Catholic Women Preach

Preaching for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Emily R. John offers a reflection on living out of our connectedness with God -- especially during tumultuous times:   

"That still point, that everyone has within, helps us see that every moment of our lives is reverent. Resting in the love of God not only changes us but also invites us to take on the injustices and systematic oppression in the world. It gives us the spirit and courage to Show Up."  

Emily John currently lives in Milwaukee, WI. Throughout her career, she has striven to use her talents best to serve the poor. And currently works with the Cardinal Felix Foundation raising funds for the poor on the Caribbean islands of St. Lucia and Dominica. She received her MA and PhD from St. Michael’s College, Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto.  

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08092020 to learn more about Emily, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Casey Stanton preaches for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection on acknowleding and channeling our anger and grief:  

"Come turn that hot anger into fuel that sustains your love of creation and the people of God entrusted to your care. Come and be changed, be renewed, be fed -- by the same one who promises that no creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, but that in him we conquer overwhelmingly."  

Casey Stanton, M.Div., is the Minister of Social Action and Discipleship at Immaculate Conception Parish in Durham, North Carolina. She holds a BA from the University of Notre Dame, and a Masters of Divinity from Duke Divinity School where she graduated with a certificate in prison studies. Casey spent a decade working in the field of faith-based and labor organizing where she witnessed the power of collective action to bend decision makers towards justice.  

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08022020 to learn more about Casey, to read her text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Anne Koester offers a reflection on finding and sparking joy:  

"We should find joy simply in sharing the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ and in building up the reign of God by loving others – as in everyone – not a select few, not just the ones we like or could benefit us, not just the ones whom we think are like us – but loving everyone.  The people who make us uncomfortable, those whom we don’t personally know, those who are very different from ourselves, those who need our listening hearts and who likely will not give us some advantage.  But here we will find deep and ever-lasting joy."  

Anne Koester is with Georgetown University, Washington, DC, where she has been an adjunct instructor with the Theology Department since 2003.  She also oversees the RCIA process and is co-facilitator of the “Women Who Stayed” initiative at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in DC.   A former trial lawyer, Anne studied theology, with a concentration in liturgy, at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.  She has worked at the Notre Dame Center for Pastoral Liturgy and the Georgetown Center for Liturgy.  From 2004-2007, Anne served on the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Women in the Church and Society.   She is a member of the North American Academy of Liturgy and its Christian Initiation Seminar group.   

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07262020 to learn more about Anne, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Feast Day of Saint Mary of Magdala, Nontando Hadebe offers a reflection on claiming the apostolic tradition of Mary Magdalene:   

"As we celebrate Mary Magdalene, we rise up as women and we say we have a tradition that can be traced to a direct commandment from Jesus to speak. And we shall speak: we shall speak with authority; we shall speak with intelligence; we shall speak for ourselves..."  

Dr. Nontando Hadebe is a lay woman theologian and senior lecturer at St. Augustine College in South Africa, specializing in African Theology, Pastoral & Contextual Theology, Feminist & Womanist Theology, Liberation Theology and Pastoral Psychology.  

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07222020 to learn more about Nontando, to view her video, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Ruth Fehlker offers a reflection on growth and progress even in times of injustice, pain, and uncertainty:  

"And so I cling to this unlikely hope: the hope that many small people in many small places who take many small steps will eventually change the face of the earth."  

Ruth Fehlker holds a master’s degree in Catholic theology from the University of Münster as well as certificates in pastoral psychology and pastoral theology after training with the Diocese of Münster for four years. She works as a pastoral worker (Pastoralreferentin) in the parish of St. Lamberti in Coesfeld (www.lamberti-coe.de). She is a member of the womens’ council to the  bishop in the Diocese of Münster.   

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07192020 to learn more about Ruth, to read her text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Molleen Dupree-Dominguez preaches on the familiar parable of the Sower and the Seed, offering a reflection on the seeds of racial justice being sown today:   

"The weeds and thorns of racial superiority have set excruciatingly deep roots in the institutions of the United States of America as well as in the hearts of Americans. Any skilled gardener will tell you, uprooting entrenched weeds takes persistence and focus. God assures us through the mouth of Isaiah: My work is not wasted. I send out my word, says God, and it will not return to me until it has accomplished its word. God’s Word - these seeds thirsting for justice - will find fertile soil. God is our ultimate model of the skilled gardener - persistent and focused. Let her be our guide."  

Molleen Dupree-Dominguez is a teacher, writer, and minister living in the beautiful Bay Area of northern California. She earned a Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in 2003, along with a Certificate in Spiritual Direction in 2004. 

 Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07122020 to learn more about Molleen, to read her text, and for weekly preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Fourteeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Christine Elisabeth Burke, IBVM offers a reflection on Wisdom-Sophia's message of hope during time of struggle and invitation to live in a new way:  

"Can we have the humility to come as little ones', asking Wisdom to help us to understand, to change, to live in a new way? Can we let go of some good things to a allow a greater good to emerge?"  

Christine Burke IBVM (Loreto) lives in Quezon City, Philippines. She was engaged for many years in various aspects of adult faith education in the archdiocese of Adelaide, Australia. She is currently giving a seminar course at Maryhill School of Theology on Feminist Theology and Spirituality and supervises some post-graduate students. She has published “Freedom Justice and Sincerity: reflections on the life and spirituality of Mary Ward” and “The gift of Mary Ward”, as well as an earlier volume “Through a woman’s Eyes” which presented meditations and feminist insights into Gospel stories.    

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07052020 to learn more about Christine, to read her text or view her video, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, timone davis offers a reflection on living and loving a "Life According to Jesus":  

"See, to truly love God is to love self. The love for self manifests itself in how we treat others. My love for Gaud causes me, calls me, to see my goodness and worthiness... and I can't help but share that with others -- evangelization"  

After working for the Archdiocese of Chicago as the coordinator of ReCiL – Reclaiming Christ in Life Young Adult Ministry, timone davis* launched PEACE centered WHOLENESS with her husband, Orlando, where they are blending clinical counseling and spiritual companioning. In addition to running a business, timone is an assistant professor in the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago. In her spare time, she serves as the treasurer of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium. *dr. timone davis uses lower case letters in the spelling of her name to indicate her willingness to embody the creedal assertion in John 3:30 in her everyday living.  

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/06282020 to learn more about timone, to read here preaching text, and for weekly preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Joan S. Grey offers a reflection on overcoming fear:  

"How do we overcome fear? It’s more complicated than someone saying: don’t be afraid. Taming this emotion requires more than a command or suggestion, even from a trusted source."  

From being first-generation American to being in the first class with women at West Point and a 2019 Harvard graduate, Joan Grey hopes her "Didn't See That Coming" experiences may ease the journey for others.   

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/06212020 to learn more about Joan Grey, to read her text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, Susan Haarman offers a reflection on being a Eucharistic people:  

"Eucharist isn't a spectator sport. We participate in the body of Christ when we break the bread. We participate in the blood of Christ when we drink from the cup. Living into a Eucharistic reality means participating in it. It means saying yes to that relationship again and again and again. It means trying to model the Eucharistic relationship that God offers us to everyone around us..."  

Susan Haarman is the associate director at Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Experiential Learning, facilitating faculty development and the service-learning program. She has degrees from Marquette University, Loyola University of Chicago, the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and previously served as the faith and justice campus minister, also at Loyola University Chicago.  

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/06142020 to learn more about Susan, to read her text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.