Gender doesn’t matter

Women have many roles in life, writes one reader, including the role of disciple.

Guest blog post by Amanda Curran


As a woman I feel that my position in the church is both welcomed and indeed celebrated. Rather than viewing the Bible as being exclusive, I largely see it as being inclusive.


I am aware of the hundreds of years of the struggles that women have had both inside and outside of the church and of the movement of feminism but still I feel that these criteria are not suitable enough to judge the church of today. What was the norm then—largely accepted even by women—is not the norm today.


Jesus himself championed women, and they were indeed a large and integral part of his disciples. Mary his mother is herself the prime example of service and she was highly honored and respected. As a young woman in the church, I feel that I do have a lot to say and I do feel that this has been listened to and heard.


Women have many different roles in life—whether as mother, wife, teacher, or doctor—and this should be celebrated. Women cannot simply be just defined by one role. For example I am a volunteer for a charity but also I am a daughter, and I am also a friend. Many women feel tied to the role of mother and they want to be seen as more. This is their choice. Many women, however, feel happy to be tied to this role; they want to be seen as a mother alone.


We are all different, but in God we are all the same. We all have different talents and gifts that we can and should use to enhance and build up the community of God, the church. I feel that there is a place for me in the church and that place is right at the side of Jesus. Whether he asks me to serve or to pray in humble gratitude I will do this not because I see myself simply as a woman in the church, but because I see myself as a chosen one in the church, where gender doesn’t matter. It’s simply inconsequential.



Guest blogger Amanda Curran is a U.S. Catholic reader and parishioner living in Kells, a small town in Ireland.


As a supplement of the January 2011 special issue on women, U.S. Catholic is asking guest bloggers, “How do you keep the faith as a woman in the church?” To submit your answer (about 500 words), e-mail onlineeditor@uscatholic.org.


Guest blog posts express the views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of U.S. Catholic, its editors, or the Claretians.