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Women and Justice Team

Advocating for Women in our Church and in our World

The mission of the Women and Justice Team, with the support of the larger Marianist Family, is to:
  • Promote an increase in women’s influence in the Church so the Church can benefit from all the graces given to her 
  • Work towards overcoming clericalism in the Church through reform
  • Commit to opening the door for women to be deacons and priests
  • Recognize and celebrate women in the Church and Marianist Family who have made a difference
  • Give hope to younger women who are frustrated with or considering leaving the Church

VOLUNTEER!

Interest in learning more about or joining this justice team?

Announcing the 1st ever Women & Justice Retreat Weekend! This year's theme is Bearers of the Light: Being Called to Transform & Heal. 

​Join us in October 31 - November 2 at the Bergamo Center for Lifelong Learning in Dayton, OH. Women, so often, bear the burden of multiple injustices and this retreat will explore how we can transform and heal the profound effects of these injustices in our present time. 

ALL are welcome at this retreat - all genders, all generations, all voices! Early bird prices EXTENDED through September 13th! Register TODAY at a lower cost!

2025 Women & Justice Retreat

Women and Justice Facebook Page

Advocating for the Voice of Women within the Church

Retreat

Women's Justice Events

Discerning Deacons Statement of Affirmation

Register for Retreat!

The Women & Justice Team, in an effort to engage the Marianist Family in the discussion about whether or not to open the diaconate to women, has created an online statement of affirmation. We are inviting individuals to sign on. MSJC, if granted permission by the signee, will share responses, our collective witness, with Discerning Deacons organizers and will publicly post them on MSJC’s website. Please fill out the form below to sign onto the statement, share your hopes for the Church's discernment,  and name any women who are models to you and your faith journey.

Discerning Deacons Statement of Affirmation

Women & the Diaconate Marianist Affirmation Sign On

Women and Justice Facebook Page

Advocating for the Voice of Women within the Church

Retreat

Women's Justice Events

Discerning Deacons Statement of Affirmation

The Women & Justice Team has committed to hosting events throughout the year that highlight important women of faith, women in the Marianist tradition, and women's inclusion in the Church. Here is a list of recent events: 
  • Lay Women of Faith & Action: Marie Therese Presentation
  • Open Wide the Unlocked Door: A conversation about women & the diaconate
  • Celebration of Adele: Past & Present 
  • A Church for Our Daughters: A discussion on the opportunities of the Synod 
  • Seeking Justice and Inclusion for Women in the Church presentation to Visitation State Marianist Community
Moving forward, the team hopes to continue to promote discerning deacons and follow the synodial process.

Women's Justice Events

Women and Justice Facebook Page

Advocating for the Voice of Women within the Church

Retreat

Women's Justice Events

Discerning Deacons Statement of Affirmation

We collaborate with and support two groups: Catholic Women Preach and Catholic Women Deacons. You can read more about these organizations in the resources section below. The team also published a resource, Seeking Justice and Inclusion for Women in the Church, with the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS). People committed to building a more just social order are reminded that the Church must model the kind of just policies and structures that we seek to promote in the broader culture. This guide is an introduction as to how we can seek justice and inclusion for women in the Catholic Church. 

Advocating for the Voice of Women within the Church

Women and Justice Facebook Page

Advocating for the Voice of Women within the Church

Retreat

Women's Justice Events

Discerning Deacons Statement of Affirmation

We regularly update our Facebook page with events, current issues, articles, and stories of important women throughout history. Please join our Facebook Group! 

Women and Justice Facebook Page

Women and Justice Facebook Page

Advocating for the Voice of Women within the Church

Retreat

Women's Justice Events

Discerning Deacons Statement of Affirmation

Our Current Projects

• Open Wide the Unlocked Door: A conversation about women & the diaconate; Zoom Recording - Passcode: 9&N5QHaz
• Seeking Justice and Inclusion for Women in the Church MSJC & NACMS Discussion Guide 
• 40 Ways to Support Women During Lent
• Future Church Podcasts
• Catholic Women Preach
• Catholic Women Deacons 
• Discerning Deacons
• University of Dayton Women’s Center 



Resources 

The Women & Justice Issue Team upholds the value of the discipleship of equals within the Marianist Charism. Priests, brothers, sisters and lay people all bring gifts that are equally valued and can be used to serve others. There is no hierarchy within the Family of Mary - a gift that the Marianists can advocate for within the larger church. 

We are also inspired by the example of one of our foundresses, Marie Therese de Lamourous. When the local pastor took the schismatic oath to the new Republic of France, Marie Therese, together with the members of the parish, shunned the services held by the pastor. She herself became the "pastor-shepherd" to the community.  

Why is the Marianist Family called to work on this issue?

Marie Therese also dedicated her life’s work to serving women, some of the most vulnerable in France’s society, who had previously been engaged in prostitution. We feel, as a team, that we can act as a force lifting the voices of vulnerable women worldwide, just like Marie Therese did so many years ago. 

The Women & Justice Issue Team, through our Marianist lens, promotes increased leadership and influence of women in our Church and works to support and lift up all women in the world.