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People often identify leadership in the Catholic Church solely with sacramental ministry, and so it is widely perceived that women have no influence in the Church. As Dr. Caroyln Woo shows, women in fact occupy many leadership roles across a range of Catholic ministries, from the parish and diocesan levels, to national organizations in education, healthcare, communications, and social service.
After addressing the ongoing challenges and misconceptions, Dr. Woo features sixteen of these remarkable women’s stories highlighting the gifts and experiences that women bring to their roles. These are valuable lessons that pertain to every person called to leadership in the Church and the world.
Rising concludes with a set of actions for institutions and individuals for inspiring, inviting, engaging, and supporting women’s leadership in Catholic ministries.
“The word ‘leadership’ can seem abstract and remote; this book makes it come alive.”
—Kathleen Norris
Carolyn Y. Woo, PhD, is herself one of the outstanding lay women leaders in the Catholic church: former dean of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business; CEO and President of Catholic Relief Services (2012-2016); and coordinator, Vatican Dialogue on Energy Transition, to name a few. Dr. Woo serves on the boards of many Catholic institutions, including Our Sunday Visitor, Catholic University of America, Notre Dame University Australia, University of Portland, and Catholic Charities USA.
