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She was the first to proclaim: “I have seen the Lord!” Mary Magdalene —apostle of the apostles— was the very first preacher of the Resurrection.
This July 22, as we celebrate her Feast Day, Catholic Women Preach invites you to honor the “Marys Magdalene” in your own life—the women who have lifted you up, inspired your faith, and boldly shared the Good News through their words and witness.
Make a gift in their honor today. Whether it’s a mother, teacher, friend, sister, mentor, or someone whose courage transformed your journey, your donation is a powerful tribute to their legacy.
Throughout July, we’ll joyfully share the names of these honorees on our website and in our weekly emails—a living witness to the countless women who continue Mary Magdalene’s mission today. (Or, if you prefer, your tribute can remain private.)
Let’s celebrate the women who have preached Resurrection in our lives. Honor them. Remember them. Share their light.
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Donations have been made in honor of*
SR. MARY ANN FLANNERY, S.C.
IN MEMORY OF LUCY GOZDZ RIEGER
PATRICIA ELOWER, P.B.V.M.
ANITA DAVIDSON- A DOMINICAN OF PEACE ASSOCIATE
IN MEMORY OF KAY FURLANI
THE ST. TERESA PRAYER GROUP: ANNE MARIE, LIZ, CHRISTY, MAUREEN, AND VICKY
DR. SUSANNE RUSCHMANN
PHYLLIS TOWNLEY
KAY FENNELL
RUTH STEINERT FOOTE
RITA L. HOULIHAN
SOLINE HUMBERT
ADELINE FEHRIBACH, SCN
DARLENE KAWULOK, CSJ
JENNIFER MELKE-MARKS
HELEN FINLAY
MARY CARROLL
ETHEL REILLY
LEE CRONIN
PAULINE REILLY
JOAN SMITH GREY
SR. MARY ANN FLANNERY
MARY ELLEN NEILL
SR. BARBARA ROHE, CDP
MARY HOFFMAN
PAULA PENEPENT
IN MEMORY OF DOROTHY RENSTROM
DR. ELLEN RITCHEY
KELLY MERAW
SR. MARY ANN FLANNERY, S.C.
IN MEMORY OF MADONNA KOLBENSCHLAG, H.M.
KATIE GORDON
JESSIE HUBERT
ANGELA HASTIE
IN MEMORY OF RITA ANNE HOULIHAN, RC
*Honorees as of July 17, 2025.
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July 20, 2025 | Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today Jessie Hubert invites us to explore Eternity and the limits of time, with the help of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel; engage the Gospel story of Mary and Martha through a non-binary lens; and embody the spectrum between binaries with the help of a contemplation and the Benedictine Peacemakers.
"I wonder if Martha felt like she was being laid off from her job when Jesus told her that Mary had chosen the 'better part.' Was it unnerving to step away from her good, holy labors, her comfort zone of competence? (It was for me!) Thus, what if we also read Mary as naturally embracing the time for Sabbath, embodied in that moment in the sacred personhood of Jesus Christ?"
Jessie Hubert (she/her) was recently hired as the Director of Children & Family Ministry for Erie Episcopal in Erie, PA. She is passionate about helping families feel welcomed in sacred spaces, and passionate about helping sacred spaces become acquainted with the lived realities of contemporary family life. Jessie does her best to do the thing that’s in front of her to do. Jessie also asks you to pray for the inaugural class of Benedictine Peacemakers, who, at the time of this publication, are moving into the Benedictine monastery for the start of their immersion.
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July 22, 2025 | Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
Today Becky McIntyre invites us to explore Mary Magdalene’s accompaniment with the help of Cole Arthur Riley and Rita Houlihan; engage Mary’s witness with the Los Angeles protests against ICE raids; and embody these lessons with Dolores Mission.
"When her dear friend was murdered by state violence, Mary stood by. Her accompaniment was an act of courage and resistance when everyone else was too overcome with fear or sadness. And then she stayed present to her grief, staying at the tomb to weep. Had she not, she might have missed the surprise of this hope. So when Jesus was resurrected, an act of justice perhaps, she again stood by to receive him. She went out, a prophet to her community to announce this act of justice and hope."
Becky McIntyre is a community artist, muralist, and printmaker living in Philadelphia. She believes in the transformative and healing nature of art, especially art done in the context of community and relationship, and seeks to bring awareness to sociopolitical issues and activate and inspire new ways of being through her work.
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July 20, 2025
Preaching for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Stacy Geere offers an empowering reflection on the story of Martha and Mary:
"Martha and Mary are not rivals. They are reflections of the fullness of discipleship—service and contemplation, action and proclamation. They, along with other women of the Gospels, minister with Jesus and to Jesus. Their relationship reflects the very nature of our triune God, who invites us to equality, mutuality, unity and reciprocity."
Stacy Geere is a spiritual director and Catholic lay minister whose work is shaped by a lifelong devotion to Gospel-centered pastoral care. She holds a Master of Arts in Theology from Loyola Marymount University and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. Her education and formation nurtured a deep love for Ignatian spirituality and feminist Trinitarian ecclesiology.
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July 22, 2025
Preaching for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Martha Ligas invites us to let God's love transform us and - through us - the world:
"May this day, this Feast of Mary Magdalene, be an opportunity to re-commit to transforming the world. To encountering and becoming the Love of God that the world so desperately needs. May we do it for our grandmothers, and our granddaughters, too. Like our ancestor Mary of Magdala, may we fall in love. May we stay in love. And may we let it decide everything."
Martha Ligas (she/her) serves as the Pastoral Minister at the Community of St. Peter in Cleveland, Ohio, and Program Associate at FutureChurch. Both spaces give her room to ride the coattails of the Spirit by reimagining what it means to create faith communities of belonging. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Ministry from Fordham University. Martha lives in Cleveland, OH with her partner and their pets.
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| Celebrating the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene |
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Video of the Week: 2025 Mary Magdalene Presentation with Mary Coloe, PBVM
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This past week FutureChurch welcomed internationally renowned biblical scholar, Mary Coloe, PBVM, Ph.D. who offered our 2025 Mary Magdalene Presentation.
In her presentation, Mary considers several verses from from the Resurrection narrative in the Gospel of John and illuminates their meaning, especially in light of connections to the Hebrew Scriptures. After her presentation, Mary fields questions from the FutureChurch community.
Dr. Mary L. Coloe, is member of the Presentation Sisters of Victoria and a distinguished biblical scholar, known internationally for her expertise in the Gospel of John and the Johannine Community. She is professor of New Testament at Yarra Theological Union, a college of the University of Divinity in Melbourne. Her scholarship weaves rigorous academic analysis together with spiritual and pastoral insights, making her work highly valuable both in academic circles and among those engaged in pastoral ministry.
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Mary of Magdala Celebration Planning Guides
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In 1997, FutureChurch launched an international campaign to restore St. Mary of Magdala to her rightful place as the apostle to the apostles, asking supporters to sponsor special celebrations on or around July 22 at which a biblical expert would trace Mary’s unparalleled fidelity in accompanying Jesus through crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. This would be followed by a prayer service at which a woman would preside, preach and encourage attendees to reflect on their own encounters with, and witness to, the risen Christ.
Annual celebrations of St. Mary of Magdala exploded after that, going from 23 that first year, to 150 the following year to between 250 to 400 celebrations worldwide in each year since. Every summer, thousands of women and men help correct an egregious injustice done to a great woman leader in our church.
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| July 22, 2025 | 7:00pm ET |
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2025 Mary Magdalene Celebration: Women Speaking Truth to Power
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Join FutureChurch our annual celebration of the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene.
This year, we will prayerfully uplift the voices and celebrate the witness of women who, following in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene, are speaking truth to power. We'll hear the prophetic words of women who are speaking out to both society and the Church about a variety of justice and human rights issues. This year, we are honored to welcome Sr. Eilis McCulloh, HM, of NETWORK – the Catholic social justice lobby – who will be our guest preacher.
Sr. Eilis McCulloh is a member of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary (Villa Maria, PA) and currently serves on the Grassroots Mobilization Team at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. She is a frequent contributor to Global Sisters Report and is also a co-host of the Just Politics podcast. She currently serves on her religious community’s JPIC and Racial Justice Committees.
Prior to joining the staff at NETWORK, she spent more than 10 years ministering in refugee resettlement and immigration services in St. Cloud, MN, Akron, OH, and Cleveland, OH.
Sr. Eilis holds a BA from Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA), an MA in Theology from John Carroll University (University Heights, OH), and a JD from the University of Akron-School of Law.
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| The Stations of the Resurrection According to John |
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| A Complete Visual Journey by Laura James |
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Created by Laura James and commissioned by Rita Houlihan, The Station of the Resurrection According to John 24x36 print offers a comprehensive visual journey through the pivotal moments following Christ's Resurrection. The thoughtfully designed compilation presents all ten stations in a single, elegant format, allowing viewers to contemplate the entire Easter narrative at once.
Each station is meticulously rendered with attention to theological detail and artistic beauty, creating a meaningful tool for personal devotion or liturgical education. From the Empty Tomb to Pentecost, the print guides the viewer through Christ's appearances and the birth of the early Church.
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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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