<h2><img alt=Dignity/Houston Logo src=/sites/default/files/ChapterLogos/Houston3_0.jpg style=width: 180px; height: 132px; margin: 5px; float: right; />Pink Smoke Over the Vatican: Where Are Women&#39;s Voices in the Catholic Church?</h2> <p>By Tierra Ortiz-Rodriguez Dignity Houston member Community Organizer</p> <p>Members of Dignity Houston are among a growing number of Catholics across the nation who feel unrepresented and unwelcome in the Catholic Church because of official teachings that forbid same-sex behavior and the ordination of women. Dignity/Houston seeks to raise awareness of one of these issues by sponsoring a free screening of Pink Smoke Over the Vatican on Saturday January 26.</p> <p>Pink Smoke Over the Vatican is a documentary film that chronicles the compelling journeys of women in the U.S. who feel called to the priesthood despite the Vatican&#39;s order of excommunication for &quot;the crime of the sacred ordination of women.&quot; The hour-long film will be shown on Saturday January 26 at 4 p.m. at The Montrose Center Room 112/113 401 Branard Houston TX 77006. A panel discussion of women ordained in different faith traditions will follow at 5 p.m..</p> <p>Dignity/Houston finds many parallels between the struggle for inclusion by LGBT people and women called to ministry which demand solidarity. Roy Bourgeois said it beautifully: &ldquo;It&#39;s called solidarity. It means to accompany it means to walk with others. It means to make the struggle of others your struggle.&rdquo;</p> <p>Oppression is privilege multiplied by power and the church hierarchy is guilty of using its power to preserve heterosexual and male privilege at the high cost of marginalizing and rendering invisible women and LGBT people of faith. Where are women&#39;s voices? Where are LGBT voices? Each act to silence us to refuse our full participation in leadership and church life to devalue our intrinsic qualities as human beings is an act of discrimination and spiritual abuse that must be confronted.</p> <p>LGBT people and women seeking to be ordained are tasked with reclaiming and reforming the church continually pushing the envelope so that the Word bursts forth for everyone to read and relate to!</p> <h2>Dignity Houston Holiday Party</h2> <p>&quot;Eat drink and be merry!&quot; Dignity Houston members celebrated Christmas cheer on December 23 2012 at the League City home of our member Tom. Our holiday festivities included food libations games (we tried Apples to Apples on the recommendation of Dignity/Philadelphia&#39;s Melissa Hrinko!) and singing beloved Christmas carols. Fun was had by all.</p> <p><br /> &nbsp;</p>