Women of Church
We are Ecclesial women who embrace the fullness of our baptismal identity in a wounded and bruising church. We will be courageous and prophetic risk-takers in the search for healing and wholeness with and for the people of God.
- 2021 Chapter Direction Statement
As consecrated women religious,
committed in love to life and wholeness for the whole of creation,
we hear the call to Communion, Participation and Mission
from the universal Church’s Synod on Synodality
and the recent Plenary Council of our Australian Church.
With all baptised persons at this time,
in a spirit of deep listening and conversion we seek to:
discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to our Church today,
to working for justice, peace and the care of our common home,
in our communities, our places of ministry
and where the Spirit leads us
both locally and globally.
Inspired by the life of our foundress Mary Aikenhead,
and the many women of Church, our Sisters before us,
we commit to a Contemplative Dialogue process inspired by Dadirri.
Hearing the cries of the poor, the marginalised and our earth,
our desire is to continue to be a listening presence,
to grow in our awareness, impelled to respond according to our gifts,
talents and resources.
Women of Church Committee 2024
Women of Church Committee: Our Conclusions…
In reflecting on our time together as Committee, we concluded that every sister in active ministry, or at the various stages of retirement continues to live the ministry of Presence as a woman of Church for others and each other Sister of Charity. This is the case whether it be visiting our families, formal ministry, incidental encounters in the street, supermarket, on the bus or at the back of the church, We strive to live with future uncertainty or fear as we “lean into” the call of the Spirit to BE “more” for and with each other. We ARE women of church. We stand with other women and men of Church… We listen to the disillusioned, those who have walked away or are on their way out or wanting to join in… We provide a breadth of understanding of Church beyond the hierarchy, the local parish with its positives and negatives and other institutions in the name of Church.
We welcome the variety of opinions, experiences, cultures, spiritualities and theologies respectfully, embracing and celebrating difference in the call to communion, participation and mission. We engage with women and men of Church to provide a safe space for discussion, encounter and the sharing of faith that doesn’t already exist for those seeking the “more” in their own lives.
The more ardently we unite ourselves to Christ through a self-surrender involving our whole lives, the more vigorous becomes the life of the Church and the more fruitful our apostolic ministry.
- Constitutions, 2020 #24