Topic: Women involvement in professional ministry

Date originally posted: March 22, 2002

Source of this posting: Moderator response to emailed question

Moderator who originally posted this source: B. Egan

Dates emended:  March 24, 2002

Moderators who did the emending:  P. Leach

Question: Hello. First off, I would like to say that I am so encouraged by finding this website. I was born to a Catholic family and participated in church up until I received my First Communion. After that, my family moved a lot and never found ourself in a new Church. I may be Catholic already, but I have so many questions about the faith. Sometimes I am amazed at myself.  My question is are married female Catholics allowed to become Catholic Chaplains? I will be attending college starting this fall with a Religious Studies major and I am so deeply interested in doing something for my fellow Christians. I also have a medical degree (Medical Assistant) and feel that Chaplaincy is a wonderful and spiritually rewarding profession. Thank you.  Shawn Marie Strait

Answer: 

How wonderful it is that you want to learn more about your faith tradition and how you can be more fully involved in it!  And I congratulate you on your upcoming Confirmation and welcome your family to the Catholic Church (for those who wonder how I know this additional information, it was added in a second posted statement which does not appear in the original question above!). 

I am happy to report to you that there are LOTS of ways for lay women to minister in the Catholic Church!  In fact, four out of the nine campus ministers who serve as moderators for this website are lay women (including me!).  As you probably know, the Catholic Church does not ordain women.  They cannot become priests or deacons and, therefore, are not able to administer the Sacraments.  But here is a short list of areas of professional ministry in which women can hold positions: religious education/catechesis, youth ministry, campus ministry, family ministry, pastoral care (to the elderly, the sick and those in hospitals, the homebound, etc.),  prison ministry.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg! 

So what should you do?  Well, I think you are on the right track.  You are showing your love and commitment to the Church by being Confirmed.  You are educating yourself by pursuing a BA in Religious Studies (that's how I started!).  If you are not getting this degree from a Catholic university, I would suggest supplimenting your education by attending lectures/seminars/courses at local churches or through programs offered in your diocese.  If, after having completed your BA, you discover that you want to learn even more, there are many well-respected Masters programs out there!  For now, though, I think it would be good for you to meet with different people in your area who might be able to point you in the right direction.  Talk to an advisor in the Religious Studies Department at your university.  Talk to members of your parish staff: your pastor, the person/people who have prepared you and your family for your reception of the Sacraments.  The Church needs interested, committed people like you!  Good luck! 

Amendment:

Hi, Shawn Marie... 

Becky already gave you a great answer to your question.   

Something else that might be of interest to you:  One of the primary "training grounds" for people who minister in hospitals (and other institutional venues) as chaplains is the highly regarded CPE program.  Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is tough and extremely good!  CPE programs can be found in many, usually larger, hospitals in areas throughout the United States (and maybe abroad -- I don't know about that).  CPE requires at least an undergraduate degree and the endorsement of a religious body.  Many Catholics have gone through CPE training, which usually takes something like a year, minimally, to complete, and they have profitted immeasurably from the experience.   

Specifically about your question: married Catholic lay women have been certified by CPE and serve as chaplains in hospital situations.  Of course, only the ordained can minister the Sacraments, but CPE trained chaplains do magnificent ministry in difficult-but-rewarding situations.   

You might want to look at their web site: http://www.acpe.edu/ 

Thank you for the generosity of your spirit!  And blessings as you and your family continue to respond to THE Spirit! 

Father Phillip