Catholic Women Preach

Tanya Rybarczyk preaches for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection on how the Canaanite woman's fierce compassion is what Jesus praises as 'great faith':"To keep our eyes fixed on the least of these IS to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. In them is where he is found."Tanya Rybarczyk is a preacher, writer, minister, and retreat leader specializing in adult faith formation, Catholic contemplative prayer practices, and spiritual caregiving. She has ministered as a Pastoral Associate at Saint Cecilia Parish in Boston and as Director of Spiritual Care at Elizabeth Seton Residence in Wellesley, MA, and is part of the inaugural cohort of PROCLAIM, a preaching formation program for women. She holds Masters degrees in Pastoral Ministry and English, and lives in the Pacific Northwest outside Portland, Oregon.Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08162026 to learn more about Tanya, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, Bonnie Abadie, DMin offers a reflection on her journey from a "plastic" and untouchable image of Mary to one grounded in the revolutionary power of the Magnificat:"I could see how it took great courage for her, a very young woman, to accept God's invitation to be the instrument through whom God's power turns the world upside down."Bonnie Abadie, DMin, a native of San Antonio, Texas, is Professor Emerita of Pastoral Studies at Oblate School of Theology. She holds a Doctoral Degree in Ministry (D. Min) and an M.T.S. from Oblate School of Theology; a B.A. in Religious Studies from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08152026 to learn more about Bonnie, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Patty Breen McNeil preaches for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection on how Jesus meets us in the storms of our lives with urgent, immediate presence:"The Divine Presence of God never flees from the storms of life, but always, always will meet us in the storm. Jesus comes to rescue us, to be with us, and to remind us that we don’t have to do the hard things in life on our own."Patty Breen McNeil has over 12 years of ministerial experience as a youth minister and pastoral associate, and holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. She has worked in Catholic healthcare since 2022 and currently serves as Director of Mission Services for Trinity Health Muskegon, Grand Haven, and Shelby in Michigan. She writes for outlets including the National Catholic Reporter, Franciscan Media, and Wisdom's Dwelling.Visit https://catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08092026 to learn more about Patty, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI offers a reflection on how compassion and abundance call us to share rather than hoard:"'When you share rather than hoard, that is a miracle. When my selfish heart opens up to others, that is a miracle."Sister Martha Ann Kirk, Th.D., a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, is a Professor Emerita, University of the Incarnate Word, continuing to mentor in social justice, civic engagement, and compassion. She also serves as the Coordinator of Compassionate Colleges and Universities Initiative with the international Charter for Compassion. She has taught in Religious Studies, Art, Drama, and Education.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08022026 to learn more about Sr. Martha Ann, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, April Pruitt offers a reflection on the kingdom of heaven through Jesus's four parables — treasure, pearl, net, and storeroom — reading them through the lens of liberation theology as a call to sacrifice, inclusion, and concrete action for justice:"Real joy is found in liberation and solidarity with our neighbors... God stands with the oppressed. To be on the side of God, we must stand against the oppressor, lending our voices, actions, and prayers to liberate ourselves and our neighbors."April Pruitt was raised in the Black Catholic parish of Holy Family Church in Lawtell, Louisiana, and later helped found the African American ministry at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel at Yale while earning her PhD in Neuroscience. Her writing has appeared in STM Magazine and Maryknoll Magazine, and her faith — deeply rooted in her Black Catholic identity — was shaped by her mother and grandmother. She is now a postdoctoral researcher living in Boston with her husband, Kameron Williams.Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07262026 to learn more about April, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, Joanna Arellano-Gonzalez offers a reflection on Jesus's radical honoring of women's dignity and choice of Mary Magdalene as witness and first apostle of the Resurrection:"To dismiss the witness and leadership of women is to ignore the example Jesus gave us. To disregard the messenger is to disregard the One who sent her."Joanna Arellano-Gonzalez is a proud first-generation Mexican-American from the La Villita neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. She is a co-founder and Director of Training and Formation at the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL), a Catholic and Christian-rooted community organizing coalition that advances community transformation through spirituality and grassroots organizing. She holds a Master of Arts in Christian Spirituality from Fordham University, with a concentration in Spiritual Direction.Visit https://www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07222026 to learn more about Joanna, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Calista Robledo offers a reflection on hope and resilience in the ongoing journey toward the the Reign of God: "When we open our hearts to the Spirit of resilience and hope, we are able to look around, and see that the journey, no matter how straining, is not, and will never be in vain...Our everyday actions of embodying the light of Christ in the world is how we inch closer and closer to God’s reign of love, justice, and everlasting peace."Calista Robledo is a minister, writer, and preacher from South Texas. She holds a Master of Divinity from the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry and is currently working as the Director of Faith Formation at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Sharon, MA. Calista hopes to do good work in the Church by serving the People of God by teaching, preaching, facilitating, writing, and whatever else God calls her to do!Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07192026 to learn more about Calista, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Olivia Hastie offers a reflection on mutually building the relationships and communities that help us grow into who God calls us to be:"Sometimes the issue is not the seed. Sometimes the issue is that the seed landed among rocks, or thorns, or ground that had not yet been prepared. Growth requires relationships. It requires care. It requires belonging."Olivia Hastie (she/her) is a doctoral student in Theological Ethics at Boston College, focusing on how embodied experiences shape Christian thought, particularly through liberationist, feminist, and queer perspectives. She also serves as a Program Associate at FutureChurch, applying her research to advocate for a more inclusive and just Catholic Church.Visit https://catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07122026 to learn more about Olivia, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Theresa Gardner offers a reflection on finding hope amid a world marked by polarization and dehumanization:"The hatred, darkness and pain of the world has brought me to my knees, knocking the wind out of my spirit. But it is the light and the hope of my students and those who are on the margins of society that continue to give me strength- let's look to them together, give each other the hope we need to become more whole."Theresa Gardner, a native of South Jersey, currently serves as Director of Christian Service at Loyola School in New York City. She holds an undergraduate degree in music and theology from The Catholic University of America and a Master of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies from Villanova University, where she engaged with feminist theology, synodality, and ecclesiology. She recently published a chapter in Liturgical Press's The Legacy and Limits of Vatican II in an Age of Crisis, examining women's leadership in the Church since Vatican II. Visit https://catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07052026 to learn more about Theresa, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Teresa Thompson offers a reflection on what it means to be a holy nation for all people:"May all Christians believe in the glory of God with the same strength, and may all people of goodwill share in the project of becoming a nation where all — all, all, all — can thrive."Teresa Thompson is a writer, therapist, and public theologian based in Brooklyn, NY. She is a board member of the Metro NY chapter of Call To Action and serves as part of the Catholic Lesbians ministry at the Church of Saint Francis Xavier. Originally hailing from the Caribbean and Ireland, Teresa worked in New York City’s public mental health system for seven years before founding her private psychotherapy practice. She is also currently a Bernardin Scholar at Catholic Theological Union pursuing an MA in Pastoral Studies.

Visit https://catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/06282026 to learn more about Teresa, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.