Australian Women Preach

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 9:30-37 - Exploring His Gentleness Patricia Smith is a pastoral musician, composer and liturgist in Ku-ring-gai Chase Catholic parish in the diocese of Broken Bay, in northern Sydney. Her long involvement in parish music, and mission through RCIA, Children’s Liturgy of the Word, special religious education in state schools and school-parish liaison, have...

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 8:27-35 - Sacred Spaces – Where Human and Divine Meet The Reverend Melissa Conway ( BTh, Grad Cert Public Sector Leadership, Cert Financial Markets (Financial Planning), JP (Qual)) is the Associate Priest in the Anglican Parish of Toowoomba – St James’ in the Diocese of Southern Queensland, with primary responsibility for the Church of St Anne in Highfi...

Dr Moira Byrne Garton is a native South Australian who now calls Canberra home. She works as a federal public servant, and is married to Matthew. Together they have four young adult children, including one with disabilities. Moira holds a PhD in political science from ANU, and a Postgraduate Diploma of Theology from Newcastle Uni, completed as part of the Catholic Women’s Fellowship. Moira enjoys...

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Special Reading - Matthew 15: 2- 28 Professor Dr Anne Pattel-Gray was the former Head of the School of Indigenous Studies at the University of Divinity, Melbourne Australia. Professor Pattel-Gray has an earned Ph. D. from the University of Sydney awarded in 1995 in the Studies of Religion with the major focus on Aboriginal Religion and Spirituality plus a Doct...

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 6: 60-69 - Lifelong Journey of Discipleship with Christ Heeyoung says: I was born and raised in Seoul within a Christian family. I devoted myself to the kingdom of God through 9 years of study in the practice of Theology and Christian Education at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary. My faith grew during 30 years of ministerial experienc...

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 6: 51-58 Carmel Posa, SGS, is a member of the Good Samaritan Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict. She held the position of senior lecturer at Notre Dame University, Australia from 1999—2012 and was the executive director of the New Norcia Institute for Benedictine Studies at New Norcia, Western Australia, from 2012—2017. She lectures in the department of C...

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 6: 41-51 Anne Surtees is an Ursuline sister and is currently living in Arrernte Country in Central Australia. Anne is a Spiritual director and runs a small retreat centre called "Thirsty Heart” in Alice Springs. She travels twice a week to the Ltyentye Apurte ( Santa Teresa) community 80 kms out of Alice Springs to assist the women in the running of t...

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 6: 24-35 Teresa Pirola is a Sydney-based writer with many years involvement in Catholic faith formation for parishioners, families, teachers and parish personnel. She is the author of several books and numerous other publications used in pastoral renewal and spirituality programs. She has a Doctorate in Theology (Sydney College of Divinity) and a special i...

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 6: 1-15 Lana Hanley is Africa and Pacific Associate Director at Caritas Australia. Caritas Australia is the aid and development agency of the Catholic Church. Now in its 60th year the organisation is committed to supporting the world’s most vulnerable, with its work supported by the generous donations of church communities across Australia. Lana is respon...

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 6: 30-34 Dr Clare Schwantes has been the Director at Liturgy Brisbane since 2023, having fulfilled the role of Editor from 2012. She prepares annual publications such as the Ordo and the Daily Mass Book on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, as well as Break Open the Word and Praying Together with Young People . She is also responsible for...

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 6: 7-13 For more than thirty years Jenny O’Brien has been a liturgy educator for the Adelaide Archdiocese. She gained her Doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from Sant’Anselmo, Rome and also holds Masters degrees in Theology and Religious Education. Jenny has been active on local, national and international levels, having served 9 years on the National Liturgical C...

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 6: 1-6 - God of the ordinary Jennifer Wakeling is a professional musician and educator who spent many years performing as a classical pianist but whose interest has extended in more recent years to the field of theology. Jennifer’s research interests centre on worship theology, music theology, and musical-liturgical semiotics, and they also include the the...

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 5: 21-43 The Very Reverend Naomi Cooke is an ordained Anglican priest and is currently the Dean of the Cathedral of Grafton in regional NSW’s Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr country.  Naomi's spiritual formation has been shaped by a rich tapestry of ecumenical experiences. Her childhood faith was nurtured within the vibrant parish and youth movements of th...

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 4: 35-41 “The calming of the storm” Dominique Galea has recently retired from a 43-year career in Education. Married with three children and four grandchildren, her teaching experience has ranged from kindergarten through to high school special needs as well as being a Religious Education Coordinator in primary schools and a sessional lecturer in Systematic T...

Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time - Mark 4: 26-34 Michele Connolly RSJ is a Sister of St Joseph of Lochinvar in the Hunter Valley. She is an Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Biblical Studies Discipline Coordinator at the Sydney College of Divinity and lectures in Biblical Studies at Catholic Institute of Sydney, a pontifical institute of theology. After teaching in secondary schools for...

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 3: 20-35 Dr Angela McCarthy is an adjunct senior lecturer in theology at The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle campus. Her first degree from Sydney University included work in Biblical Studies and Fine Arts. After time spent rearing a family, Angela resumed secondary teaching and further studies in theology and education in 1993 at Notre Dame and wa...

Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ - Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 Carmel is an Australian Sister of St Joseph. Carmel has ministered extensively throughout Australia as a liturgical educator and consultant. She was the only woman to ever be responsible for a Papal Liturgy: The Beatification of Mary MacKillop in 1995. These days she works with First Nation peoples in Broome, Darwin and Fiji, working on...

Holy Trinity - Matthew 28:16-20 Dr Cristina Lledo-Gomez is a Filipina-Australian living and working on the lands of the Dharrug and Guringai peoples. She is mother to Sophia and Julian, and wife to Adrian. She is a Senior Lecturer in Catholic Systematic Theology and holds the Presentation Sisters Lectureship Chair at BBI-The Australian Institute of Theological Education. Her role at BBI-TAITE is d...

Feast of Pentecost - John 15:26-27, 16:12-15 OR John 20:19-23 Mel Williams is an Ursuline sister who is at present working in Brisbane.  She has also worked in Sydney, Toowoomba, Maroochydore, and Rome.  She is a teacher, counsellor, and spiritual director and her time in Maroochydore was as pastoral associate. Much of Mel’s work has been within the Ursulines as a formator with novices, temporary...

Ascension of the Lord - Mark 16:15-20 In a career spanning over 25 years, Sharon has gained extensive experience in the education sector, both in independent and Catholic secondary and primary schools in the United Kingdom, Tanzania and Australia with a focus on educational leadership, Catholic Identity, curriculum innovation and experiential learning. Currently on the Executive team at Brisbane C...

Sixth Sunday of Easter - John 15:9-17 Ann Zubrick is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). She has a doctorate: and professional qualifications in speech pathology, lifespan developmental psychology, and ageing and pastoral care. She accompanies older persons living with dementia and mental illness: seeking meaning, in ageing—including living with dementia! Her own life often see...

Fifth Sunday of Easter - John 15:1-8 - 'The vine grower and the vine’ Roberta Hamilton is the Anglican Vicar of Yarrawonga, Diocese of Wangaratta. She has previously ministered in both the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn and the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Roberta is passionate about the Kingdom of God and its outworking in the lives of all around her. She cares deeply about socia...

Fourth Sunday of Easter - John 10:11-18 Naomi is a trawloolway woman with Jewish German & Irish heritage. She is a proud aunty, sister and daughter along with being a kinship carer. She is a historian and theologian. She works at Australian Catholic University and NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community. NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community is an international learning community of Indige...

Third Sunday of Easter - Luke 24:35-48 - "The Resurrection for Transformation" Maureen Gaul currently holds a position with the Identity and Outreach Directorate, Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns, as Leader Formation – Community Engagement.  She has been an educator in the Catholic primary school sector throughout her teaching career and has held roles such as Assistant Principal Rel...

Second Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy Sunday - John 20:19-31 Tanya Wittwer lives on the lands of the Peramangk people with her songwriter husband, Leigh Newton, two alpacas and four chickens. Their elastic-sided family live within semi-regular Sunday-night-family-meal distance. Sixty-three years ago Tanya perceived herself as being called to pastoral leadership in her church. When she was twelve...