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“Gathering the Voices of the Silenced” Website
of Asian Catholic Women Theologians, Special Conference Issue,
January-February 2003 |
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Letters |
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Letters Page:
From EWA
Members (including a note from Professor Lieve) (Link to letters in
our group home page) |
Welcome to our letters page. The letters here were not sent to
ecclesiaofwomen@yahoogroup but are wonderful if you want news on EWA
participants, or to see how they think. You’ll also find some of the many congratulatory
letters received. (Understandably, we can’t copy all letters here and we pray
that we didn’t copy anything meant for our eyes only.) Reading the letters, you’ll find out more or less
who have been keeping us company in cyberspace and what kind of conversation
has been going on. You’re welcome to join in. (webmistress)
From Sr.
Pushpa, Continuity Committee Coordinator
Dear Members and Friends of EWA,
It is two months since we had our historic meet in Thailand We hope that all is well with everyone and that in the intervening weeks, you have been enriched by new insights that came as an aftermath of the conference.
In behalf of the EWA Continuity Committee and for all of us in EWA l say thank you to the organizing committee for creating a platform whereby women of Asia can contribute to theologizing in the Church. EWA was possible because of the efforts of Bro. Edmund Chia, Annette Meuthrath, Hyondok Choe, Sr. Evelyn Monteiro, and Fr. John Prior. Our congratulations and best wishes.
Of course we remember our sponsors without whose generous contribution EWA would not have been such a success.
The Continuity Committee has good news for all and it is this website you’re looking at. Kudos to our efficient PRO Andrea for putting together this first edition. But to keep the website alive, we need your thoughts on paper. This then is a call for you to write and send in original articles, poems, stories, reflections, liturgies, Bible commentaries, or whatever else will help to hasten our goal of women’s empowerment. A website should have member news too, so write-ups on what your communities or organizations are doing or plan to do are also welcome (March is Women’s Month, you might like to write on that). Naturally, if you have suggestions about what you’d like to see in our website or how we can improve the website, you’re free to make them. Afterall, this is our website!
United in the struggle for peace and empowerment.
Pushpa Joseph, Continuity Committee Coordinator.
February 3, 2003
From
EWA Members - December responses to “Breaking the Silence”
Busy With Theology in Australia
I only
just returned to my desk, because I have had other meetings in
Melbourne until now. It was great to sleep in my own bed again! ....I will send
a report to our Australian Catholic Theological Association, and to some
women's theology groups around, so that further contacts are made. There is a
European based theology network called InSect, and I will ask our President to
let them know that EWA exists. I think it just means that if a member is in
Europe when their meetings take place, one can attend as an observer!. I hope
you have a great Christmas. It was good meeting so many there Peace and
Joy, Chris
Burke [email protected]
Spreading Word in Japan
Thank you for your mail and a gentle push to get moving.
. . . I am spreading among our sisters first what had happened at our last
meeting. I plan to get the information in the Catholic newspaper in Japan, but
so far I was just up the neck in catching up with the chores that needed to be
taken care of. . . . Hope all is going well with each one of you. With best wishes
for a happy Christmas. Sanae Masuda [email protected]
News from Indonesia
Thank you for your gentle push to awake me. But actually I
am not in silence. A lot of work I have to do. After Conference in Bangkok, I
returned to Indonesia in December 1, but Intan is still left in Bangkok. She
lost her pocket and all her money when we went to the market. So we got problem
in that time, also Juliana, our friend from Timor Lorosae, she lost her pocket
and camera. But fortunately we could handle our problem.
In the first week of December, I attended
the Indonesian Bishops Conference. This is our periodic meeting. I told our EWA
story and they (the bishops who attended that meeting) responded well.
"Jaringan Mitra Perempuan" (Women Friendship Networking) work
together with EATWOT Indonesia do Feminist Theology Course for lay apostle (of
course include nuns and brother). This course is the second time, the first we
did last July. We have 30 participants.
I think we have a responsibility to
proclaim the Reign (not the Kingdom !!!) of God through our theology
perspective. I remember Prof. Lieve said "sometimes we are still trapped
in clasic theology that "controls" our divine. This is a sentence
which is "breaking my awareness".
Thank you Andrea, I am happy to have you
who care to wake me from my routine work.
To all friends, I wish " "Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year 2003".
Syalom, Nunuk P.Murniati [email protected]
Bernadeen did not come back to the island
yet. After the Bangkok meeting Lieve too arrived here, and we had a
meeting with the women,s group she is in contact with. Both Lieve and I shared
our experience at Bangkok and the women in our group are very enthusiastic
about the development of the events.We are planning to share our experience
with the diocesan womens groups and the women religious of our country. Shall
keep you informed of the progress and the failures. Canice.(Sr.
Mary Canice Fernando)- [email protected]
So good to
hear that the EWA continuity committee is already hard at work. For
me, EWA has been an exciting and empowering experience and I was so happy that
I had the chance to participate! My institute will launch a new international
journal in March 2003. The title is “Chakana – Intercultural Forum for Theology
and Philosophy.” Hyondok and I were asked to write a report on EWA conference
for the journal. Annette Meuthrath. [email protected]
Admitting Computer Illiteracy
I've been "on the road" within Taiwan so much lately and
e-mails have stacked up. Am just catching up and feel on
course again. So I am alive and well and on board with our continuity
committee! Must admit that I am more or less computer illiterate. Need to learn
more about group e-mail accounts, etc.
All for now. I wish you a blessed Christmas and New Year. It was so nice
to meet you and everyone at our gathering of women. Christmas peace, Nonie (Gutzler) [email protected]
Actually I do not know well to use
computer, especially for corresponding through it. So let me know
how to use the EWA yahoogroup system. I use e mail just very simple to write
letter and to get information. This coming weeks I am going to Hyderabad,
India. I will attend the Asia Women Forum for showing a force that Asian Women
will respond the globalization according from Asian Women perspective. I am
requested to be speaker from Asia Pasific Women Laws and Development in the
theme of "Women and Fundamentalism" and VAW in Asia. For the second
material I have got information in our EWA Conference. I will share my
experience when I come back. Andrea, please teach me how to manage
information. Love and peace, Nunuk
From EWA Members, January letters, including responses to “A Joyful
Noise”
The World We Returned to
My hands were full since I came back. I
have mustered the art of juggling things between
and educator and administrator; activist and academe and of course a third
world theologian. This is my world and thus when I came back I had to double
time and oh as a daughter and a sister. Rush with my Christmas shopping then
meeting before Christmas, flew to Cebu on the 23rd and came back on the 29th
and meeting again. We are teaching a course on doing contextual theology this
summer at IFRS kaya busy as in busy for the preparation. Thanks for patiently
prompting us to break the silence All the best for 2003. In solidarity, Lilith [email protected]
Breaking the Silence Takes a Lot of
Patience, Good for the Cultivation of Our Spiritual Life.
When I sent off that last email, I told myself, I am sure Andrea
would have forwarded it the next time I
log-on... and, sure enough, you have!
I think you and I are about the
only ones who live by our computers!
Keep up the good work, despite
the silence.. as I told you, it takes a lot of
patience.. good for the cultivation of our spiritual life. Regards, Chia [email protected]
Singaporean Theological Musings
I'm not sure what the general
silence is about but as for me... it was because i had a
relative's funeral over during the month and then, i was sick through Christmas
and New Year. Taken me two weeks to feel normal again. But, i do now, and for
that i am gratefully happy! thanks be to God.
Yes, the new year's begun but sad to say
perhaps it does not feel new! The constant struggle to see the face of God in
daily life has perhaps zapped energy. The daily bombardment of imminent war, of
nuclear threats, of terrorism and of a recession and job-less situation has in
many ways aged the beginnings of this new year.
Yes, faith tells me that the Christian
knows that God is on top of it all and that all things will work out. That's a
life line which allows glimpses of hope of joy but..that's it... through the
pain of people struggling to live a humane, dignified existence the fragrance
has to last... we need to find ways to make it last till the glimpse of God
comes again.
I like your theological musing...and do
wish for a more contextual one [locally] but am appreciative of an Asian one. I
find application of academic theology a real challenge for my own life and
among the people i work and live with. These are simple people ~ not many have
gone beyond our "Who made you" catechesis and sadly not many are interested!!
I recently gave a session to a small
neighbourhood group within a one of our wealthiest parishes and I asked
"What is your concept of heaven?" A number of the response was
other-worldly. Few saw any glimpse of heaven as a happening here and now. So...
these are the wealthy... what will the poor say... yes, perhaps they would have
more of heaven here.
So, these are my musings at the beginning
of this year. There's heaps more, but in due course... Shalom! Sr
Christine Santhou
[email protected]
Real Life Issues Rather than Theological Concepts
Congratulations. There was a
report on page 10 of National Catholic Reporter dated 22nd December 2002 titled
"Asian Women theologians make voices heard". I was extremely happy to
note that this meet was organized by the staff of JDV of which I was a student.
I feel really proud to read about it in the American Catholic news. It is
great. Congratulations to all who
are involved in promoting a new perspective in understanding God.
I was saddened to read an article on tribal women being
auctioned in India. I feel that the God experience has to be liberating. My
suggestion would be that this type of conference should focus more on real life
issues than on theological concepts. I hope this is only a beginning. I wish
you all the best in this endeavor. Paul
Pudussery csc
From
U.S. Catholic Magazine Assistant Editor
I am an editor for U.S. Catholic
magazine in Chicago and
we are running a short news story about your conference. I read the article in National
Catholic Reporter. Please tell me about the goals of the conference, highlights
of the most pertinent moments of the conference, and any progress made on the
goals since the conference took place. Did the participants' develop a women's
response to the papal document the Asian Synod (1998)? Is the web site
functioning yet? I am most interested to get a photo of the event, or of some
of the individual speakers or participants. Tara
Dix, Assistant Editor, U.S. Catholic Magazine
Asian
Women Theologians/Women and Violence
As a regular reader of National Catholic
Reporter, I was pleased
to read an article in the December 27 issue about your November conference,
"Ecclesia of Women in Asia: Gathering the Voices of the Silenced." In
particular, I am interested in the topic of women and violence, having recently
taught a course on it. I note that you had posted papers on the internet papers
on each of the topics your conference was going to address. Would it be
possible to access the papers related to women and violence? Any help you can
provide would be appreciated. Thank you, and blessings on your work. Trudie
Atkinson
Equality in Ecclesia, Energy at the Heart of the
Cleansing of the Church
I just finished reading the
article in NCR on the conference and was particularly touched by the quote from
Professor Troch that this is a time for finding equality in ekklesia. I am
finding this push everywhere and believe it is the energy at the heart of the
cleansing the church is experiencing in this country, as elsewhere.
Congratulations on the conference and blessings on your work. Ms. Marti Jewell, National Association for Lay
Ministry, Board of Directors.
Need for Good Theology and Good Spirituality Sources
from Other Cultures
I am a Sister of Charity of Nazareth--in
India we are often referred to as Mokama Sisters. We are an American
congregation with over 200 professed Sisters from India. I am manager
of the bookshop at our retreat center. One of the things I have been
trying to do is to find good theology and spirituality sources from other
cultures to have available to the community, especially sources from India and
Nepal. I would greatly appreciate any reading lists you might
propose. Barbara Joseph Lammers, SCN, Nazareth, KY
Request for Access to Conference
Papers
In "National Catholic Reporter On
Line" of the 20th/december I read about the Conference "Ecclesia on
Women in Asia", in which you (Evelyn Monteiro) had a fundamental partecipation. There I read that "prior to
the conference 30 papers had been posted on the Internet", about the
themes of the subgroups. I'm very interested to read some of them. Can you,
please, say to me the web site in which I can find them ... if they are
always available. Pier Giorgio Foglio Bonda.
CONGRATULATIONS ON
CONTINUED BLESSINGS OF THIS CRITICAL ECCLESIA OF WOMEN IN ASIA CONFERENCE. I
thought the article in NCR was excellent.
Sister
Margaret Nacke, csj
Informing the
French Speaking World
I am the editor in chief of the French magazine Questions actuelles which has a circulation
of about 5 000 (individuals and institutions) in the French speaking world. In
our last issue (January-February 2003) we did a very brief piece on the
Ecclesia of Women in Asia conference.
Since then I have come across several interesting articles on the conference
(the National Catholic Reporter for example). I lived in Asia (Japan) myself
for eight years and have always been concerned about the difficulties women can
encounter, there and elsewhere, as they try to
share in the task of "doing
theology" in the Church today. One of the goals of our magazine is to
inform the French speaking world of
theological initiatives which are being taken throughout the world. Could you
keep me informed of your activities in the future ? I would also like to know
if there were any papers presented that would be particularly interesting. The
few lines that were quoted from your keynote address (or perhaps it was a
summary) in the NCR seemed to be very
pertinent. I hope we will able to collaborate in the future. Dennis Gira, Questions actuelles, Paris
(Irresistible)
Website Comments
January
13, 2003. On the first draft of the website
Wonderful!. Beautiful! Excellent! Perfect.
What other words can I use? I had a quick glance at the website, and must say
it was really impressive. Again, keep the fire going. Chia
February 3, 2003, From Professor Lieve
What a
beautiful website!! I feel very happy that I could be present at the birth of
Ewa. I gave the website address to Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza.
Best greetings, and hoping to see many of you back somewhere some day. I
think of all of you with much warmth. Many women here know about your
existence and feel connected in solidarity in the same struggle. Lieve. L.Troch
From a Filipina theologian in Edmonton, Alberta, a new friend through EWA
I have just looked into
your website and I think you have done a great job of putting it together. I
read the address given by Sr. Evelyn and the letters sent by some members. I
think your conference went very well by the look of it and I am quite impressed
by the purpose of EWA and its feminist view. It is true that the church is
women too, although it is patriarchal right from the beginning. But the women
of the Bible had so many good news that have to be unfolded to any yet who do
not understand or know the meaning of their existence in the bible and what
they represent. Someday, I hope I can give a talk on that to your group.
Somebody talked about
heaven, that’s another great topic to talk about. And most of all the
Trinity. Anita
Tolentino
Sr.
Evelyn Monteiro: [email protected]
Coordinator:
Sr. Pushpa Joseph, [email protected]
Webmistress: Andrea Lizares Si,
[email protected]
Group address:
[email protected]
Yahoogroup homepage: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/groups/ecclesiaofwomen/