story begins.