The Philadelphia Eleven

Sat, Mar 28 12:00 P.M. NH World (11.3)

THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN, a largely unknown women's rights story, introduces viewers to the trailblazers who challenged the very essence of patriarchy within Christendom and successfully created a blueprint for lasting institutional change. The film chronicles how a group of women in the Episcopal Church shared a call to become priests. After two legislative votes to make it possible for women to be ordained failed, they organized their own ordination as priests in defiance of church norms. The Church of the Advocate, a Black urban church in North Philadelphia, welcomed them. A huge congregation witnessed their ordination service on July 29, 1974. Changing an institution based on 2,000 years of history was an enormous task. The women priests faced threats and harassment. Some lost family and friends, and others were banned from setting foot on church property. Their opponents repeatedly questioned whether they were "proper matter for ordination." Their ordination became not only a personal struggle but also a very public battle over whether women were qualified to lead. Despite the backlash, they successfully changed the church by asserting their leadership and a vision for a new way - on their own terms.

Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes and 59 seconds