Vocations Sunday 2026: Be Not Afraid!

“Vocations Sunday” is an annual day of action for the Women’s Ordination Conference. When the institutional church prays for vocations on Good Shepherd Sunday each spring, we make visible the many vocations turned away on the basis of gender.

This year our message is Be Not Afraid.

This is a call to the hierarchy to stop acting out of fear of change or threats to their place of power; and encouragement to all of us to stand without fear as we fight for what we know is Gospel justice and the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Since Vocations Sunday this year is April 26, so close to the Feast of Catherine of Siena (April 29), we are following in her example and writing to the pope with our message of prophetic clarity and gentle persistence.

We know that at the grassroots level, all around the world, the people of God in the Catholic church long to see women in leadership and in ordained ministry.

St. Catherine of Siena famously said: “We’ve had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues—I see the world is rotten because of silence.” So – add your name to let the Vatican know that you are one of the thousands (and more) crying out for equality among all genders in the Catholic church!

You can also send the signed petition to your local bishop to show the broad support for women’s ordination and practice your own courageous correspondence with the hierarchy.

We also encourage you to download our “Be Not Afraid” poster, featuring art by Culturally Catholic, and take a photo to share with us and on social media on Sunday, April 26. (Tag us @womensordination on Instagram!)