By Mary Ellen Chown

Members of the Catholic Network for Women’s Equality (cnwe.ca) were sorry to hear of the death of Sr. Louise Akers, a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati on February 7, 2018.

Sr. Louise devoted 50 years of her life to social justice work and especially to advocating for gender and racial equality.

CNWE was delighted when Sr. Louise graciously accepted our invitation to be a keynote speaker at our National conference in 2013 in Sudbury, ON. In her address, Sr. Louise urged us to see the global ‘paradigm shift’ toward a ‘prophetic imagination’ for justice and equality. We were also inspired by her own prophetic witness in 2009 when she was ordered by then Archbishop of Cincinnati, Daniel Pilarczyk to publicly renounce her support for women’s ordination in the Catholic church or else she would be prohibited from continuing her teaching, retreat facilitation and social justice ministry in the Archdiocese. Sr. Louise refused to comply with this edict, stating: “Women’s ordination is a justice issue. Its basis is the value, dignity and equality of women. I believe this to my very core. To publicly state otherwise would be a lie and a violation of my conscience. I love, support and cherish the part of church that upholds the Gospel mission and vision of Jesus.”

On behalf of the Catholic Network for Women’s Equality, the National Work Group of CNWE offers sincere condolences to the members of both Sr. Louise Akers family and her religious community. May all who knew and loved Sr. Louise be inspired by her lifelong commitment to ‘living the Gospel’. May we continue her work for justice and equality in the Catholic church and in the world.