World Day of Prayer for Women's Ordination 2020

On this annual World Day of Prayer for Women’s Ordination, we give you a special offering in collaboration with Roman Catholic Women Priests: a video prayer compiled by supporters of women’s ordination from around the world, praying the same prayer together.

The text is adapted from a prayer by the late Mary Ann Schoettly, RCWP:

Ever present God; open the hearts and minds of all people, and inspire us to use the unique gifts you have given us for loving service to each other. 

We pray especially now, for those women whose gifts are best suited to serve your Church as ordained priests. 

Empower them with courage as they answer your call and strengthen them for humble service, great compassion, and insightful wisdom. Support them through their ministries and enlighten the leadership of your Church to practice the equality that Jesus modeled to embrace all people whom you have gifted for sacramental service. 

Strengthen your Holy Spirit within those you have chosen for priestly ministry. May they answer your call and follow you with generous hearts. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who called Mary Magdalene and Phoebe—as well as Peter and Paul—to be ministers in the early Christian communities. Amen.

We encourage you to upload your own video of yourself speaking this prayer as well, and tag WOC and RCWP on social media! We continue to make church in creative ways in these strange times we find ourselves in.

Share your support for the World Day of Prayer for Women’s Ordination on social media!

On this World Day of Prayer for Women’s Ordination, I pray especially now for those women whose gifts are best suited to serve the People of God as ordained priests. #OrdainWomen Click to Tweet!

On World Day of Prayer for Women’s Ordination, we pray for the Catholic hierarchy to recognize what the people of God already know – that women are called to be priests, and already minister to God’s people. @OrdainWomen @RCwomenpriests #OrdainWomen Click to Tweet!

We are grateful to the following participants who contributed to the video (in order of appearance):

Soline Humbert, We Are Church Ireland

Father Shannon TL Kearns

Marianne Duddy-Burke, Executive Director, DignityUSA

Rachael Alphonso

Rev. Paula Hoeffer

Dominic Surya, Development Director, Call to Action

Hilary Howes, Founder, TransCatholic Apostolate

Sr. Jeannine Gramick, New Ways Ministry, Co-Founder

Meli Barber, Vice-President, DignityUSA

Jamie Manson, M.Div., National Catholic Reporter columnist

Lilian Medina-Romero, Outreach Coordinator, Women’s Ordination Conference

Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

Bob Shine, Vice-President, Women’s Ordination Conference

Kate McElwee, Executive Director, Women’s Ordination Conference

Dr. Nontando Hadebe

Rev. Kori Pacyniak