Jennifer Sleeman, from Clonakilty, Cork has been overwhelmed by the response to her call for a one-day boycott of mass to protest the Catholic Church’s treatment of women.
The 80-year-old said that she’s been amazed by the public’s response. She said “It has all been a bit overwhelming…The phone hasn't stopped ringing all week. There has been the odd person saying: 'You should be going to mass more, not less.' But the majority of people have been very kind and very supportive of the idea."
Her cause has been mentioned on several blogs where it is receiving support and she has generated media interested in the U.K, Italy, Germany, France and the United States. “I had the BBC on the phone just a little while ago,” she added.
Mrs Sleeman feels that the church's treatment of women is unfair and that they essentially treat women like second class citizens. She believes that the Church does not appreciate the level of anger on this issue.
“I am not like the Catholic Church in that this isn't an order -- it is merely a suggestion to stay away from mass for one day to show the depth of anger that is out there…I think this might give people who perhaps feel voiceless in the church a voice. There are lots of women who feel very strongly about being able to do more within the church but are simply not being allowed to do so."
"I do feel that I have right on my side -- I do not feel that it is just me. I feel it is so many people that would think the same way as I do. I have felt that a lot of women are angry.”
She continued “They have been doing their own way of protesting. It all seems so spread around and it would be great if we could concentrate all this so it just came to me. I'm beginning to wonder is there a Holy Spirit and did it put the idea into my head."
The Catholic Church responded to Mrs Sleeman’s call just 24-hours after it was publicized. It said “The mass is a community sacramental celebration of the life, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus…We would encourage people not to absent themselves from the Eucharist where we re-enact the Last Supper and the Paschal mystery, following the command of Jesus, 'Do this is memory of me'. The celebration of the mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation is essential to the practice of the Catholic faith."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Jellyfish | Sep 04, 2010, 07:15 PM EDT
Good for her!! GO figure, the church using the Eucharist as a scape goat to ignore the issue. Those days of obligation is a bunch of nonsense, guilt ridden, man made, rule crap. A way of getting people to church... more money in the pot. I will never go back to church. They aren't handling the child abuse scandal very well. That is my reason for the boycott. I say bravo to this wonderful lady.
2BorNot2B | Aug 19, 2010, 02:35 AM EDT
Excellent post on 8/17 at 3:04 EDT WoundedKnee - Hope your knee is healing.
barneyjo | Aug 18, 2010, 07:04 AM EDT
And lets not forget, within the Jewish society of the day, Jesus chose the most unlikely of people to be his disciples. The moral here being "Dont shoot the Messenger!!"
barneyjo | Aug 18, 2010, 07:01 AM EDT
Woundedknee is entitled to his view and perspective; as am I. I merely posed a simple question that the Holy Spirit may well have guided this good lady to speak out. After all, history shows that in many cases, the worst sinners can sometimes be the most unlikely of "Saints"!! Thanks for the critique Woundedknee, and bless you to!!
Portia777 | Aug 17, 2010, 06:27 PM EDT
Posted by GeorgeDillon on Aug 16, 2010, 02:32 PM EDT "I'm beginning to wonder is there a Holy Spirit"---Some ignorant "Catholic" this woman is--she doesn't know the religion she claims to espouse. If she was a proper Catholic she'd say "I know there is a Holy Spirit...". How can she know, when she has been brainwashed for years? All supposed Catholics praying to god for peace, whenn the only ones who can bring peace is the people themselves. So why blame "god" for all the misery and pverty we have created? Why blame that Satan fella for all the horrors we humans committed. No one on Earth has ever seen god or satan commit any crimes
Portia777 | Aug 17, 2010, 06:23 PM EDT
GeorgeDillon.Portia--why don't you take your craziness somewhere else? George, the mirror never lies. Nice of you to show your real self to the world.
jacersisityourself | Aug 17, 2010, 05:13 PM EDT
Ah now WoundedKnee - that's unfair to post of barneyjo. Barney is with us Christians, different but honest comments with a few *wink* joke comments in between. For all the comments, below Portia's must be the most unsound. Hopefully, s/he won't be applying for renewal of a driving licence or similiar soon. Unsound mind comes to mind!
WoundedKnee | Aug 17, 2010, 02:39 PM EDT
I read something before I form a judgment as to whether it's trash. However, I won't need to read anything headed "BarneyJo".
barneyjo | Aug 17, 2010, 07:39 AM EDT
Sometimes the Holy Spirit can choose the most "unlikely" Messengers!!
barneyjo | Aug 17, 2010, 07:38 AM EDT
WoundedKnee, if this site is so foolish, why do you bother reading its content?
JOHNTOBIN | Aug 17, 2010, 07:35 AM EDT
The only roles that women cannot partake of in the Catholic church is that of deacon or priest.To say that women are literally cast off is pure rubbish.
WoundedKnee | Aug 17, 2010, 03:04 AM EDT
I know that the articles on this site are predominantly written by interns and teenagers (though O Dowd's offerings are no better). But for God's sake, have even a little bit of professionalism. The big banner headline reads "Irish woman calling for Mass boycott receives international support". Yet when we read into the article the only one who claims international support is the old woman herself. (By the way, being contacted by journalists does not constitute "support", you dopes). The author, Ms Hayes, makes no effort to verify the claim--really fifth-rate "journalism". How about me? I've had international support for my views on this foolishness. Why don't I get a big headline too?
mcdolan | Aug 17, 2010, 02:30 AM EDT
The RC Church's continued subordination of women will proof its death knell.
jmhickey | Aug 16, 2010, 08:10 PM EDT
Women are the backbone of the Catholic Church; yet they are excluded from every facet of the heirarcy. Why is that? Politics. It hasn't nothing to do with the Catholic faith. I don't think men have a monopoly on the holy spirit. The most devoted and spiritual Catholics I know are women (my mom, grandmother and mother in law) but yet they are allocate to the back of the bus.
barneyjo | Aug 16, 2010, 07:40 PM EDT
Perhps the Holy Spirit prompted this lady to take the stand that she has?
misnoreen | Aug 16, 2010, 06:20 PM EDT
I am agreeing with George that this woman has no idea what being Catholic is .....wondering about the Holy Spirit.... and boycotting mass is only hurting the individuals not the church....DUH get together and do something about the situation you are unhappy with in a constructive way to be more involved......come up with ideas that are positive and think of things the community needs......and then institute them.....there are many needs in the world many people are suffering from many things...pick something and help them...amen ...and go to Mass and pray for an end to world suffering, for Peace and give thanks for all we are each blessed with ... and while there ask the HOLY SPIRIT for guidance...
GeorgeDillon | Aug 16, 2010, 02:49 PM EDT
Portia--why don't you take your craziness somewhere else?
GeorgeDillon | Aug 16, 2010, 02:49 PM EDT
"when a woman priest is finally doing mass, I might make an attempt to attend" I suspect that even then you'll still be too lazy to get out of bed. If you were so into women clergy you could find an Epicopalisn Church nearby, but I supect you're a hypocrite, typical of the crowd who will boycott an institution they haven't honored in decades. My bet at this stage--this "boycott" will be inflated by the media, but on that Sunday in September, the same folks who go to Mass will go to Mass, and the ones that stay in bed will stay in bed.
JoePatAl | Aug 16, 2010, 02:44 PM EDT
Best wishes for her and those who follow up on her endeavors. Freedom for all and access to everyone are truly fundamental (pun) in this sense of worship. Gee, I almost feel like going ro church over the few weeks so I could say that I 'boycotted' the services that particular date, but since I haven't been to mass (other than funerals/weddings) for close to 40 yrs, it wouild only serve as a method of messing up my Sunday morning newspaper reading. Reading the papers and eating the bagles are too important for me stop with any regularity. If nothing else, maybe when a woman priest is finally doing mass, I might make an attempt to attend
GeorgeDillon | Aug 16, 2010, 02:34 PM EDT
BisbessainSpain: Don't you think Spain has enough problems? Why are you posting here on an Irish/Irish-American site?
GeorgeDillon | Aug 16, 2010, 02:32 PM EDT
"I'm beginning to wonder is there a Holy Spirit"---Some ignorant "Catholic" this woman is--she doesn't know the religion she claims to espouse. If she was a proper Catholic she'd say "I know there is a Holy Spirit...".
BisbessainSpain | Aug 16, 2010, 01:43 PM EDT
Helloo, I link this new in my blog - La Bisbessa- and I comment it in Spanish and Catalan. Congratulations to Jennifer Sleeman. I don't think how priests (bishops, pope) can celebrate the Mass with the sin of practice the apartheid against women, the half of humanity. (Excuse my bad English)
Portia777 | Aug 16, 2010, 11:49 AM EDT
How strange that the Patriarchal priests hate women yet dress as the ancient priestesses did. How strange that the churches are built in the same shape as the female body. Many are unwilling to accept that the Catholic church uses the ancient hieros gamos symbolism. The sacrred food- corn cakes were used as symbols of participation to the body of the God, the lover of the Goddess. The wine symbolised his blood, tapped off by his death to fertilise the fields. In Catholic Mass corn cakes are turned into hosts- wafers and wine is drunk by the priest. The plate with hosts is a symbol of the womb of the Goddess, filled with hosts- sperm and is also a sun symbol. Jesus was taught the sacred rites by Mary Magdalene- a sacred priestess.We now know truth thanks to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Mary Magdalene was a sacred whore because the annointing was the sexual rite of horasis. Over time the patriarchal men of god indoctrinated the sheeeple to believe that god said men were superior to women and that Jesus only had 12 disciples - all male, yet not a word abut all of them having been taught the sacred rites by a woman. What a scam.!!
CanadianPat | Aug 16, 2010, 11:29 AM EDT
Proof positive that sence ,and maturity do not necessary come with age! Protest may be justified, but not attending Mass as a form of protest shows that she has little understanding of her own faith!
Portia777 | Aug 16, 2010, 11:25 AM EDT
Brilliant idea and why it was not thought of sooner I will never understand. Roman Catholic church is a patriarchal cult whose "religion" is totally based on ancient rites and nothing what so ever to do with Jesus. Going to a building and attending mass has absolutely nothing to do with ones soul. That is total brainwashing. The cult is only worried about how much less money it will take in on that Sunday, nothing else
gregoryny | Aug 16, 2010, 10:42 AM EDT
Does your Faith in god depend on the catholic church? which is an establishment about power and money do you think the people at the vatican care about you?
Watereskhill | Aug 16, 2010, 10:03 AM EDT
We're leaving for Ireland today on vacation and will be in West Cork. Will send her flowers and a card. An eighty year old with umph "With Best Wishes. From admirers in the U.S". Clonakilty rocks!!(the boat) Ha ha.
athlonejackie | Aug 16, 2010, 09:46 AM EDT
Not Bad!!!! Only three Catholic Bashing features in this issue!
katieherk | Aug 16, 2010, 09:26 AM EDT
What a horrible idea staying away from Mass. I guess you don't care about your soul or that of others? How about a little bit of prayer for the church and all that has happened. Some people just don't think!!
Golfer937 | Aug 16, 2010, 08:40 AM EDT
Staying away from Mass does nothing to enhance anything except staying away from God.