Women in the Church

The Gospels tell of a group of women companions who accompanied Jesus and the apostles. They portray the women as remaining more steadfast during the Passion than the apostles themselves. In all four gospels, women are the first to receive the announcement of the Resurrection. Clearly the memory of these women was revered by the early Church community.

St. Paul’s letters and the Acts of the Apostles record the support given by women to the spread of the Gospel. The women whose names appear in the Roman Canon testify to the reverence given to female as well as male martyrs.

As new ways emerged for Christians to answer the call to discipleship, women as well as men founded great religious communities—St. Scholastica along with St. Benedict in the sixth century, St. Clare with St. Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century, and St. Jane Frances de Chantal with St. Francis de Sales in the seventeenth century.

Women renowned for their piety exercised powerful influence in their eras: St. Catherine of Alexandria in the third to fourth centuries, St. Catherine of Siena in the fourteenth century, and St. Teresa of Avila in the sixteenth century.

Three Americans saints are women who profoundly influenced the Church in this country: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who served the needs of immigrants and the underprivileged; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who is considered the founder of the Catholic school system; and St. Katherine Drexel, who left a life of luxury to work with African and Native Americans.

Above all, the Church has always had a special devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus, the handmaid of the Lord, and the perfect disciple.

All of these examples testify to the truth that in discipleship of Christ the lives of both women and men enrich the Church by their holiness.