Groundbreaker

The Angelicum

Sister Raeffella Petrini, F.S.E.

Sister Raeffella Petrini, F.S.E. has spent her entire life in service to the Church.  And now they are thanking her in the usual way, giving her more work!  As the Irish would say, No Better Woman!  Sister has broken new church ground.  Pope Francis has appointed her to the Dicastery for Bishops.  She is going to meet every other Thursday to review (and vote) the men being considered for bishop spots all over the world.  Do not underestimate the importance of this work.

I am so proud of Sister, not because I know her, or have ever even met her.  I am thrilled for her because she is an alumna of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, affectionately known as The Angelicum.  She is also a professor there.   And yes, that is my alma mater too, for my canon law studies.  There is a community around that university that is close and pastoral.  I enjoy the true friendship of another canon lawyer, Meg Hogan.  We were not classmates but we might as well have been.  It is the Ang connection that first fostered our friendship.  Girl Power.

Until now the closest any lay person got to this whole bishop-picking process, was filling out confidential questionnaires about a candidate.   I was amazed the first time I got one. (I have had two).  It was because I knew both candidates very well, although I still am not sure how they knew that.  I was excited to be a part of the process.  I spent hours working on answers.    At a luncheon of canon lawyers I said that I had gotten these questionnaires without any other information about them.  A priest at the table was really angry. He told me I had violated pontifical secret and he was going to “report me”!  What a jerk.  I tell this because I think now as I did then, that it should be known that the little window to this secret process had cracked open to lay people, to women.  Now we have a whole foot in the door and she’s someone I identify with.  Thank you Holy Father and Thank God!

Auguri!  Congratulations! Prayers! Best Wishes!  All to you Sister Raeffella!