Catholic Women Preach

Preaching for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, Bonnie Abadie, DMin offers a reflection on her journey from a "plastic" and untouchable image of Mary to one grounded in the revolutionary power of the Magnificat:"I could see how it took great courage for her, a very young woman, to accept God's invitation to be the instrument through whom God's power turns the world upside down."Bonnie Abadie, DMin, a native of San Antonio, Texas, is Professor Emerita of Pastoral Studies at Oblate School of Theology. She holds a Doctoral Degree in Ministry (D. Min) and an M.T.S. from Oblate School of Theology; a B.A. in Religious Studies from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08152026 to learn more about Bonnie, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Patty Breen McNeil preaches for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, offering a reflection on how Jesus meets us in the storms of our lives with urgent, immediate presence:"The Divine Presence of God never flees from the storms of life, but always, always will meet us in the storm. Jesus comes to rescue us, to be with us, and to remind us that we don’t have to do the hard things in life on our own."Patty Breen McNeil has over 12 years of ministerial experience as a youth minister and pastoral associate, and holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. She has worked in Catholic healthcare since 2022 and currently serves as Director of Mission Services for Trinity Health Muskegon, Grand Haven, and Shelby in Michigan. She writes for outlets including the National Catholic Reporter, Franciscan Media, and Wisdom's Dwelling.Visit https://catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08092026 to learn more about Patty, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI offers a reflection on how compassion and abundance call us to share rather than hoard:"'When you share rather than hoard, that is a miracle. When my selfish heart opens up to others, that is a miracle."Sister Martha Ann Kirk, Th.D., a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, is a Professor Emerita, University of the Incarnate Word, continuing to mentor in social justice, civic engagement, and compassion. She also serves as the Coordinator of Compassionate Colleges and Universities Initiative with the international Charter for Compassion. She has taught in Religious Studies, Art, Drama, and Education.
Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/08022026 to learn more about Sr. Martha Ann, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, April Pruitt offers a reflection on the kingdom of heaven through Jesus's four parables — treasure, pearl, net, and storeroom — reading them through the lens of liberation theology as a call to sacrifice, inclusion, and concrete action for justice:"Real joy is found in liberation and solidarity with our neighbors... God stands with the oppressed. To be on the side of God, we must stand against the oppressor, lending our voices, actions, and prayers to liberate ourselves and our neighbors."April Pruitt was raised in the Black Catholic parish of Holy Family Church in Lawtell, Louisiana, and later helped found the African American ministry at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel at Yale while earning her PhD in Neuroscience. Her writing has appeared in STM Magazine and Maryknoll Magazine, and her faith — deeply rooted in her Black Catholic identity — was shaped by her mother and grandmother. She is now a postdoctoral researcher living in Boston with her husband, Kameron Williams.Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07262026 to learn more about April, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, Joanna Arellano-Gonzalez offers a reflection on Jesus's radical honoring of women's dignity and choice of Mary Magdalene as witness and first apostle of the Resurrection:"To dismiss the witness and leadership of women is to ignore the example Jesus gave us. To disregard the messenger is to disregard the One who sent her."Joanna Arellano-Gonzalez is a proud first-generation Mexican-American from the La Villita neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. She is a co-founder and Director of Training and Formation at the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL), a Catholic and Christian-rooted community organizing coalition that advances community transformation through spirituality and grassroots organizing. She holds a Master of Arts in Christian Spirituality from Fordham University, with a concentration in Spiritual Direction.Visit https://www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07222026 to learn more about Joanna, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.