Women’s Ordination Conference surveys Catholic women in lay ministry

Read the full article by Alexandra Greenwald on NCRonline.org

Titled “Mainstreaming Women’s Ministries in the Roman Catholic Church,” the survey found that 82% of those surveyed felt that women’s ministries were not valued equally to men’s. Of the 224 young Catholic women in formation and ministry in the U.S. who responded, 80% were dissatisfied with the ministry opportunities available to them in the global church, and 73% said the same about local opportunities.

Although the survey respondents overwhelmingly described their Catholic identity as “extremely important,” they also described a lack of women’s leadership opportunities, financial insecurity and clericalism as barriers to fulfillment of their ministerial paths.

“What this survey affirms is that women of the church are overwhelmingly educated and trained and thoughtful Catholic leaders, and they will persist,” said Kate McElwee, executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference.