Our Church has benefited from the witness of so many women who have brought Christ into challenging situations, at home and around the world. We may know them as “Grandma” or “Auntie,” or see their names in the lists of Saints we revere during the Mass, like “Perpetua and Felicity.” Jesus welcomed the ministry of his friends Mary Magdalen, Martha, and our blessed mother, Mary, to his disciples. Today, Catholic women have many important and influential roles as witnesses for Christ that are irreplaceable in Church, in their families and society.

Pope John Paul II praised the dignity and vocation of women in his apostolic letter, Mulieris Dignitatem: “Even in the face of serious social discrimination, holy women have acted ‘freely,’ strengthened by their union with Christ. …In every age and in every country we find many ‘perfect’ women (cf. Prov. 31:10) who, despite persecution, difficulties and discrimination, have shared in the Church’s mission” (no.27).

One such witness for Christ is Dorothy Stang. Sister Dorothy, of the Congregation of Notre Dame de Namur, originally from Dayton, Ohio, spent 30 years ministering at the edge of the Trans-Amazon Highway in Brazil. There she made many enemies in high places because of her work in defense of the poor. Her life was repeatedly threatened. Sister Dorothy served and worked alongside landless and indigenous people who lived in the shadow of rich, powerful loggers and ranchers. She stood alongside her neighbors in working for land reform, the rights of rural workers, and in defending the land of small farmers. In 2005, at the age of 73, she was shot at point-blank range by a gunman hired to silence her voice forever. Her murder followed a dispute with wealthy, powerful ranchers over land they intended to clear for pasture and which she had sought to protect. The night before she was killed, she had brought food and clothing to a family whose home had been burned down. Sister Dorothy is remembered for faithfully putting her faith into action for the poor. Books, movies, documentaries and an opera have been developed about her. She is not canonized yet, but she has been officially recognized by the Church as a martyr.

Women who made a difference. Ask students to describe a woman that has been important in their lives. They could write a story or draw a portrait. If she is living, they could write her a letter.

Explore stories of other woman martyrs in your Be My Disciples or Blest Are We Faith in Action program books. More holy women are featured in the Saints Resource.

Consider these questions for yourself, and then adapt these them to the level of your students:

• In what situations is it most difficult for you to witness to your beliefs? What concerns or circumstances lead you to fail to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed?

• What aspects of your life circumstances enable you to put your faith into action? Does something constrain you from living the Gospel and talking about your faith?