The Patriarchy Stole My Pockets

And other anecdotes about being a woman in 21st century United States.

So, a rant that I frequently have with fellow females is how my dress pants do not have pockets or

See! It barely fits!

that my jeans' pockets are much too small for my phone. My mom often bemoans about how she needs to buy a smaller phone that fits in her pocket.

A casual male observer may point out that I am lucky enough to have a purse. Lucky enough? Ha! That's hilarious. You can carry everything that you need in one pocket, whereas I am strapped down with this extra piece of luggage to carry about day in and day out. The thrill of a purse, putting things in it, and lugging them around are not lost on me- there are benefits to a purse. But goodness, I wish my pockets were big enough to put my phone in.

Female-specific fashion is often designed by males or for males. In fact, some of our most famous designers today are male! Fashion staples, such as bikinis, high heeled shoes, and other "feminine" accessories were invented for the male's sake. Trust me, no women in 1946 was trying to figure out how to get away with more skin. It was a French man by the name of Louis Reard who was trying to find a way to see more skin. Stupid patriarchy.

"But wait LeAnn," you are probably thinking, "what does this have to do with Catholicism?"

Simple. Being a woman in the 21st century automatically creates a different experience than a man. Which means my Catholic experience is different than a man's. When I go to church, I am surrounded by images of men doing amazing, Christian things. My church leaders are dominantly male, and the one I see most often, the priest, is always male.

But the patriarchy has not stolen my God. My gender is not transcribed on my soul and my value as a child of God is not determined by my sex. This Lenten season I have been trying to exhale negativity, and often as a feminist, I butt heads with my religion that is predominantly male. But there are so many incredible Catholic women. The past few weeks, I have researched and prayed and soothed my feminist nature-I can be Catholic and a feminist.

So without further ado, my personal favorite Catholic women include, but are not limited to:

1. St. Helene of the Cross 
2. Dorthy Day
3. St. Mother Teresa 
4. My own mother, Teresa 
5. St. Thérèse of Lisieux 

So, to those of you struggling with your faith this Lent, I encourage you to exhale and inhale, telling yourself that you are breathing out the negatives and inhaling the positives, and then concisouly seek the good things in life.

Okay? Okay!

Totus tuus,

LeAnn