The bishop of Greensberg, Pennsylvania, Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt, is not allowing the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden, Pennsylvania to promote their recruitment events in the diocese’ media outlets, according to a National Catholic Reporter article.
The reason? The leadership team was a signatory on Sr. Carol Keehan’s letter to Congress in support of health care reform.
Is this really necessary? Even had I not been personally in support of health care reform, I would be outraged that a bishop was blocking the recruitment efforts of a women’s religious community. I’d like to ask the bishop, does he really think this is a prudent use of his energy? What kind of effect does he think it will have on the Sisters of St. Joseph? Will they learn their lesson and not speak up for causes they think go a long way in protecting life? (My apologies for the sarcasm. It's been a long day.)
The good news is that U.S. Catholic has a lot of readers from Pennsylvania. I should know, too. I just completed compiling the Reader Survey for June. And, the Sisters of St. Joseph have a website.
So, readers from the diocese of Greensberg, if you are trying to discern if you are called to religious life, I encourage you to take a look at what they have to offer.
