Everyone in the Catholic Church has a calling, you do not need to be ordained to answer your calling, by virtue of your baptism you have been called. Some want women to be ordained as priests and deacons – the question is, if women want to be in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), who will be in persona Mater Maria (in the person of Mother Mary) within the Church?
If one day we were to wake up to the breaking news that the Catholic Church has approved the ordination of women as priests and deacons, I doubt I’d discern such a calling. I wrote the following in my article for America Magazine, titled ‘Follow Mary’s example: Women can be leaders in the church without ordination‘,
“By imitating Mary’s virtues and cultivating a personal devotion to her, any woman can have a powerful and transformational influence within the church equal to that of ordained clergy. Women who follow Mary’s example support the church’s mission in ways that are frequently deeper than those that can be accomplished with priestly authority.”
For me, my personal devotion started with me being baptized on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (7 October), then at a surprisingly young age I recited the Hail Mary. Many years later, I find myself in the leadership of the Church, being in person Mater Maria and exercising maternal leadership. In the leadership roles that I hold, I work closely with the clergy – I’m like Mary at the wedding in Cana when she said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Where I am right now, I’m working at empowering the laity to collaborate with the clergy in order to build a synodal Church.
When it comes to our seminarians, I’m like Mary in Acts 1:14 when with other women and Jesus’ brethren she with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer. When I started on my Marian journey with them (seminarians), I started off as a baby sitter who would follow her beloved brothers everywhere they went, then I became an older sister who, with humility advised her younger brothers, now I’m slowly turning into their mother, who like Mother Mary to Jesus, I’m supporting them from conception (the initial call) to birth (being an ordained priest).
The hardest is when, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, I have to stand at the foot of the cross – emulating her as the Mother of Sorrows. It’s never easy seeing a priest die spiritually, and it becomes unbearable when I experience the physical death of a priest. Offering comfort and hope during times of grief is never easy when you’re sharing in someone’s suffering. Last year, in the Archdiocese of Pretoria, where I serve, we lost a priest who was shot. This man, whom I met when he was still in formation and watched him grow spiritually as a priest, was my biggest supporter when it came to my involvement in the life of the Church. The pain of losing him was, and still is unbearable, however, like the Blessed Virgin, I can only say to God, “Let it be to me according to Your word.”
My other devotion to Mary as a woman in leadership is that to the visitation, when Mary visited Elizabeth. I recently got appointed to the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) Commission for Synodality as the deputy secretary and a representative of the laity. The commission is the one that will oversee the implementation of the Final Document within Southern Africa. I believe I’ve been called to engage in the spiritual act of accompaniment, discernment and dialogue, just like Mary when she traveled in haste to go and visit Elizabeth.
The conversation that takes place between two spirit-filled women during the visitation is a sacred one. Elizabeth greets Mary by saying, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” – she recognizes God’s presence in Mary. Mary responds with the Magnificat – she proclaims God’s mercy. My devotion to Mary calls me spirit-filled dialogues where all voices, especially those of the marginalized are heard and valued. Mine is to encourage the laity to converse out of gratitude, with humility, and with an openness to the Holy Spirit.
As a Catholic woman who has devoted her leadership on Mary I have seen myself become a bridge-builder, peacemaker, and advocate for the vulnerable. I’m not in leadership for self-gain, I’m here to assist others to encounter Christ. I pray and ponder everything in my heart and just like Mary during the early Church days – I’m encouraging other Catholic women to be both active and contemplative leaders.
To dedicate oneself to Mary as a Catholic woman in a leadership role within the Church means to ground one’s ministry in maternal wisdom, humility, and faith. Mary is a woman of great inner strength, a fearless leader, and a devoted follower in addition to being a representation of obedience and purity. Women are challenged and empowered by her example to lead with compassion, authenticity, and a strong faith in God’s purpose. Marian devotion can serve as a beacon for women called to serve and lead with hearts shaped by the love of the Mother of God in a Church that is constantly being renewed by the Holy Spirit.
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