Page 15 - Spring 2019 Extension Magazine

Extension | Spring 2019 15

GENIUS parishes often do not have resident

In mission dioceses, where

priests, religious and lay women
have long sustained these remote
parishes. As pastoral administra-
tors, they lead vibrant parishes
and outreach ministries often
with few resources and in difficult
circumstances. Catholic Extension
supports many of these positions
WOMEN ARE LIFTING up the Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint and ministries.
Church in powerful ways. Teresa of Avila, and who continue
With determination and perse- to inspire women today. “The life of LEADING FAMILIES
verance, they are building up faith the Church in the Third Millennium Pope Francis said that families
communities through institutional will certainly not be lacking in new are “the privileged place for trans-
positions in the Church, pastoral and surprising manifestations of mitting the faith.” In families, women
ministries and families. They are ‘the feminine genius,’ he wrote. The have a vital spot. Catholic Extension
shaping the Church with courage, idea of feminine genius expresses helps families to carry out the
creativity, energy and intelligence. that women possess unique and important work of fostering Catholic
They embody and encourage powerful abilities to teach about the values and teaching the faith to
compassion, empathy and collabo- faith, to lead and to transform our their children. The family is usually
ration. In this issue of Extension, we Church. the first place where children learn
celebrate their contributions. Today, Pope Francis often says about the faith. In mission dioceses,
how much the Church needs the where the institutional presence of
A LONG HISTORY feminine genius as each woman the Church is scarce, families have
Since its beginning, women have fulfills her vocation and leads in an added responsibility to keep the
had a critical place in the Church, her own communities: family, faith, faith alive and be places of healing,
uplifting it with dignity, grace, social and professional. forgiveness and reconciliation.
persistence and humility.
In a letter of gratitude to women PARISHES AND DIOCESES TRANSFORMATIVE ROLE
in 1995, Pope John Paul II recalled Parish communities and dio- Women are leading and trans-
the many women martyrs, saints and ceses have always relied on the tal- forming our Church in robust ways.
famous mystics who have left an ents and resounding contributions Through grit, sweat, commitment
impressive mark in history, including of women on many fronts. Women and smarts, they are improving
have held leadership positions in lives, fueling faith and keeping our
“Feminine Genius” is how Pope many Catholic institutions, tradition- Church strong. In many venues, they
John Paul II and Pope Francis ally in education and healthcare, are bringing their unique gifts and
express the unique and power- where they have built and managed talents to the Church. In this cover
ful abilities of women to build schools and hospitals. story, it is our privilege to feature
up the faith, to lead and to In recent years, women have several women on the frontlines of
transform our Church. increasingly taken on more posi- our faith.
tions in Catholic diocesan manage-
ment that are open to lay people:
chancellor, chief financial officer
and schools superintendent.