NOW National Organization for Women Infiltration of Religion: Easter Bonnet Rebellion & The Great Unveiling(Burning of Head Coverings 1969)

Shellie Uncategorized

This is information documenting the National Organization for Women’s full assault upon the Church. In their own words. You can search many of their documents on this site. The following information was taken from this website. https://documents.alexanderstreet.com/d/1000683017

How NOW Got Religion

   It all happened in a bar at the railroad station in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Betty Friedan had just given an address on women at the University of Bridgeport. Dr. Elizabeth Farians was a professor of theology at Bridgeport’s Sacred Heart University. The two Bettys had planned to meet after the talk, and so over a “baptismal” drink they connived on how to get the NOW Board to adopt a task force on religion.

   The October 1966 organizing conference of the National Organization for Women had not included such a task force but while Betty Friedan was busy founding NOW, Betty Farians had been busy founding the Ecumenical Task Force on Women and Religion. As soon as the national news releases about NOW were out in November 1966, Betty Farians contacted Betty Friedan.

   The Bridgeport meeting was arranged and Betty Friedan invited Betty Farians to attend the second NOW Board meeting in Chicago, February, 1967. There “Women and Religion” was added to the NOW list of task forces, making seven in all. Also, Dr. Farians was elected to the NOW Board of Directors.

   The story is being told for the sake of herstory and also to point out new directions for the women’s movement in religion. At first the task was to raise the issue of religion both among feminists and in religious institutions. The secularists of NOW had discounted religion and had not included it in their planning. For feminists in general religion was irrelevant and for the women in religion feminism was irreverent. It became the job of the NOW Task Force on Women and Religion to point out that one of the root causes of the oppression of women is religion.

   The NOW Task Force on Religion hammered away at its theme especially in the media. Now the point has been made. There is beginning to be a movement on women and of women in organized religion and feminists themselves are finding out through bitter experience how powerful is the church. Religion is being challenged.

[p. 2] 

Easter Bonnet Rebellion

N.O.W.
Full equality for women in truly equal partnership with men
National Organization for Women
2849 North Hoekett St.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
April 6, 1969
Contact: Nancy Kosterman 332-6337

To All News Media for immediate release.

   The outmoded and discriminatory practice of women wearing head coverings at the liturgical services was the target of a protest by the NATIONAL ORGANIZATION for WOMEN on Easter morning at St. John de Nepomuc Catholic Church.

   Mary Ann Lupa, member of the state steering committee of N.O.W. explained that the veiling of women historically symbolizes their subjugation. Dismissing the traditional biblical arguments, she pointed out that authors of scripture spoke from their historical context concluding that women are inferior human beings.

   This erroneous view of women is responsible for the subservient role of women in the churches.

   Nancy Kosterman said, “Women of all churches will not continue to tolerate second class status. Women are tired of doing all the menial tasks within their churches and having no voice in policies or worship”.

   Easter, the season of new life, was chosen a spokeswomen said to dramatize the womens’ rejection of their old position of inferiority in the churches and to testify to their new life of equality.

   She added that Saint John’s was an appropriate place for women to declare this new life in response to an incident that occurred last Sunday.

   A woman was publicly admonished from the pulpit by the celebrant of the service for the sin of not covering her head. She was told her presence was not wanted if she rejected this symbol of subjection.

   N.O.W. urged all women to resolve that as of now to join in this first action of the “National Unveiling” of all women in all churches throughout the nation.

[p. 3] 

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
ECUMENICAL TASK FORCE ON WOMEN
AND RELIGION, NATIONAL ORGANIZATION
FOR WOMEN 312-465-8630

PINK AND ASH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

A GROUP OF WOMEN FROM THE ECUMENICAL TASK FORCE ON WOMEN AND RELIGION OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN (NOW) HELD A LITURGICAL CEREMONY HERE TODAY. THEY BURNED PART OF THE NEWLY RELEASED ROMAN MISSAL (PARAGRAPH SIXTY-SIX) WHICH RESTRICTS THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN TO BE LECTORS (READERS) AT THE CATHOLIC MASS. ACCORDING TO THE NEW INSTRUCTION WOMEN MAY READ ONLY IF A MAN IS NOT AVAILABLE AND EVEN THEN WOMEN MUST STAND OUTSIDE THE PRESBYTERIUM (THE AREA NEAR THE ALTAR). WHILE PERFORMING THE SAME FUNCTION MEN STAND INSIDE THE SANCTUARY. THE WOMEN CONSIDER THE RULING DISCRIMINATORY AND INSULTING TO AMERICAN WOMEN. AFTER THEY HAD BURNED THE MISSAL THEY CAREFULLY GATHERED THE ASHES AND SENT THEM TOGETHER WITH THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO JOHN CARDINAL DEARDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN BISHOPS, WHO IS IN SAN FRANCISCO MEETING WITH THE BISHOPS. THE PACKAGE WAS TIED WITH PINK RIBBON AND SIGNED: WOMAN.

   PINK AND ASH

THE COLOR OF OUR CASTE IS PINK
BUT THE COLOR OF OUR MOOD IS ASH.

WE HAVE BURNT YOUR SACRED BOOKS
YOUR LATEST OPPRESSIVE WORDS.

WE ARE SICK WITH YOUR POMP AND MALE PEROGATIVE
WE ARE WEARY OF YOUR CALLOUS STANCE TOWARD WOMEN IN THE
CHURCH.

YOU HAVE RAPED US OF OUR RIGHTS
AND PREACHED THAT IT WAS IN THE NAME OF GOD.

THESE ARE THE ASHES OF YOUR CANONS
OF YOUR INSTRUCTION SIXTY-SIX.

THE COLOR OF OUR CASTE IS PINK
BUT THE COLOR OF OUR MOOD IS ASH.

[p. 4] 

This also is a very good resource . This is where I got the excerpt of the main picture about the “Great Unveiling” A free pdf book on Head coverings. It is helpful in the origins and little known facts of why the practice has largely been abandoned by the Christian Church. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_1_Corinthians_11_Head_Covering/HbcvEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=national+unveiling+1969+National+Organization+for+women&pg=PA69&printsec=frontcover