Catholic Women Preach

Preaching for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Joan F. Neal, M.A. encourages us to live as children of the light—speaking truth, defending human dignity, and embodying the Gospel in our public and personal lives: "Every time we witness to the truth in whatever way we can, every time we act in friendship, love, and solidarity with our neighbors, a ray of the light of the Reign of God pierces the darkness. And as more of us show up for the Gospel, these rays of light grow. And before we know it, the darkness of hate, lies and division is shattered. And God’s vision for creation – the Beloved Community – reveals itself, becomes real, and surrounds us."Joan F. Neal is an Associate of the National Black Sisters Conference, a member of the Ecumenical Faith Table in Washington, DC, and the Black Catholic Theological Symposium. She has served in many leadership positions throughout her career and ministry. Most recently, she served as Interim Executive Director at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. Ms. Neal holds an Honorary Doctor of Ministry; a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies and a Certificate in Biblical Spirituality, from Catholic Theological Union (Chicago, IL).
Visit https://www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/03152026 to learn more about Joan, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Third Sunday of Lent, Sr. Xiomara Méndez Hernández, OP offers a powerful reflection on the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well, inviting us into our own courageous dialogue, deep encounter, and transformation: "Indeed, we can be transformed by an encounter at the Well. We might risk receiving Living Water. It could also happen that by being gifted with Living Water, we become that gift."Sister Xiomara, is an Adrian Dominican Sister and the Executive Director of Dominican Sisters Conference. Sister Xiomara holds a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and is a Board Certified Chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. For more than 20 years, she has had the opportunity to preach in both Spanish and English. Before she became a religious sister, she was a fashion designer in her native country, the Dominican Republic. She currently lives in Miami, Florida.Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/03082026 to learn more about Sr. Xiomara, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching from her experience as a Black, lay Catholic woman, Dr. Valerie D. Lewis-Mosley offers a reflection on listening to Jesus, embracing the cross with love, and claiming our place in God’s ongoing work of transfiguration: "It is this willingness to embrace the cross, the Mount Calvary experience that provides the ultimate transfiguration of our souls and spirits in the Resurrection." Valerie D. Lewis-Mosely, RN, OPA, is the retired Director of Religious Education at the Church of Christ the King - Jersey City, New Jersey, a historical Black Catholic Parish. She now serves in various capacities across the nation as a mentor to youth and young adults; evangelist, retreat leader and revivalist and public speaker, life coach and Spiritual Director. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Theology at Caldwell University, Caldwell, New Jersey, and Xavier University of Louisiana Institute for Black Catholic Studies. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/03012026 to learn more about Valerie, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the First Sunday of Lent Dr. Kim R. Harris offers a reflection on hope, liberation, and God’s life-giving power in the face of oppression, told through African American spiritual tradition and biblical storytelling: "On this first Sunday of Lent, we hear the story once again, of God blowing breath into a lump of clay. We think once again of God blowing breath into some dry bones. We know that in the midst of all that is happening, ‘dem bones can rise again!"Dr. Kim R. Harris is Associate Professor of African American Religious Thought and Practice at Loyola Marymount University. A liturgist, composer, and recording artist, she teaches Black liberation and Womanist theologies and presents on Black Catholic music, Negro Spirituals, and Civil Rights freedom songs. She composed "Welcome Table: A Mass of Spirituals" and co-authored "The Fire This Time: A Black Catholic Sourcebook."Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/02222026 to learn more about Dr. Harris, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for Ash Wednesday, Carolyn D. Townes, OFS invites us to enter into Lent with a posture of openness - hearts softened, spirits awake, ready return to one another and to God: "May the ashes we receive today awaken in us a holy tenderness. May they strengthen our resolve to honor the sacredness of every life — not only in prayer, but in practice. Not only in lament, but in the daily work of building a world where peace is possible, where justice is lived, where love is the shape of our choices."Carolyn D. Townes, OFS is a spiritual life and leadership coach and a loss to life mindset strategist, where she uses faith-based principles to provide spiritual and emotional wellness to those moving from the pain of grief and loss to a new life of purpose and peace. Since professing as a Secular Franciscan in 2000, Carolyn has served in several leadership roles for the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) is currently serving on the Ecumenical and Interfaith Committee. At present, she serves on the boards of Franciscans International, Pax Christi International Fund for Peace, and the Franciscan Federation and is an active member on the Nuns Against Gun Violence Coalition.Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/02182026 to learn more about Carolyn, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.