In the News

February 1st, 2017

Women’s liturgical role: lessons to be learned

Read the full report by Sr. Jeannine Gramick on Global Sisters Report It was a remarkable collection of forty individuals, most of whom had labored for decades in church reform under two papacies that looked upon reform as anathema. Many carried bruises and battle scars quietly in their hearts. They met in Chicago last October,…
Read more

November 1st, 2016

Pope Francis says women will never be Roman Catholic priests

Guardian: Pope Francis says women will never be Roman Catholic priests International Business Times: Pope Francis says ban on female priesthood in Roman Catholic church likely to stay forever International Business Times of India: Women can never be Catholic priests, says Pope Francis New York Post: Pope Francis has bad news for aspiring female priests New York Times: Pope…
Read more

October 26th, 2016

Catholic priests, lay persons call for LGBT, women’s rights

It was the unlikeliest of press conferences and a sign of times that are changing with unprecedented momentum even from within one of the world’s oldest religious institutions. On Oct 20, in Arlington Heights, representatives from Catholic priest movements and lay reform organizations based across the world gathered to lay out a series of direct…
Read more

October 12th, 2016

National Catholic Reporter: Female panelists share their struggles in male-dominated religions

Women in the Catholic church have long been their own advocates, pushing the hierarchy and those within their faith communities to grant them the same ecclesial leadership roles as their male counterparts. The door, however, has remained closed — but the fight has continued. … NCR has reported on women who have faced similar scrutiny…
Read more

October 5th, 2016

The Tablet: Pope and Welby unity plan tries to bypass female ordination problem

Read the full story here Kate McElwee, the co-executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference, said: “During this time of unity, I pray that our shared Gospel value of justice deepens to equally include ordained ministers of all genders and traditions.”

August 2nd, 2016

Pope Francis Names Commission for Women Deacons

AFP: Pope ‘opens door’ to female deacons with new panel America Magazine: Pope Francis’ Commission on Women Deacons Involves “High Stakes,” Member Says AP: Pope Sets Up Vatican Panel to Study Female Deacons Issue AP: Vatican panel to ponder if women can be deacons: The U.S.-based Women’s Ordination Conference cautiously hails the pope’s move. Baltimore Sun: For Catholic women, pope’s panel…
Read more

July 22nd, 2016

Scenes from World Youth Day in Krakow via Crux

Crux: Scenes from World Youth Day in Krakow  

June 16th, 2016

Press for “A Church for Our Daughters”

Orange County Register: Activists march on bishops’ meeting in O.C., seeking church equality for women Religion Dispatches: DO WOMEN HAVE A FUTURE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH? SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGS PETITION BISHOPS THIS WEEK National Catholic Reporter : Mary Magdalene gets her feast National Catholic Reporter:  Reform groups challenge U.S. bishops to create ‘a church for our daughters’ Time: The…
Read more

May 27th, 2016

Press for the “Jubilee for Women Priests”

Arts Special Day: Women Priests Project: gli scatti di Giulia Bianchi esposti per le strade di Roma Christian Today: Catholic campaigners for women’s ordination gain private meeting with Vatican official El Correo: Las mujeres sacerdotes plantan cara El Mondo: Roma concede permiso a una manifestación a favor del sacerdocio femenino por primera vez Le Figaro: Des femmes prêtres s’affichent près…
Read more

May 13th, 2016

Pope Francis agrees to open a commission to study women deacons

The Women’s Ordination Conference and co-directors, Erin Saiz Hanna and Kate McElwee, were mentioned in the following news outlets, responding to Pope Francis’ 12 May 2016 comments agreeing to open a commission to study women deacons. Read the full WOC statement here. AFP: Pope Francis mulls opening door to female deacons in Church AP: Pope…
Read more