April 28 Mary Hunt Quoted in New York Times

Mary E. Hunt, co-founder and co-director at WATER, wrote an article for Religion Dispatches about the Vatican's recent crackdown on the Catholic Leadership Conference of Women Religious. The article has since gone viral and was quoted by Nicholas Kristof in the Sunday New York Times.

March 27 WATER Featured on Ms. Blog!

"Despite (or perhaps because of) the patriarchy of many organized religions, feminism and spirituality have long-standing–if not universally-accepted–ties, from ancient goddess worship to contemporary Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Wiccan/Pagan and Muslim feminisms. Today, I want to chronicle just a few of of the diverse intersections of feminism and spirituality in our modern world. The Women Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) is a great example of how non-denominational religious and spiritual practices can be marshaled for social justice. Founded in 1983 by Mary E. Hunt and Dianne L. Neu, WATER’s programs include spiritual counseling, resources for feminist theologians, work opportunities for people with disabilities and a series of teleconferences on subjects as diverse as queer politics and the intersections of race, class and spirituality. Hunt told the Ms. Blog... " Check out Ms. Blog here to read the full posting!

Communion or Disunion?

by Mary E. Hunt The egregious breach of decency that led a Catholic parish priest to deny Communion to a lesbian woman at her mother’s funeral has received widespread and well-deserved condemnation. Even the Archdiocese of Washington DC admitted that the priest had violated their policy. In a little note, a vicar promised Barbara Johnson and her family that he would celebrate a Mass in memory of her mother.

Eucharist is not a Political Football

by Mary E. Hunt The Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) offers condolences to Barbara Johnson of Washington, DC, on the death of her mother. We support Ms. Johnson in the face of pastoral insensitivity shown by the priest who presided at the funeral mass for her mother. To deny the Eucharist to the daughter of a Catholic mother at her funeral is beyond any excuse or explanation.