St. Joseph Sr. Christine Schenk, an NCR board member, served urban families for 18 years as a nurse midwife before co-founding FutureChurch, where she served for 23 years. Her book Crispina and Her Sisters: Women and Authority in Early Christianity (Fortress, 2017) was awarded first place in History by the Catholic Press Association. She holds master's degrees in nursing and theology.
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Contributor
Jesus' birth to a single mom signals prophetic challenge to patriarchy
Christine Schenk: What could better witness the power of an unpredictable God than to raise up a long-awaited Messiah from the least powerful of humans — a child born of an unwed mother? What better witness than a son with no apparent biological father, and therefore no claim to patriarchal privilege?
Contributor
Is your diocese promoting the synod? No matter what, you can still participate
Commentary: Sr. Christine Schenk's review of major U.S. dioceses' websites presents a heartening (though inconclusive) picture of synod events planned by church leaders of both "liberal" and "conservative" persuasions.
Column
As Francis visits Slovakia, international crowd celebrates Czech woman priest
Simply Spirit: More than 420 Catholics from all over the world gathered in an online event to celebrate Ludmila Javorova, who courageously served the underground church in communist Czechoslovakia as an ordained priest.
Column
A paradigm-shifting lectionary for the whole church
Simply Spirit: As one who often cannot find herself in the masculine pronouns of today's liturgical offerings, I am profoundly grateful for Wil Gafney's rendition of texts I have loved since childhood.
