Catholic women are a cornerstone of their communities. However, there is currently no available path for women toward formal, vocational ministry within the church, despite the integral role many women play in fulfilling unmet ministerial needs of the community.
By Kelly Meraw, The Boston Globe
“Next month, Catholics from around the world will gather in Rome to discuss and discern the future of the Catholic Church. It is part of an ongoing church-wide conversation, known as the Global Synod on Synodality, about listening to the Holy Spirit and renewing the church as a healing presence in communities, particularly in places like Boston, shaken by the clergy sex abuse crisis.
“Catholics in the United States are invited to be part of that ongoing discernment process. Our participation is crucial for ensuring the conversation remains focused on the needs of all Catholics and how we continue to be a community in an increasingly diverse and connected world. Among the many questions that will be discussed at the synod is how we should rethink women’s participation in the church. It’s a question that will have a meaningful impact not only on the lives of Catholic women but on all Boston Catholics.
“Catholic women are a cornerstone of their communities. However, there is currently no available path for women toward formal, vocational ministry within the church, despite the integral role many women play in fulfilling unmet ministerial needs of the community. Those of us who feel a call from God to minister in sacramental ways (baptizing, celebrating marriages, funeral services) and to preach must be flexible in our approach.”
By Kelly Meraw, The Boston Globe — Read more …