Rediscovering the role of women in the early Church

(Vatican Radio) Rediscovering and re-evaluating the role of women in the first centuries of Christianity. That’s the goal of a pilgrimage taking place in Rome this week under the auspices of a U.S. based Catholic group seeking greater leadership roles for women in the Church today. Members of the Future Church group have also been meeting with officials at different Vatican dicasteries, sharing suggestions on how to follow up on Pope Francis’ call to increase the participation of women in Church and in society.

For the fourth year in a row Future Church has organized the pilgrimage to visit some of Rome’s ancient basilicas and catacombs, following in the footsteps of many influential early Christian women whose contribution to the spreading of the Gospel has largely been lost over the centuries. Among those organizing the annual event is the former executive director of Future Church, Sr Christine Schenk of the Congregation of St Joseph. She spoke with Philippa Hitchen about what she describes as a journey of discovery and healing for the men and women embarking on this pilgrimage….

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