On March 10, some 150 people, mostly women but also several men, including ten bishops, met by videoconference to celebrate the involvement of women in the Church in Quebec in the aftermath of International Women’s Day on March 8.

By Louise Royer

The invitation was extended by the Réseau des répondantes à la condition des femmes, a partner group of the Church and Society Council of the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops, which elected to observe its fortieth anniversary in this fashion. The Assembly’s secretariat provided logistical support for the meeting. In attendance from our Diocese were several members of the diocesan staff, with the encouragement of the Vicar General, Bishop Alain Faubert.

The event was held to foster mutual recognition and information sharing among our pastoral workers. The meeting reinforced the partnership and the synodal culture of our organization, as well as contributing to the visibility of the Réseau des répondantes.

This network pursues the ideals of justice, equality and respect for human dignity, taking its inspiration from the values of the Gospel and Jesus’ way of interacting with women.

The event began with the World March of Women anthem: We resist to live, we march to transform! The respondents have been associated with the March since 1995 and the Bread and Roses March. They often participate in women’s group roundtables in their areas and join with them in many of their endeavours. There are parallel dynamics in certain parts of Montreal and Laval where the Social Ministry participates in local forums, particularly with member organizations of the Réseau’s women’s centres.

Participants were invited to prepare by reflecting beforehand on the reasons for their involvement, their achievements and their hopes for the Church and for the world. These reflections were then shared in small group settings. My group represented a wealth of experience and engagement, especially with Women in Ministry, which advocates for the recognition of women’s ministries. At the conclusion of the meeting, member of the Church and Society Council Frédéric Barriault and respondent for the status of women from the diocese of Saint-Jean, Longueuil, shared their thoughts and hopes. Yes, one can be a feminist AND a Catholic!

The meeting was festive and reflective:

• Festive in celebration of 40 years of commitment to working against poverty and violence against women, for human dignity and for a Church in love with humankind. To the best of our knowledge – and this is documented in the late Denise Veillette’s landmark book – such a network is unique in the world, so there is much to celebrate and be proud of!
   
• Contemplative in our meditation on Jesus Christ, who liberates from misery, violence and the grip of dark forces. The original reading from the Gospel (Matt 15:21-28) featuring the Canaanite woman (Francine) and her daughter (Sabrina) prompted many of the participants to recognize as the source of their commitment a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, dead and risen, in solidarity with the crucified of this world, listening to women and giving them an equal place as missionary disciples.

To culminate the meeting, a tribute was presented to women who have played exemplary roles in both our Church’s and our nation’s history by Ms. Sabrina Di Matteo and Bishop Marc Pelchat of the Council on Church and Society.

This article would not be complete without the acknowledgment of the women working in our diocesan church on behalf of the status of women. From 1992 until 2001, our full-time respondent for the status of women was Carole Mathieu. Thereafter, the function was taken over on a one day per week basis by Thérèse Pelletier Vincent. Then, from 2005 until her retirement in 2018, Francine Tremblay was employed by the Service diocésain du partenariat homme-femme while maintaining her other functions. She contributed to the creation of the series of sessions Faire route ensemble vers une culture partenariale en Église. This space does not suffice to pay tribute to the many others for their Christian commitment to the status of women in the Church and in society. Perhaps a tribute on behalf of the diocese is in order.


*Louise Royer is Director of the diocesan Social Action Ministry Office. Along with this position, she is also a member of another partner group of the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops’ Council on Church and Society: the Table pastorale sociale des diocèses catholiques du Québec. Several women respondents for the status of women have positions in these two organisms.