Sunday 8 March 2026 marks International Women’s Day, a moment to celebrate the achievements of women and to recommit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and equity. For Catholics, this day is not simply a cultural observance but a Gospel invitation to recognise, uphold, and defend the God-given dignity of every woman, especially in this Special Year of St Francis.
As Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta says:
“On this International Women’s Day, we give thanks for the immeasurable gift of women in our Church and in our world. In this Special Year of Saint Francis, who saw in every person a sister or brother beloved of God, we are called to stand with and advocate for all women especially those whose dignity has been diminished or whose voices have been overlooked.”
From the beginning, women have played indispensable roles in God’s plan. We look to Mary, the Mother of God, whose courageous “yes” opened the door to our redemption. We remember the women disciples who remained faithful at the foot of the Cross and were the first witnesses to the Resurrection.
Throughout the centuries, female saints, women religious, theologians, educators, mothers, and advocates have shaped the life of the Church and transformed the world through their own style of prophetic courage.
(L-R) Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, Sr Rebecca, Sr Rita and Sr Olivia with Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta at the Mass for Consecrated Life on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, 2 February 2025. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
While we rightly celebrate these incredible women, International Women’s Day compels us to constantly look to the present and future and confront the ongoing realities many women face: poverty, violence, lack of access to education, persistent gaps in women’s healthcare research and treatment and exclusion from decision-making spaces to name a few.
Catholic social teaching insists that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a just society. Wherever women’s dignity is diminished, our Catholic witness demands a response.
“A truly synodal Church cannot persist in the old wineskins of triumphalism, self-reference and male dominance. If we exclude women from the Church’ governance structures, decision making processes and institutional functions, we will deprive ourselves of richness of our full humanity,” said Bishop Vincent.
“If we make women invisible and inferior in the Church’s language, liturgy, theology and law, we will impoverish ourselves. Until we have truly incorporated the gift of women and the feminine dimension of our Christian faith, we will not be able to fully energise the life of the Church,” he said.
Bishop Vincent in conversation with parishioners following the Installation Mass of Fr Abraham Kunnathony as parish priest of Corpus Christi Parish, Cranebrook 2025. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
International Women’s Day is both a celebration and challenge. It is a celebration of the countless women who embody faith, resilience, and love in families, parishes, schools, and communities. It is also a challenge to build structures both in society and in the Church that reflect the equal dignity and shared responsibility of women and men.
“The wisdom, experience, and faith of women are not optional contributions; they are essential to the Church’s mission. When women share fully in discernment, decision-making, and service, the Church more clearly reflects the communion and co-responsibility to which the Gospel calls us,” said Bishop Vincent.
“May we continue to foster a community where the gifts of women are recognised, their leadership embraced, and their dignity unwaveringly upheld,” he said.
As we give thanks for the women who have shaped our lives and our faith, may we recommit ourselves to fostering a culture of respect, inclusion, and justice. In doing so, we reflect more clearly the face of Christ, who consistently affirmed the dignity of women and entrusted them with the proclamation of the Good News.
Bishop Vincent with participants following the Diocesan Synod Convocation Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Please read the Pastoral Letter from Bishop Michael Morrissey, the Bishop Delegate for Women, Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry for the ACBC.
Pastoral Letter for International Women’s Day 2026
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
As we mark International Women’s Day, I invite us to look again at the Gospel and notice the women who surrounded Jesus throughout his life and ministry.
Women were disciples, prophets of faith and witnesses. Mary of Nazareth opened her heart to God’s plan with courage. The Samaritan woman dialogued with Jesus in theological reflection and became a missionary to her community. Women remained steadily with Jesus at the Cross. Mary Magdalene was entrusted with proclaiming that Christ was risen. These are examples that remind us women have always lived out their faith with responsibility, agency, and a deep sense of mission.
Across Australia today, women continue to witness to God’s care and compassion whilst carrying immense responsibility. Women lead organisations and classrooms, serve in health care and public life. Women raise children, care for the elderly, contribute to our economy, and sustain the life of the Church. In rural communities, in cities, in remote regions, women’s participation and leadership is grounded, steady and often sacrificial.
Yet we also know that many women experience injustice, violence, economic disadvantage, and exclusion from decision making. The dignity of women calls for more than listening. It calls for action and the courage to examine how power is exercised in our homes, workplaces and Church communities.
In our synodal journey, we speak of walking together. Walking together means shared responsibility for the mission. It means that women participate not as an afterthought, but as coworkers in God’s vineyard in shaping our Church’s life now and into the future.
The Gospel calls us to conversion, open to fresh ways of honouring all women. May the Holy Spirit give us courage for this work. May Mary, Mother of the Church, guide us with her strength and faith. And may we continue to grow into our Church in Australia where the dignity and capacity of every woman is not only affirmed but fully lived out in the mission of Christ.
With prayers and hope,
Bishop Michael Morrissey
Bishop of Geraldton
Bishop Delegate for Women, Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry
The observance and focus on the role of women in the Church reflects the Priority of Formation and Community in the Diocesan Pastoral Plan and its objectives of being a listening Church that walks together. Visit Synodality to learn more.
