Ecumenical gatherings are not always warm, fuzzy events for women of the cloth. Most of us have experienced many types of exclusion, even within our own congregations, let alone when we try to join with Christian groups that don't believe women are fit for ordination. And in this group there might well be those who wouldn't have wanted such a blessing from any Protestant, even a male one. I was deep in thought as I received my bowl.

Our exit toward the overflow room took us directly past Cardinal O'Malley. Fortunately, Tom's [a fellow clergy person at the gathering] brain was more engaged in the moment, and he was not about to lose out on the chance to have the man who might well be Pope someday anoint him. Tom stopped in front of the Cardinal and asked for his blessing. I stopped with him and Cardinal O'Malley was gracious enough to anoint me, too.

And then, as the two of us stood there together, Cardinal O'Malley looked me in the eye and asked me to anoint him. I did. The divorced, Scotch Protestant clergywoman anointed the Irish Catholic Cardinal in front of a pew of Catholic clergy and a Catholic Bishop, any one of whom would probably have given their eye teeth to have the honor. I choked back sobs all the way to the overflow room.