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Patricia Muller of Denver writes:

I’d like to commend the News, and writer Joyzelle Davis, on an informative and balanced job of covering this tricky question. But I’m moved to write by an incidental detail in the story.
I grew up in Denver, and in the course of childhood ills and bangs, was hospitalized in St Joseph’s and Mercy Hospital. I don’t remember what for, but I have a profound memory of a truly life-shaping revelation. Each of these large, complex, enterprises was run by a woman. A Roman Catholic religious.
Despite being of a firmly Protestant background, I wondered if I might become a nun because clearly these women got to DO things the average girl couldn’t aspire to.
Remembering these strong, competent women I was very sad to see that the “chief executive” of the Sisters of Charity now is male. Just as well I didn’t sign up, I guess.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

So let me see if I have this straight: Every hospital you were in throughout your life was run by women, but when you see a male in charge of one you are "very sad"?

Sounds like you are the one with the sexism issues since you still see things through the lens of gender.

Patty,

Aren't those mean old men just horrible? Especially the white ones. Yuk!

Relax, I think the writer is merely observing an interesting and little acknowledged facet of American history -- specifically the role that Catholic nuns played in creating many long-lasting civic institutions and the unique leadership opportunities these positions afforded women of the time. Catholic nuns were among the first female "CEOs", with duties that spanned diverse enterprises, and spheres of influence that often paid surprisingly little heed to the male-dominated Church hierarchy. With the 'liberation' of women from subordinate roles in the secular world starting in the 1960s, the opportunities via the convent were not as unique and interest/enrollment of nuns declined and has never fully recovered. Ironically, the Catholic Church was at the vanguard of the women's movement and showed girls, like the letter writer, that women -could- do this kind of work, when the rest of the society implied otherwise.

The world has changed, and while there may be a male CEO of Sisters of Charity, this letter writer may live to see the male first lady.

Pattycakes is right.
Men are hairy and icky.They are all the same.
Can we castrate them all humanely?
Wait , humanely has man in it.
What do I do now?
Is The View on?

Thanks to Patricia Muller and 02:43 PM for your excellent letters. There have been some really great Catholic sisters, and there still are some.

I think we can say that letter writer Patrica Muller is a Democrat.As you can see when they say they want fairness in the work place they mean no men allowed.You Democrat men that still have some male body parts better think about this before voting Democrat.

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