Forbidden Grace: A Woman's Call to the
Catholic Priesthood
Forbidden Grace: A Woman Call to the Catholic Priesthood is a behind the scenes glimpse over the last twenty-two years as Dr. Sterringer has journeyed towards ordination to the priesthood. It is a narrative of her successes, failures, challenges, and experiences regarding ecclesial leadership as she recognized and responded to her vocation/call. Today she is pastor of an independent Catholic community based in the charism of St. Hildegard of Bingen. This memoir narrates years of painful and uncomfortable stories, not from a place of anger or resentment, but from a place of gratitude and love.
This forthcoming book is as much an apologia as it is a memoir. She uses the term apologia not as a statement of regret or acknowledgement of wrongdoing but in the classical Christian sense as a defense of a position of faith. It is an apologia on behalf of love (pro amore) supporting her decision to seek ordination as a priest within the Catholic tradition that has prohibited women’s ordination for centuries as a result of deeply rooted patriarchy. This is a story of hope, perseverance, and faith in a world where true Christian love abides. A world where women and men participate equally as ordained ministers serving in persona Christi. It is the story of a remarkable and unique journey of a Roman Catholic woman called to priesthood.