The Roman Catholic Church prohibits women from being ordained. Canon law 1024 states that, “A baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly.” In 2002, a movement now called Womenpriests defied church decree and ordained seven women on the Danube River in Germany. Since then, over 200 women worldwide have been “ordained” or are training for “ordination” in the Womenpriests movement.

In 2013 Italian photographer Giulia Bianchi set out to document the lives of some of these women. I corresponded with Bianchi over email and asked her about her experiences photographing Womenpriests and those they serve.

Since I was familiar with the Catholic religion, I was intrigued by this paradox. I learned that she was a former nun and that she