Australian Women Preach

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 13:24-32 - Jesus, violence and chaos Rev. Radhika Sukumar-White has been a Minister of the Word in the Uniting Church in Australia since 2016. She is a 2nd-Generation Sri Lankan Tamil Australian, and grew up in Canberra before moving to Sydney to study Physiotherapy, Music and then Theology. Radhika is passionate about leading dynamic and sacred worship, p...

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk:12:38-44 - Mark’s Poor Widow: A Cautionary Tale - And an Exhortation 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...

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 12:28B-34 - Who is the God you love? Janine Luttick is a full-time lecturer in biblical studies in the faculty of theology and philosophy at Australian Catholic University (ACU). She teaches both undergraduate and post-graduate students, many of whom are pre-service or inter-service teachers for Catholic education in Australia. She also conducts profession...

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 10:46-52 -  Jo is a teacher, educational leader and formation facilitator. She’s a mum, a daughter, a sister, an aunty and a spouse. She completed a MA (Theology) in 2016 focusing on moral and systemic theology in regard to the human person and Church teachings on sexual orientation. She has recently begun her doctoral studies this year exploring, from a...

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 10:35-45 - Know Your Place My name is Erica Bernard, I am a Yawuru, Kidja woman from the Kimberley. I live in Broome, Western Australia, Yawuru country. I live with two of my three daughters, a granddaughter and my extended family. I work for the Catholic Education Office of Western Australia in the Broome Regional Office, as the Community Liaison Officer....

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 10:17-30 - Who Then Can Be Saved? Dr. Louise Gosbell is the Principal of Mary Andrews College in Sydney, a women’s theological college with over 130 years of training women for lay ministry. Louise’s passion is making theological education accessible for a wide range of users. Louise’s academic work addresses the overlap of disability and biblical studies...

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 10:2-16 - Original Love Dr. Mary Coloe is a Presentation sister and a professor of New Testament at Yarra Theological Union, which is a college within the University of Divinity, Melbourne.  Her primary focus in teaching and writing is the Gospel of John.  This year her two volume commentary on John in the Wisdom Commentary Series is being publ...

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 Gail Gill writes: Eleven years ago I resigned from the Catholic Schools Office in Broken Bay diocese to become a consecrated member of a ministry the then Bishop, David Walker, established for women in the diocese. During those eleven years, I have worked in five parishes in various capacities, including one where I was a Coordinator of...

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 9:30-37 - Something Worth Dying For Dr Maeve Louise Heaney VDMF is a consecrated member of the Verbum Dei Community and Director of the Xavier Centre for Theological Formation at A ustralian Catholic University . She specializes and teaches in the areas of theological aesthetics, music and spirituality, as well as lecturing in Systematic Theology at ACU an...

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 8:27-35 - The person of Jesus Rosa is an educator passionate about the formation of young women in mercy-imbued catholic schools.  She has undertaken academic, pastoral and mission leadership roles across a career spanning more than 35 years in Catholic Education in Western Australia.  Rosa has worked as a sessional lecturer at the University of...

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 7:31-37 -  Fiona Dyball (BMus, GradDip Music Therapy & Education, GradCert RE, MMusSt, MTS, PhD Candidate) is a musician, teacher, composer, conductor, writer, consultant, and liturgist based in Melbourne, Australia. She works extensively in liturgical and faith formation, and in Music Ministry. She is an accomplished cantor, presenter, facilitato...

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 - Tradition, transition and divine life Mary Margaret Dalmau writes: “I am a daughter, twin, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, hermit, teacher and counsellor. Music and poetry sustain me. I come from the mountains of Colorado, my soul’s landscape. Health, truth, the wisdom tradition, deep listening and spiritual integrity guide and grou...

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jn 6:60-69 - Enough bread talk! I'm outta here. Rev. Cathie Lambert is a Minister of the Word in the Uniting Church, but currently on a leave of absence to complete her PhD. Cathie’s current research is exploring how contemporary women on the edge of the church respond to the lives and writings of the beguine mystics from the thirteenth century. Cathie is a s...

The Feast of the Assumption - Lk 1:39-56 - Women of the word: Blessing and proclamation Natalie Acton is currently the Director of Operations for the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. Natalie has worked for more than ten years in a variety of roles within the Catholic church in both religious institutes and diocesan settings working with boards of governance, managers, staff and volunteers in th...

Feast of St Mary of the Cross - Mt 6:25-34 - Angela is the Liturgist at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hobart. She studied teaching after completing a BA in English and Philosophy. Her undergraduate Honours Thesis was entitled, A Theopoetics of Feminist Faith . Angela has taught in primary schools throughout Southern Tasmania and in an Indigenous Community in the Tiwi Islands, where she completed...

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jn 6:24-35 - The unexpected, audacious, a little shocking, and ultimately life-giving promise Rev. Charissa Suli is a National Consultant with the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia. In July 2021, Charissa was declared President-elect of the Uniting Church in Australia. She will serve as President from 2024-2027 – the youngest and first person from a d...

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jn 6:1-15 - Scarcity and Abundance Dr Teresa Brown is a Melbourne-based teacher and researcher in the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy at Australian Catholic University. She has a PhD in Theology, a Master of Religious Education and a Master of Theological Studies. In her PhD, she explored the relationship between trinitarian faith and Christian life through...

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 6:30-34 - Extending the mince Rev. Linda Chapman OAMis an Anglican priest and presently Rector of the parish of Moruya on the far south coast of NSW. Linda founded ‘Open Sanctuary’ at Tilba Tilba: a contemplative ecumenical community committed to living out practical sustainable life principles and the practice of silence.  Linda nurtures the Christian c...

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 6:7-13 - Wondering and wonder as a disciple Sally Longley is a Spiritual Director and Retreat Leader based in Sydney. She has built the Chartres Labyrinth at Canisius with her husband as well as a ‘wild’ classic labyrinth among the trees at Canisius Retreat Centre.  Sally leads silent and themed retreats and is a giver of the Ignatian Exercises. She is a...

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 6:1-6a Catherine McCahill is a member of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan and currently serves on the leadership team. Previously she has been involved in education for over 30 years, in secondary schools and, more recently, at tertiary level in biblical studies and religious education. She is passionate about breaking open God’s Word with others.

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary time - Mk 5:21-43 - Jesus invites a woman to preach Patricia is a wife, mother and grandmother, and semi-retired teacher of French, Latin and Italian.  Her lifelong interest in theology and spirituality finally led her to formal study and she graduated with a Masters in Theology in 2014. She belongs to the Grail, an international movement and community of women,...

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mk 4:35-41 Elizabeth Lee is a Spiritual Director, Retreat Facilitator, and Pastoral Supervisor.  She has a passion for fostering human connection through deep listening and for being a listening presence among the fringes. Liz has a diverse professional background.  In recent times she has had the privilege of offering pastoral care among those living wi...

Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time - Mk 4:35-41 - Lessons from the Land Amelia is a Chinese-Scottish-Aussie, adopted by the Adnyamathanha people of the Ikara-Flinders. She is a missional integrator of worship, service, education, storying and hospitality. She is the World Methodist Council’s Global Worship and Liturgy Convenor, teaching in North and Central America, Italy, France and Spain, Korea, T...

Corpus Christi - Mk 14:12-16, 22-26 With more than two decades’ experience in the health and community service sectors, Debra Zanella is a natural leader and passionate advocate for practical and decisive action to disrupt cycles of social disadvantage. She is currently Chief Executive Officer of Ruah Community Services and President of the Western Australian Council of Social Services (WACOSS). R...

Trinity - Mt 28:16-20 The Revd Dr Josephine Inkpin is an Anglican priest currently serving as Minister of Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney.  Originally from England, she has worked in a wide variety of ministries in Australia and her native land, including for the National Council of Churches in Australia and as General Secretary of the NSW Ecumenical Council.  Active in the campaign...