50 Years of Women’s Ordination: The Rev. Canon Dana Corsello
The Rev. Dana Corsello was sitting next to a male parish leader when a parishioner congratulated him on a spectacular worship service. "Why are you telling me?" he responded. "She's sitting right here, and she's the rector."
It’s the kind of latent sexism that still lingers in the church, even 50 years after the first women were ordained in The Episcopal Church. One church leader told her “it would be much easier for me if I got married, because I was too pretty.” Another priest once told her that her looks would be an “impediment” to her ministry — and made him “uncomfortable,” as if appearance has anything to do with ordination.
- READ MORE: Celebrating 50 Years of Women’s Ordination
As we gear up for a celebration of a half-century of women’s ordination later this month, we asked Dana (who serves as the Cathedral’s Canon Vicar) to reflect on the importance of the anniversary. She was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1999, 25 years after the women before her took that brave first step:
Those women — they were brave. Trailblazers. Really brave, and they believed in their calls. They weren’t just trying to make a statement; I don’t think they were just setting out to fight the patriarchy. They truly believed that they were part of the body of Christ, which meant that they too had the wherewithal to be called to be priests.
Just as God would call a male to be a priest, they felt God was calling them. They just happened to be female. And that they believed, with all their heart, mind and soul that it was legitimate, and they refused to be delegitimized.
Their courage, and the courage of the men who supported them, is just astounding. I can’t even imagine the vitriol that they faced. I’m so grateful for these women, but also for the men who stood behind them — the seminary professors, the theologians, the people who said you don’t have to have certain genitalia to actually serve God’s people. They fought the good fight. It’s incredible, and I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to repay them for their courage.