Join us for the 10th anniversary screening of documentary In Good Conscience: Sister Jeannine Gramick's Journey of Faith. Followed by a dialogue with Director Barbara Rick, Sister Jeannine, and Sister Carol Perry.
Are there times when it is right in the eyes of God to disobey our spiritual leaders in the name of a greater good? How do you stay in communion with a church that does not officially accept you or the people you love? Can Christians of goodwill on opposite sides of the fence experience unity in spite of their differences?
Armed with an endearing smile and an endless supply of optimism, Sister Jeannine Gramick is an unlikely rebel with a cause who will make you believe that the answer to all those questions is a resounding yes! Through her New Ways Ministry, she has been tirelessly ministering to and advocating for the LGBT community for over 40 years. When her superiors tried to silence her, she has risked being dismissed from her order by continuing to speak out for full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the Catholic Church.
Following in the footsteps of Michael Moore’s Roger & Me, Barbara Rick’s documentary follows Gramick in her efforts to seek a meeting with the once and now former Pope Benedict. Firm in her conviction that until church hierarchy and church members get to know gay people on a human level, their myths and stereotypes concerning the LGBT community will continue to prevail.
But Gramick is not out to angrily shake her fist at or cut ties with the Catholic Church. Instead she is doing something different; working from within to build bridges between gay Catholics, the church hierarchy, and the wider church community. As a devout Catholic, she sees the debates about same-sex marriage in her Church as a family feud that can only be healed by bringing the two parties together in dialogue.
She’s not all talk either. In one of the films most resonant scenes she approaches a Catholic man who is part of a group protesting gay priests and gently engages him in conversation. Though they do not see eye to eye on homosexuality, instead of fighting to get the last word in these fellow pilgrims join hands to pray The Lord’s Prayer together.
Here is an example of a peacemaker who breaks down dividing walls by being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. This film about Sister Jeanine has a Roman Catholic focus but the message could not be more universal: How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!
Sister Carol Perry: Affectionately known by most at Marble Collegiate as Sister Carol, she has been a gifted teacher and resident Bible scholar at Marble for 35 years. She uses her extensive scholarship and imaginative storytelling skills to offer a fresh and innovative approach to exploring the Scriptures, bringing people and stories of the Bible to life.
