Women of the Church: What Every Catholic Should Know

Suzanne Beck introduces Bronwen McShea's broad historical overview of the women whose commitment and faith has enriched the Church.

This is the sixth book in a series from the Augustine Institute: What Every Catholic Should Know, a series intended for the “average faithful Catholic who wants to know more about Catholic faith and culture.” Each book in the series gives a panorama of the topic, which means that the reader has a great overview of the subject of the book and can choose areas they might want to focus in on for future study.

I was first struck by the title: Women of the Church, which doesn’t exactly jump out and entice the reader to pull this book off the shelf. Additionally, the cover art is somewhat mundane and ordinary, cited from an unidentified artist in the 15th century. However, let me assure you, there is a true treasure found in the pages of this work! Bronwen McShea is a historian by training and presents us with a broad synopsis of women in the church, organized chronologically beginning with Mary, the mother of Jesus, up to and including Mother Teresa. Dr. McShea does us a great favor: in addition to highlighting women that we might never have otherwise even heard of, she also goes into new, poignant details on the women we do know, and the reader ends up richer for the experience.

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I’d highly recommend a careful reading of both the Foreword by Patricia Snow, as well as Dr. McShea’s Preface. Both are powerful pieces of writing in themselves, even before the actual manuscript! Patricia Snow says in the Foreword:

As the book’s chronology unfolds, so does its cast of characters. Queens and freed slaves, administrators and mystics, educators, foundresses, nurses, missionaries—the vocations pile up, begging the question why any woman would complain about being excluded from the priesthood. (p. xiii)

That exact thought occurred to me as I read of these remarkable women, almost all unknown to me; I especially thought of a parish acquaintance years ago who was so troubled by her limited options in the Church that she eventually left to be an Episcopalian pastor. However, as the reader will learn, the influence, actions, and prayers of these brave women have left an indelible mark on the Church in a way no Episcopalian pastor could.

The deep friendships and collaborations that women have had with priests and religious have furthered the kingdom in ways only God knows. Examples include the dozens of women accompanying Jesus in his earthly ministry; Saint Phoebe with Saint Paul; Saint Marcella with Saint Jerome; Saint Scholastica and Saint Benedict; Dorothy Day and Philip Maurin—to name just a few. One could say, “But they are always behind the scenes ….” That is often true, but how many extremely important roles, even today, fit into that category? Does "behind the scenes" belittle the importance? Dr. McShea shows that importance in the God-given role of every female she profiles.

Women of the Church highlights many stories that are fascinating, but it very well could end up being a huge inspiration to any teen or young adult woman as they wonder about their vocation. As Dr McShea explains her own journey:

There were wide gaps between what I had learned in my … Catholic upbringing about women in the Church and what scholars knew … about the great diversity and complexity of countless women who for two millennia have been at the heart of the Church’s life and have been shaping history just as much as the men. ... I wondered how my own development might have been different had there been more and better resources available to my parents and other teachers who labored to pass down to me my patrimony as a daughter of the Church.

While there are few familiar names, most of the women Dr. McShea sketches are not ones that one would recognize. Yet like each of us, they were real and ordinary, and they share a vital piece in the story of salvation history. Everyday women have and will continue to achieve remarkable things for God and his Church since God loves us and works through each woman throughout history. This book does a splendid job of what it set out to do: give an overview of the subject of women in the Church while at the same time helps us to see our place in the drama of salvation. Further exploring and learning about many of these women will be an exciting and holy pursuit for years to come.

Ask for Women of the Church at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Augustine Institute.

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