Day of prayer for women's ordination

Worldwide tomorrow (March 25), Catholics will take a special moment out of their day to pray for our Church and for the women called to ordained ministry during the 20th annual Worldwide Day of Prayer for Women's Ordination. In the early church, women served as priests and deacons and today they make up over 80% of lay parish employees, taking on many pastoral roles and filling the needs left by the declining number of ordained men. The refusal to ordain women is harmful in many ways, including creating an institution where women are conspicuously absent from decision making.

Our friends at Women's Ordination Conference have lots of resources for advocating for equality for women in our Church. Check out their website for fact sheets and action ideas, and take a moment tomorrow to say this prayer, which will be recited by individuals and groups around the world on March 25. It's not too early to start planning a Chrism Mass Vigil, either. Many of our local chapters pray publicly each year for women's ordination during the Holy Week Masses which gather priest all the priests in the diocese to prepare for a new Church year. 

Prayer for World Day of Prayer for Women's Ordination 

Ever present God; open the hearts and minds of all people, and inspire us all 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 deacons and 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 women and men whom you have gifted for sacramental service. Strengthen your Holy Spirit within those you have chosen for ordained 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