Our Father Creator Who Art in Heaven...: Negotiating Patriarchal Language in Religion and Feminism

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Throughout her adult life, Heather had periodically struggled to reconcile being both a Catholic and a feminist. Her sister, who had left the church, often smirked, “I just don’t get it. You are a feminist, an LGBTQ+ ally, and a pro-choice supporter—and a Catholic? One of the most patriarchal institutions in existence, where in some archdiocese women can’t even be on the altar, let alone be priests or deacons. And don’t get me started on the clergy sex abuse scandal. Don’t you see the contradictions? How do you reconcile that in your mind?” After 12 years of Catholic schooling, they had both learned that Heather’s multiple identities did not completely jive, yet somehow she was usually able to bracket the institution from her day-to-day spiritual life. To be sure, some interactions brought the issue to the forefront more than others, and this week the inconsistencies between her feminist identity and norms of Catholicism again needed to be managed—this time for her daughter’s benefit.