The Los Angeles Times today ran a short story about Jane Via, a San Diego woman who was illicitly ordained recently as a priest in Switzerland. She recently gave her second Mass here for what the paper calls her “upstart congregation.”

Via is one of 15 American women who were ordained in recent ceremonies, the article says. Via, a deputy district attorney here, faces excommunication for not adhering to the Catholic Church’s rules forbidding women from entering the priesthood.

The article continues:

Last November, Via co-founded the congregation where she is a priest, the independent Mary Magdalene Apostle Catholic Community. Its roughly 65 regular members include many people who found themselves increasingly discontented with aspects of mainstream Roman Catholic churches.

Dan Dinan said that, with two daughters and four granddaughters, he had always been bothered by what he saw as women’s second-class status in the church. In Via, a married mother of two who is also a deputy district attorney for San Diego County, he sees an ideal pioneer.

“She’s not a radical, she’s not far out,” he said.

Read the entire article here.

ANDREW DONOHUE

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