Ye Olde History Snippets... On this day, July 29th in 1974, fifteen hundred people crowded the sanctuary of the Episcopal Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia to witness the ordination of eleven women.

Historically, the position of women was typically secondary to that of men in the Christian Church.
 
On this day, July 29th in 1974, fifteen hundred people crowded the sanctuary of the Episcopal Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia to witness the ordination of eleven women. 

The eleven women were ordained to priesthood by three retired bishops: Daniel Corrigan, retired bishop suffragan of Colorado; Robert L. DeWitt, recently resigned Bishop of Pennsylvania; and Edward R. Welles, retired Bishop of West Missouri.  
​(source: http://satucket.com/lectionary/ordination_women.htm 
 
The ordained "Philadelphia Eleven", were Merrill Bittner, Alla Bozarth-Campbell, Alison Cheek, Emily Hewitt, Carter Heyward, Suzanne Hiatt, Marie Moorefield, Jeannette Piccard, Betty Schiess, Katrina Swanson, and Nancy Wittig.
 
The ordinations were in direct defiance of Episcopalian policy condemned by many in the Episcopal Church. 

​The Episcopal House of Bishops declared them "irregular". The women were not allowed to exercise priestly functions in the Episcopal Church.
 
However, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church will approve the ordination of women two years later!

Image courtesy Huffington Post.  Read their story about the ordained women 40 years after the event, here; 
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/philadelphia-11-female-priests_n_5614911

​Link to:
​"Remembering The
'Philadelphia 11':

Where The First Female,
​Episcopal Priests
Are 40 Years Later"