The area women, Rose Marie Hudson and Elsie Hainz McGrath, were ordained as priests in an organization called Roman Catholic Womenpriests in November. Their ordinations were not recognized by the church, which does not ordain women as priests.

In a "Declaration of Excommunication" letter delivered by messenger to the two area women Wednesday night, Burke accused them of schism, defined by the catechism of the Catholic Church as "the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him." ...