Author: Kate McElwee

Hidden Springs, Holy Radiance

In the Spirit of St. Brigid of Kildare, the Women’s Ordination Conference invites our members to join us for a virtual retreat February 7-9, “Hidden Springs, Holy Radiance.” This experience will nurture both the “hidden springs” that are the source of our spirituality and the “holy radiance” that sparks our activism. We’ll hear from experts…
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Quotidiano Nazionale: La femminista cattolica: “Chiesa ancora sessista. Così favorisce le violenze”

“Il Papa tradisce le donne, poteva cancellare la diseguaglianza di genere nella Chiesa ed invece, decidendo di soprassedere ancora sul ripristino del diaconato femminile, perpetua il sessismo“. Con riflessi gravi anche sulla vita sociale al punto che “Bergoglio rischia di alimentare episodi di violenza sulle donne”. Lo sguardo delicato, quasi smarrito, della 38enne americana Kate McElwee contrasta con la…
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NCR: Catholic women urged to ‘strike’ over inequality in the church

What would the Catholic Church do without women? If some activists have their way, we’re about to find out. A new project is urging women to strike by withholding time, labor and financial resources from the church during Lent, which begins March 5. The planned action is in response to the Vatican’s synod on synodality,…
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Women’s Ordination Advocates respond to final Synod on Synodality Document

For Immediate Release: October 26, 2024 The Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC) finds the Final Document of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, released 26 October 2024 by the Vatican’s synod office, an insufficient and disappointing response to the multi-year process meant to respond to the needs of the church today.  While…
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America Media: Pope Francis says no to women deacons in ‘60 Minutes’ interview

Pope Francis twice said “no” to the possibility of ordaining women deacons in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired on Paramount Plus last night. Some advocates of women’s ordination both to the priesthood and to the diaconate have questioned whether the pope’s “no” on a topic that is still under study has undermined…
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RNS: Despite pope’s clear ‘no’ on CBS, promoters of women deacons hold out hope

This Religion News Service report features an interview with WOC Executive Director, Kate McElwee: “It’s a very sad day when a powerful man like a pope tells a young girl that they will never be equal in their own church and will never be able to follow their call from God.” Read the full interview…
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WOC Responds to Pope Francis on CBS: “No” to Women Deacons?

For Immediate Release: May 21, 2024 During a wide-ranging CBS television interview with journalist Norah O’Donnell aired on May 20, Pope Francis rejected the possibility of women serving as ordained deacons or as members of the clergy. When asked by O’Donnell if a young Catholic girl ever would ever have the opportunity to be a…
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Gospel Growing Wild: Join WOC in Washington, DC this May

Gospel Growing Wild: Friday, May 10 @ 5:30 – 7 pmBook talk and wine reception with Lizzie Berne DeGear, PhD. Join WOC for an evening of conversation with feminist Biblical scholar Lizzie Berne DeGear, PhD, who will discuss her inspiring new book Jesus Found in Translation, and the good news growing wild in each of us.…
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Synod Listening Sessions: Interim Stage 2024

Join WOC for a listening session during the interim stage of the Synod on Synodality. We will reflect on the synodal process thus far and engage with the “Conversation in the Spirit” model to go even deeper into the discernment needed in this moment. All are welcome. Register below: If you are unable to attend either session,…
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Women’s Ordination Conference responds to final document of Pope Francis’ October 2023 Synod on Synodality

For Immediate Release: October 28, 2023 Following the month-long 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops convened by Pope Francis at the Vatican, the Women’s Ordination Conference (WOC) expresses its support for the ways in which the need for the greater participation of women in the pastoral life and governance of the church…
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