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Views from the Choir Loft

Women’s Liberation

Fr. David Friel · March 4, 2012

She was a woman born into wealth and prestige. She bore a family name of tremendous local power. She had the benefit of a very fine education.

An encounter with the pope at age 29 changed her life forever. It gave her the courage to divest herself of the family fortune into which she had been born. She began a new life as a religious sister, founding missions and schools to serve African & Native Americans. She lived for years in what is now the hospital I visit every week, and she now is buried three miles from the rectory in which I live.

Saint Katharine Drexel was a liberated woman before the term “women’s liberation” was coined. She was truly liberated—free to love God and neighbor, without fear. The movement of women’s so-called “liberation,” on the other hand, seeks freedom in very misguided ways. It defines liberation in terms of voting rights, equal education, and opportunities to pursue professional careers. These are all good things, in themselves, but none of them is the secret to true freedom.

Mother Katharine always looked up to the Blessed Mother, who is the only truly liberated woman (or man, for that matter) in human history. Taking Mary as her model taught Mother Katharine that authentic liberation is found only in one place.

It is not in the voting booth. It will never be found in contraceptives. Nor is it sitting behind an executive desk.

The only source of true liberation for all people (men & women) is the only thing that will ultimately matter. It was the center of Mother Katharine’s life: the Most Blessed Sacrament.

May the Heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world! Amen.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Don’t You Agree About These?
    If you want to make Jeff Ostrowski really happy, send him an email with effusive praise about the individual voice recordings for hymn #296. [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] They came out dazzlingly sensational, don't you agree?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Choral Vowels? Yes? No?
    Here's a live recording of one of the choral “warm-up” exercises my choir enjoys. It was taken during our rehearsal on 27 January 2023. It’s good to make sure each chord is perfectly in tune and balanced before moving to the next one. That only happens when each singer has the correct vowel. If you like, you can freely download that vocal exercise.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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“Parish Priests have to think first of the simple faithful: people now used to the Roman Missal at Mass. They don’t want change.”

— Cardinal Spellman (one of the Vatican II fathers)

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