Phil Little and Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

Anne Marie and I met Patricia here in Ladysmith when she came for an ordination. We went for dinner along with Francois Brassard and Connie Kurtenbach who were hosting Patricia at their house. We listened to Patricia’s incredible story. Once appointed principal of a Catholic school, Patricia found it intolerant that the school adhered to the South African government policy of apartheid. With full support from the local Oblate bishop Dennis Hurley, Patricia integrated the school accepting black students. For this defiance of government policy Patricia was arrested and jailed. She told us that it was not that frightening for when sent to a common cell with others, with women in jail for many different reasons, they surrounded her and told her that they knew why she was imprisoned and they would protect her, and they did.

After that she taught theology in Rome and was dismayed that seminarians who showed such little intellectual promise or interest in theology would move on and be ordained, yet she with her background in education and theological studies was denied only because of her gender. Three bishops in Europe approached Patricia and asked her to consider ordination. She originally did not wish to go that way but the bishops persisted arguing that someone needed to take the first step in restoring women to the order of ordination. Of course, with ordination she was expelled from her religious community and officially excommunicated.

After our dinner in Ladysmith Patricia asked to see our new home in Saltair, only a 5 minute drive from Ladysmith, but we had not officially taken possession of the house. So standing on the grass in front of the house Patricia said a prayer of blessing for our new home, where we have lived now for 16 years.

It was one of those special moments, meeting and knowing a person of such great courage, vision and steadfastness. Such disobedient women are the ones who make us move forward.

Phil Little, Ladysmith, BC

In Memoriam
By Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

Bishop Patricia Fresen passed away on September 3, 2024 in South Africa. We are deeply grateful for the life and ministry of Bishop Patricia Fresen, who ordained many women deacons, priests and bishops in the international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement.

She ordained me a priest in 2006 and a bishop in 2009. Dr. Fresen was a brilliant theologian and a courageous prophet for the full equality of women and all genders in ordained ministries in the Roman Catholic Church.
Today on her feast day, may St. Phoebe welcome you home!

BIOGRAPHY

Rev. Dr. Patricia Fresen was born in South Africa, studied theology in Rome at the University of St. Thomas and the Gregoriana, and was then invited to join the faculty of the National Seminary in Pretoria. She later completed the Doctorate in Theology and after that she taught theology at the Catholic University in Johannesburg. However, as a direct result of her ordination to the priesthood in 2003, Dr. Fresen was forced to leave the Dominican Order, of which she had been a member for 45 years; and she had to vacate her position at Catholic University. She subsequently left her homeland to take up residence in Germany. In recent years, Dr. Fresen has returned to South Africa. Ordained a bishop in 2005, Dr. Fresen has ordained many women priests in Europe, Canada the USA and now South Africa. She has been a well-respected conference speaker and retreat leader in all those countries. At present, her most frequently-requested topics are on the translation of the Gospels from the original Aramaic, which was the language of Jesus. She did a course with Prof. Neil Douglas-Klotz on the Aramaic of the Gospels and she says it was life-changing.