| Blessing for Women's History Month |
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A Litany of Women for the Church
Dear God, creator of women in your own image,
born of a woman in the midst of a world half women,
carried by women to mission fields around the globe,
made known by women to all the children of the earth,
give to the women of our time
the strength to persevere,
the courage to speak out,
the faith to believe in you beyond
all systems and institutions
so that your face on earth may be seen in all its beauty,
so that men and women become whole,
so that the church may be converted to your will
in everything and in all ways.
We call on the holy women
who went before us,
channels of Your Word
in testaments old and new,
to intercede for us
so that we might be given the grace
to become what they have been
for the honor and glory of God.
Saint Esther, who pleaded against power
for the liberation of the people, –Pray for us.
Saint Judith, who routed the plans of men
and saved the community,
Saint Deborah, laywoman and judge, who led
the people of God,
Saint Elizabeth of Judea, who recognized the value
of another woman,
Saint Mary Magdalene, minister of Jesus,
the first evangelist of the Christ,
Saint Scholastica, who taught her brother Benedict
to honor the spirit above the system,
Saint Hildegard, who suffered interdict
for the doing of right,
Saint Joan of Arc, who put no law above the law of God,
Saint Clare of Assisi, who confronted the pope
with the image of woman as equal,
Saint Julian of Norwich, who proclaimed for all of us
the motherhood of God,
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who knew the call
to priesthood in herself,
Saint Catherine of Siena, to whom the pope listened,
Saint Teresa of Avila, who brought women’s gifts
to the reform of the church,
Saint Edith Stein, who brought fearlessness to faith,
Saint Elizabeth Seton, who broke down boundaries
between lay women and religious
by wedding motherhood and religious life,
Saint Dorothy Day, who led the church
in a new sense of justice,
Mary, mother of Jesus,
who heard the call of God and answered,
Mary, mother of Jesus,
who drew strength from the woman Elizabeth,
Mary, mother of Jesus,
who underwent hardship bearing Christ,
Mary, mother of Jesus,
who ministered at Cana,
Mary, mother of Jesus,
inspirited at Pentecost,
Mary mother of Jesus,
who turned the Spirit of God
into the body and blood of Christ, pray for us. Amen.
— Joan Chittister, OSB
Retrieved from: https://joanchittister.org/articles/litany-women-church
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The Just Word
Today Shalom Kristanugraha invites us to explore the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and “costly grace’; engage resistance to the Nazi regime in Catholic Social Teaching; and embody resistance in the model of Jesus through the examples of Heather Heyer, Tortugita Manuel Esteban Páez Terán, and Rachel Corrie.
"Full realization of the fact of Christ’s sacrifice means for us to be wholly moved, without any smidge left over. It means our being fully cracked open to the pain of inflicted death in the world, anywhere in the world – just as our attention is affixed to Jesus’s demise, wrought within the very nails that held Him to the cross. It means our unabashed and undignified love for liberation, caught up in our liberation as libated by the wound on His side."
Shalom Kristanugraha is a third culture kid, hailing from Indonesia and having lived throughout the United States in their life. While coming from a Protestant background, they developed a soft spot for Catholicism while studying at Union Theological Seminary. They hold a Master’s in Divinity from Union, a Master’s in Environmental Philosophy from the University of Montana, and have worked as a member of the Episcopal Service Corps. They are currently doing a chaplaincy residency in New York City.
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Catholic Women Preach
Preaching for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Ogechi Akalegbere offers a reflection on living as beacons of hope and justice:
"As we reflect on this Gospel passage and the message of Sister Thea Bowman, let us recommit ourselves to the work of building a more just and compassionate society. Let us pray for the courage and the strength to stand up for what is right, even when it is difficult. And let us never forget the words of Jesus, who reminds us that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for him."
Ogechi Akalegbere is a Nigerian-American who currently works as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Washington. She previously served as the Christian Service Coordinator at an all-girls Independent Catholic School where she served as a diversity co-practitioner and ministry leader. She also uses her gifts as a public speaker, fitness instructor, and community organizer.
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To celebrate Women's History Month, each week we will highlight three remarkable Catholic Women Preach homilists whose contributions to the Church and world continue to inspire and empower us through ministry, vocation, and scholarship. This week we celebrate:
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| Margaret Farley - Scholar |
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Gilbert L. Stark Professor Emerita of Christian Ethics at Yale University Divinity School; Author or co-editor of eight books, including a new revised edition of Personal Commitments: Beginning, Keeping, Changing; Compassionate Respect; Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics; and her newest book, Changing the Questions: Explorations in Christian Ethics.
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| Kayla August - Lay Minister and Preacher |
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Doctoral student at the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College; Has preached at McGrath’s Institute for Church Life Saturday with the Saints at Notre Dame and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New York's "Seven Last Words of Christ" prayer service on Good Friday.
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| Julie Vieira IHM - Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
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Writer, presenter, and thinker in spirituality with particular attentiveness to living the darkness and light — the poetry and rough prose — of everyday life; Master of Arts in Theology from St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto.
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| Join Us for Upcoming FutureChurch Events! |
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3 Opportunities: March 9, 11, and 16th or by Questionnaire
Conversations in the Spirit: FutureChurch Listening Sessions for the Interim Stage of the Synod
Join FutureChurch as we engage together in “Conversations in the Spirit” to deepen our engagement with one another and continue our journey toward the October 2024 Assembly of the Synod on Communion, Participation, and Mission.
FutureChurch will host three stand-alone sessions at different times to allow for as much participation as possible. Each session will last approximately 2 hours. Pick the session that works best for you and your schedule:
*Please note: Small breakout groups engaging in conversation with others will be integral to these sessions. If you are unwilling or unable to participate in a breakout group, these aren’t the sessions for you. Instead, we invite you to fill out our questionnaire. Your input, regardless of whether or not you attend a listening session, will be incorporated into our report, which we will send to the USCCB Synod Committee and post to our website.
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April 2 at 7pm ET
Mary Magdalene, Her Easter Proclamation, and Why it Matters
On Easter Tuesday this year, FutureChurch Program Associate, Olivia Hastie, will moderate an intergenerational panel of women in scholarship and ministry to explore how Mary Magdalene continues to inspire today, why it is important that we reclaim and tell her true story, and what difference it would make in the lives of people of faith to hear the full story on Easter Sunday.
About our Panelists:
Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ was professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union at Chicago for 26 years, and is professor emerita from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. She is the author or editor of many books and articles on topics of New Testament and Early Church.
Laura Boysen-Aragón is the Development Director at the Loyola Institute for Spirituality (LIS) in Orange, CA where she brings to her work a deep commitment to Ignatian spirituality and a faith that seeks justice. Laura has felt a strong call to the priesthood for many years. She continues discerning how to live out that call.
Molly Cahill is an assistant editor at America Media, where she previously completed a one-year media fellowship after her graduation from Boston College. She is passionate about theology, activism, journalism, and the arts.
Martha Ligas is a spiritual director, lay minister, preacher, and educator. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry at Fordham University, serves as pastoral minister at the Community of St. Peter in Cleveland, OH, and is communications coordinator for FutureChurch.
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| Tuesday, March 19, 8 PM ET |
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The ongoing Synod on Synodality calls for the global church to continue deepening its understanding and practice of synodality, and to “listen more to those on the periphery.” As a response to that call, Catholic Organizations for Renewal (COR) is hosting “Sharing Our Wisdom: Speaking to the Synod as a Community of Love,” on Tuesday, March 19 at 8 p.m. ET. In a dynamic event inspired by the model of “conversation in the Spirit,” COR will feature testimonies and wisdom from theologians and advocates who are most excluded from the synodal process and documents and community discernment through sharing in a “town hall” format. We are inviting Synod Delegates and members of the USCCB Synod team to attend and listen to the testimonies and comments presented. The event will be facilitated by Dr. Annie Selak, director of Georgetown University’s Women’s Center.
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| Director, Preach all Ways Initiative, Marian University |
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As a part of a diverse community of faculty and staff who represent many faith systems and worldviews, Marian University seeks a Director of the Preach All Ways Initiative to promote their Catholic Franciscan mission and identity by engaging and empowering leaders to develop compelling preaching forms to reach youth navigating major questions of meaning, identity, and relationships. The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial and have a joy-filled missionary spirit. S/he will be creative, highly organized, opportunity focused, collaborative, and a strong teacher with the ability to empower others in preaching.
See Full Description/Apply Here.
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| Program Director, Mercy Center Burlingame |
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This role is responsible for the creation, development, and oversight of all program functions, and ensuring quality programming in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy charism and Mercy Ministry Corporation values. The Program Director will further the mission of Mercy Center Burlingame through program design, implementation, and evaluation while collaborating with current staff to promote retreats and programs.
Learn More/Apply Here.
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| Executive Director, Centre for Biblical Formation in Jerusalem |
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CBF, affiliated with Notre Dame de Sion (NDS, Rome), promotes understanding of scripture and interfaith peace. It's focus is: the Bible, the People, and the Land. Responsibilities of the job include: Lead CBF, uphold its values, strategize, manage operations, ensure fundraising, and support staff/volunteers.
Learn more here.
To apply, email Sister Margaret Zdunich at director@biblical-program.com.
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| "Saintly Six" Virtual Pilgrimage |
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March 10, 2024 | 12:00 PM-2:00 PM ET via Zoom
St. Ignatius Catholic Community of Baltimore, The Antiracism Task Force, the Pastorate of St. Ann, St. Francis Xavier and St.Wenceslaus and the Racial Justice Circle – invite you to celebrate the lives of the “Saintly Six” on a virtual Pilgrimage of prayer and praise.
Join us as we pray and sing a Pilgrimage with our 6 Black candidates for sainthood. Take time to feel their lives and their presence as Servants of God.
This will be 2 hours of prayers, song, slides, testimonies and reflections. We come together through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. We gather in affirmation, solidarity, reverence and recognition of their saintly paths on their Call to love praise and serve God.
Register Here.
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| Becoming a Synodal Church: A Conversation with Massimo Faggioli and Maureen Sullivan, OP at The Center at Mariandale |
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Saturday, March 23 | 2:00-3:30PM, In-Person or via Zoom
The Roman Catholic Church is engaged in a three-year process of listening and dialogue, “The Synod on the Synodality,” which will conclude in October 2024.
This historic time for Catholicism raises important questions about the future direction of the church. Synodality implies a commitment to dialogue and an openness to voices that have been marginalized. Where is the Church now in the Synod process? What is the impact so far? Where does the Church seem to be moving in preparing for October 2024? What may be the implications for the future of the church if a model of synodality takes root in the leadership and day to day life of the church?
Please join The Center at Mariandale for a discussion with a leading church historian, Massimo Faggioli, and an expert on Vatican II, Maureen Sullivan, OP. This 90-minute session will provide opportunity to learn from key scholars, dialogue with people of the faith, and to ask questions important to you.
Fee: $20 Donation
Register Here.
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| We seek changes that will provide all Roman Catholics the opportunity to participate fully in Church life and leadership. |
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FutureChurch is a national 501(c)(3) organization and your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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