I got an e-mail the other day from a reader in Minnesota who took issue with this blog post, quoting Curt Jester (Jeff Miller) who said (among other things): “How comes the ‘women’s ordination movement’ doesn’t have any seminaries? They just ordain women without any real preparation.”

The reader wanted to set the record straight. So, with her permission, I’m quoting below most of her e-mail:

I know some of the women ordained through Roman Catholic Women priests and they are well prepared. Bp. Patricia Friesen used to teach Roman Catholic seminarians before she was consecrated bishop by a European RC bishop in good standing and still working full time for the church. That documentation is in a vault and will not be released until he dies. I was invited to consider being ordained through RCWP and I have 3 masters degrees (education, biblical theology and Divinity) and a Doctorate in Ministry with concentration in spiritual theology. I have not accepted RCWP invitation yet I daily for more than 20 years discern God’s call to full sacramental ministry within the RC church. And Catholics have told me for over 30 years that I should be a priest. Most Roman Catholic priests have a Masters of Divinity degree or the equivalent. That is the experience of many women I know well. Seminary professors from several countries have told me that women have been some of their finest students in seminaries. Some RCWP are gifted authors with so many theological degrees you would be impressed! So, please do not write off all RC Women Priests as ill prepared. Those I know are well prepared and have been through rigorous psychological and theological testing.