PREPARATION & ANTICIPATION

July 10: Dual Realities
I am aware that this time in Asia, July 13--30, will hold two realities for me. One will be the outward journey as I describe its purposes below. The other will be simultaneously holding the very deep spiritual experience of Meme's (my mother's) passing over on June 14. Perhaps it will feel like being in two realities at the same time. Perhaps that will be wrenching. Perhaps it will be insightful. I don't know.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PURPOSES OF THE JULY 13--30, 2008 JOURNEY TO ASIA
As a professor of Women’s Studies and Comparative Religious Studies, I am concerned that the movement for women's ordination in the Roman Catholic Church develop more inter-faith conversations about women’s leadership, particularly with Muslim and Buddhist women. I am interested in writing a scholarly article on a series of visits and interviews I have been invited to have in Southeast Asia this summer.

I have been in contact with women and men in Southeast Asia who want to know more about the women priest movement in the Roman Catholic Church. I have invitations to the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia, but am coordinating an itinerary to the latter three countries this July.


Thailand: (outside of Bangkok) Songdhammakalyani Temple: July 15--19

Venerable Dhammananda Bhikkhuni is the first female monk of Thailand in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. In 2001 Dhammananda received ordination in Sri Lanka. She is now abbot of Songdhammakalyani Monastery, the only monastery for bhikkhunis in Thailand. As editior ofYasodhara: Newsletter on International Buddhist Women's Activities, she solicited an article from me about the history of Roman Catholic Womenpriests that will appear in their next issue. She has invited me to visit with her monks and engage in conversations across our religious traditions. We have many interesting parallels in our movements that we want to discuss further.

Cambodia: Phnom Penh : July 19--22
I am meeting with members of Peace Bridges to consult and plan for theatre workshops with their members. There will be two other meetings in Phnom Penh with Buddhist women who are working with the Cambodia Aids Project. I will be collecting more information on Buddhist women, ordination, and ministry/activism.

I will have a short visit to catch up with Kerry/Kathryn and all the great work that she is doing with ACTS---where students who are activists in their own countries will receive the culmination of their work, a masters degree, having written a thesis that is based on the activist work they are doing. Kathryn has been deeply involved with these students for the past year with other visits to Cambodia and by email.

Indonesia: Jakarta and Yogyakarta: July 23--29 (Kathryn and I will be in Indonesia together)

Damairia Pakpahan a prominent Indonesian Roman Catholic feminist visited the U.S. last Fall and requested that I come to Java to speak about our movement of women priests with both Christian and Muslim women and preside at a Eucharist. On Friday July 25 there will be a public meeting in Jakarta in which I will participate and talk about the women priest movement. On July 27, in Yogyakarta, at 5:00pm, I will preside at a Mass.

A bit more about Damaira Pakpahan--she is the co-founder of several inter-faith women's organizations on a local and national level in Indonesia including RUMPUN, Indonesian Women Coalition for Justice and Democracy and Kapal Perempuan. Damaira will coordinate meetings with Muslim feminists and myself. She is also aware of lesbian Indonesian activists, and she has offered to set up a closed meeting to discuss gay rights and religion in Indonesia.