Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary
Sarah's Circle records
Sarah's Circle
5907118
English
/repositories/5/resources/341
1.5 linear feet
1.5 linear feet; 3 boxes
1989 -- 1996
Sarah's Circle was a Catholic women's group founded in 1989 and based in Binghamton, New York; the group was dedicated to promoting the ordination of women in the Catholic Church. The collection contains member lists and biographies, meeting minutes and schedules, correspondence, newspaper articles, materials on worship services and theatre productions, information on conferences, VHS cassettes, and the organization's T-shirt.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Onsite storage.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Sarah's Circle records were donated to the Archives of Women in Theological Scholarship in 2003.
Biographical / Historical
Sarah's Circle was started in 1989 in response to "Called by Name", a campaign sponsored by the Diocese of Syracuse of the Catholic Church to encourage vocations to the priesthood. Several local women announced a public meeting for all women in the area who felt a call to be ordained. About 20 women attended the meeting, out of whom emerged a core membership of about 15. The name Sarah's Circle was derived from the matriarch of the Hebrew Scriptures, a woman who knew how to wait. Sarah's Circle consisted of both men and women, most of whom were born and raised in the Catholic Church, ranging from early 30's to late 70's. The members were dedicated to the full inclusion of women as ordained members of the Roman Catholic Church. To further this end the group promoted alternative worship services, theater productions, letters of protest, and workshops to raise awareness on this issue. There were protests surrounding their activities, as well as accusations of heresy.
Burke Library record group:
Archives of Women in Theological Scholarship (AWTS)
Preferred Citation
Item description, AWTS: Sarah's Circle records, 1989-1996, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
Processing Information
Folded materials were flattened. Newspapers and newspaper clippings were placed within acid free paper. Staples, rubber bands, and metal clips were removed and
replaced with plastic clips. All materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes. The finding aid was created by Margaret A. Laemmel in 2006, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2021.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains member lists, meeting minutes and schedules, correspondence, newspaper articles, worship services, material relating to theatre productions, information on conferences, member biographies, VHS cassettes, and the organization's T-shirt. Correspondence is from Yvonne Lucia-Readling, Patricia Donohue, and Rose Marie Noonan, among other members.
Conditions Governing Use
Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in rough chronological order.
Sarah's Circle -- : Archives
Workshop information/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383472198911Member lists, minutes, meeting schedules, member circulars /repositories/5/archival_objects/1383473circa 1989 -- 199512Correspondence: Yvonne Lucia-Readling/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834741989 -- 199313Correspondence: Yvonne Lucia-Readling/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383475199414Heresy article and related correspondence/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383476199115Worship Services/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834771991 -- 199416Worship Services/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834781995 -- 199617Source materials for worship services: Stories, songs, outlines, scriptures, poems, prayers, litanies/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383479circa 1989 -- 199518 Called By Name: Peace and Justice Meeting, Controversy and letters responding /repositories/5/archival_objects/1383480198919Theatre productions: All That I Am; Roberta Nobelman's publicity;Correspondence with Sarah's Circle;Bulletins, programs, publicity /repositories/5/archival_objects/13834811990110Theater production: Mask and Mirrors: Photo; Roberta Nobelman, personal publicity;Mask and Mirrors Workshop;Sarah's Circle correspondence;Program mock-ups, programs, publicity notes & lists;Catholic Sun clipping; Newspaper clippings /repositories/5/archival_objects/13834821991111Extraordinary Women: Twenty Homilies by Roman Catholic Women: Letter describing publishing route/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834831996112Article: "Blessed is She Who Believes" by Patricia J. Raube-Wilson In Daughter's of Sarah/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383484199511375th Anniversary Commemoration of Women's Suffrage in America: Photos, Calendar of events, readings and songs/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834851995114Sister Rose Margaret Noonan, 60th Commemoration: Service sheet, clippings, related correspondence /repositories/5/archival_objects/13834861993 -- 1995115Woman's Ordination Conference (Episcopal):Registration forms, bulletins, programs, pamphlets, bumper stickers /repositories/5/archival_objects/13834871994116Newspaper articles re: Sarah's Circle, Solo Flight theater production/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834881993 -- 199421Call to Action: Episcopal Conference: Patricia Donohue's correspondence, clippings and publicity /repositories/5/archival_objects/1383489199522Renewing Our Church: A National Directory published by Called to Action; Related correspondence /repositories/5/archival_objects/1383490199623List: Formation for Ministry candidates/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834911993 -- 199424 Theater Production: Solo Flight: Public assembly, permit, newspaper clippings, letters of reaction /repositories/5/archival_objects/1383492199325Solo Flight newspaper clippings re women's ordination in the Episcopal Church/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383493circa 199326Letters and articles in reaction to the Pope's stand on position of women in the Church/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834941989 -- 199427Biographies: Patricia Donohue, Rose Marie Noonan, Janet Rutkowski, Joanne Corey/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383495circa 199628Catholic Sun clippings and issues/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834961992 -- 199429National Catholic Reporter/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834971994-06-07210Catholic Sun clippings and issues/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834981995211Bulletins for campaigns and events/repositories/5/archival_objects/13834991995212Wounded Women: Praying for Healing, VHS cassette tape/repositories/5/archival_objects/13835001995-05-1431Newspaper clippings; Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin, re CBS broadcast/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383501199632Sarah's Circle, CBS broadcast, VHS cassette tape/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383502199633T-shirt with Sarah's Circle Logo and slogan "Can We Talk/repositories/5/archival_objects/1383503199534