Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

This dialogue — just one day after International Women’s Day — highlighted the remarkable work Catholic women are doing around the world to promote the common good, as well as the opportunities ahead to continue to advance women’s leadership in the Church. Women lead major social service organizations, hospital systems, and educational institutions. They have leading roles in dioceses large and small, and in countless parishes and organizations across the United States. They are scholars, business leaders, policymakers, legislators, journalists, activists, and advocates for the principles of Catholic social teaching. Yet as the Church has recently acknowledged, women still “encounter obstacles in obtaining a fuller recognition of their charisms, vocation, and place in all the various areas of the Church’s life.” This dialogue brought together Catholic women leaders to discuss how the Church can better acknowledge the richness of women’s current and future contributions to advance the common good.