Theresa Kane
Theresa Kane | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | Margaret Joan Kane September 24, 1936 |
| Died | August 22, 2024 (aged 87) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Institute | Sisters of Mercy |
| Profession | 1960 (perpetual vows) |
Theresa Kane RSM (née Margaret Joan Kane; September 24, 1936 – August 22, 2024) was an American Catholic Mercy Sister, who was an outspoken supporter of the ordination of women and equality within the Catholic Church.[1][2][3][4][5]
Biography
[edit]One of seven children born to Irish migrants to the United States, Kane grew up in The Bronx, New York.[1] She entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Mercy at their convent in Tarrytown, New York, in September 1955, taking the religious name Theresa.[1][4][5] She made her first profession in 1957, and professed perpetual vows in 1960.[4] Despite her disagreement with some of the Catholic Church's teaching, she remained a member of the church until her death.[2]
Kane attended Manhattanville College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in economics in 1959.[5] She first worked as the finance manager of St. Francis Hospital in Port Jervis, New York, and before becoming its administrator in 1964.[6] In 1992, she was appointed administrator of Mercy College (later Mercy University), and she was made an associate professor of behavioral sciences in 1996.[6]
She rose to become president of the Religious Sisters of Mercy of the Union, and then later also the president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), which then represented more than 130,000 American nuns and religious sister.[1]
During Pope John Paul II's visit to the United States in 1979, she was chosen to give the greeting to him from the pulpit of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C..[7] As part of her short, televised address, she stated: "the Church in its struggle to be faithful to its call for reverence and dignity for all persons must respond by providing the possibility of women as persons being included in all ministries of our Church".[7][4] Roughly half of the congregation formed from 5,000 nuns applauded her words, with the others sitting in silent disagreement.[8] In addition to her belief that women should be ordained, she was a feminist and a "champion L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics".[5]
Kane died on August 22, 2024, aged 87.[2] Her funeral Mass was held at the Church of the Transfiguration in Tarrytown, New York, on September 3, celebrated by Fr Charles Curran.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Sister Theresa Kane obituary: Nun who challenged the Pope". The Times. 25 November 2024. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ a b c Stockman, Dan. "'She did not give into anger': Sr. Theresa Kane's loved ones celebrate her life". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ DeRose, Jason (31 August 2024). "Obituaries: Remembering Sister Theresa Kane, who fought for women's ordination in the Church". NPR. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d Stockman, Dan (23 August 2024). "Mercy Sr. Theresa Kane, prominent advocate for women's rights, dies at 87". www.globalsistersreport.org. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d Risen, Clay (28 August 2024). "Sister Theresa Kane, 87, Dies; Challenged Pope on Ordaining Women". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Sister Theresa Kane, who challenged St. John Paul II on women's roles in the church, dies at 87". America Magazine. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Prophetic Witness during Pope John Paul II's 1979 Visit to the U.S." Women's Ordination Conference: The Table. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
I call upon you to listen with compassion and to hear the call of women who comprise half of humankind. As women we have heard the powerful messages of our Church addressing the dignity and reverence for all persons. As women we have pondered upon these words. Our contemplation leads us to state that the Church in its struggle to be faithful to its call for reverence and dignity for all persons must respond by providing the possibility of women as persons being included in all ministries of our Church. I urge you, Your Holiness, to be open to and respond to the voices coming from the women of this country who are desirous of serving in and through the Church as fully participating members.
- ^ Vecsey, George (8 October 1979). "53 Nuns, After a Night of Prayer, Stand in Silent Protest to Pontiff". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ Stockman, Dan (4 September 2024). "'She did not give into anger': Sr. Theresa Kane's loved ones celebrate her life". www.ncronline.org. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ Curran, Charles E. (4 September 2024). "Theresa Kane an example for 'all who work for reform in our pilgrim church'". www.ncronline.org. Retrieved 3 December 2024.