A Des Moines Catholic group has been told it can no longer host Mass after allowing a woman to perform sacramental services in December.

Bishop Richard Pates of the Diocese of Des Moines ordered the Catholic Worker House to cease holding services in a letter dated May 5. An article explaining the ruling appeared in the August issue of "The Catholic Mirror," the diocese's monthly newspaper.

"This matter has been reviewed by the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Des Moines," the letter reads. "Members expressed great offense at this action of a rite that is so precious to them and others."

The council of priests voted unanimously to strip the Des Moines Catholic Worker House of its authority to hold Mass "for the time.”

The Rev. Janice Sevre-Duszynska, who presided over the Eucharist service, was ordained as a priest in Lexington, Ky., by the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests in 2008. The independent group is not recognized by the Vatican.

Roman Catholic canon law dictates only men may become ordained priests and give the sacramental rite of communion or perform liturgy services.

Frank Cordaro, a co-founder of the Catholic Worker House in Des Moines, called the bishop’s actions bullying.

The Catholic Worker House focuses on peace and social justice issues. It operates four homes in the Des Moines area that provide food, clothing and shelter to people in need.

While the group is known for speaking out against traditional Catholic teachings, Cordaro said the Mass wasn’t meant to draw attention or cross a line. The organization has worked for 40 years to bring light to social issues within the church, specifically women’s rights in leadership, he said.

“It’s really a bullying position that doesn’t do the Eucharist service,” Cordaro said. “I wish our bishops would see their teaching authority in a more positive light than when people disagree with them, (to) punish them.”

A spokesperson for the diocese did not return a call seeking comment.

Twelve people showed up to mass performed by the Rev.
Twelve people showed up to mass performed by the Rev. Janice Sevre-Duszynska at the Catholic Worker House in December. The organization has been ordered not to perform mass. (Photo: Special to The Register)
Sevre-Duszynska is one of 124 female priests and 10 bishops around the world, according to the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests website.

She said she performs Eucharist services in Lexington and surrounding areas, and is often asked to be a guest at organizations across the country. Most recently, she performed Mass at the St. Francis Catholic Worker House in Columbia, Mo. The bishop there gave the group a verbal reprimand, but did not take away its privileges to perform Mass, according to Steve Jacobs of the St. Francis Catholic Worker House.

The actions of the Des Moines bishop are not in line with Jesus’ teachings, Sevre-Duszynska said.

“I don’t believe he was demonstrating the compassion and the attitudes that Jesus taught us, which are about calling us to transform unjust structures that cause poverty, abuse and inequality in our world,” she said. “I think Jesus teaches us that he’s doing a paradigm shift from domination and subordination to a circle, emphasizing more compassion and justice than emphasizing rules and rituals.”

According to a February 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center, 68 percent of Catholics said women should be allowed to become priests. That’s in sharp contrast, however, to what Catholics think will happen. Only four of 10 said the church would actually change its stance on women priests in the next decade, according to the survey.

Cordaro said his Catholic Worker ministry plans to gather this weekend to file an official response and determine how it will proceed with Mass in the future.

The Rev. Janice Sevre-Duszynska, who presided over the Eucharist service, was ordained as a priest in Lexington, Ky., by the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests in 2008. The independent group is not recognized by the Vatican.

Whatever "Eucharistic service" that this woman "presided over" was not a valid mass because women cannot validly be ordained to the priesthood.  

The actions of the Des Moines bishop are not in line with Jesus’ teachings, Sevre-Duszynska said.

Maybe Sevre-Duszynska should study Ordinatio Sacerdotalis.

http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1994/docuмents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19940522_ordinatio-sacerdotalis.html

The actions of the Des Moines bishop are not in line with Jesus’ teachings, Sevre-Duszynska said.

Maybe Sevre-Duszynska should study Ordinatio Sacerdotalis.

http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1994/docuмents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19940522_ordinatio-sacerdotalis.html

This woman is consecrated to the devil, and considering the steps she took to defy her Maker, has always lived in defiance of Christ and serving the Devil. Pay no mind to her.

Poche,
A church that has women priests certainly cant be the true Catholic church.  You support this false church, and you never tire of posting endless articles about the goings on of this heretical church!

This is untrue. Here the bishop is punishing a goup for allowing a woman to simulate the celebration of mass at their location. Do you mean to say that you support the idea of woman priests?

.

She was in such a hurry to get a mug shot, she neglected to check her ersatz Roman collar
-- to be sure it's not dog-eared on her left side, that is.



.

I looked up this Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests and it claims to have bishops, though I only noticed one woman so named.  It also claims that their girl bishop was consecrated by a valid Catholic bishop who had apostolic succession, though they will not name him.

Obviously, even if they go through the rite, the only thing that happens is that the bishop is formally excommunicated, but the fact is that in today's environment, no one can really say that the claim is absurd.  There are numerous Conciliar bishops who would probably willingly consecrate a woman for this group.

What I find humorous is that, although the group makes a point that they have "valid apostolic succession" through "the laying on of hands", it is most likely that the bishop who consecrated their bishop actually lacked any apostolic succession since the Conciliar sect destroyed the rite of consecration of bishops and, thus, had no apostolic succession to give--even IF he could give it to a woman.

.

Chocolate cake is wonderful but it's not valid matter for transubstantiation.

Grape juice is wonderful but it's not valid matter for consecration.

Women are wonderful, but they're not valid matter for ordination.

.

Actually, if it is true juice from the grape then it is valid matter for conecration.