Catholic Women Preach Catholic Women Preach

Preaching for the Solemnity of the Ascension, Martha Ligas offers a reflection on proclaiming the Gospel by following the example of creation:

"Our invitation, then, is not to tell others how they are to live. Instead, we are called to lean into our own becoming. The more we can learn to live boldly as ourselves, with integrity, with confidence, and with purpose, the more we will become the Body of Christ that our Christian faith compels us to become. This is how we are to evangelize— by demonstrating what it means to be embodied, fully alive, and rooted in purpose." 

Martha Ligas (she/her) serves as the Pastoral Minister at the Community of St. Peter in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Communications Coordinator at FutureChurch. Both spaces give her room to ride the coattails of the Spirit by reimagining what it means to create faith communities of belonging. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Ministry from Fordham University. Martha lives in Cleveland, OH with her partner and their pets.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/05122024 to learn more about Martha, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Meghan Larsen-Reidy, offers a reflection sharing the expansiveness of God's love:

"When we open our eyes to see the expansiveness of God’s love in the people that surround us, we draw into a deeper relationship with the Divine. We cannot always anticipate the impact that each new relationship will have on our lives and vice versa. God is calling us to be open to the love that is waiting for us and to share that love with others. Our small acts of love may make an impact that we only hear about from heaven."

Meghan Larsen-Reidy lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and four children. She currently works as a Campus Minister at three colleges in the Pittsburgh area. Meghan received a Masters of Arts in Teaching at the University of Portland and simultaneously did a service-teaching program. She currently attends the Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego where she is getting her Masters of Theological Studies in Franciscan Theology. She attended Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame where she received a BA in Religious Studies and credits much of her success to the leadership opportunities she had at an all women’s college.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/05052024 to learn more about Meghan, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Lisa Mersereau offers a reflection on remaining in God's love from her perspective as a hospice chaplain:

"The stories I hear about how a dying person has maintained a prayer life are as amazing as God is. Many reflect upon how God is with them and how they know God is with them in their final illness. There is an unwavering belief that there’s mutual love flowing between them and God. By Jesus saying, 'Remain in me, as I remain in you,' we can interpret that as, 'Know that love is present to you now and will be forever as I remain in you and you remain in me.' This is one of the many things I have learned at the bedside of my patients."

Lisa Mersereau, CT is a graduate of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, IL, with a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies degree. Recently, she became a Certified Thanatologist with the Association for Death Education and Counseling by being certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying, and Bereavement. Lisa is employed at Uni Care Hospice in Escondido, CA as a Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator and is an active ministry volunteer at Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala. She happily lives in the San Diego area.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/04282024 to learn more about Lisa, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Sharon M.K. Kugler offers a reflection on what believing in a Good Shepherd God means for us:

"If we believe in a Good Shepherd God then we are, each one of us, held as we navigate through the shadows of life, as we encounter illness of body or mind in ourselves or others, as we see despair and try to ease it, as we see the absence of justice and respond. These are the things that our God is acutely aware of and is constantly tending. We look to the Good Shepherd God to show us the way and we look to one another each of us, sheep, to follow, to care."

Sharon M.K. Kugler became the seventh University Chaplain to Yale in July of 2007 and retired in June of 2023. She came to New Haven from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where she had served as the University Chaplain since 1993. Sharon received her Masters degree from Georgetown University and is a member of the Theta Alpha Kappa National Honor Society for Religious Studies and Theology.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/04212024 to learn more about Sharon, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Third Sunday of Easter, Mary Erika Bolaños offers a reflection on bringing our doubts and questions to faith:

"Like the disciples, we often find ourselves troubled by doubts and questions. We may struggle to reconcile the complexities of life with our beliefs, or we may feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face. In these moments, Jesus’ words offer us both comfort and challenge. The gospel reminds us that faith is not immune to doubt but can coexist with it. We are invited to confront our doubts honestly and openly, trusting that Christ will meet us in our vulnerability."

Mary Erika Bolaños, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Theology at the University of Santo Tomas Manila, Philippines, and concurrently serves as the Principal of UST Senior High School. She teaches at the UST Graduate School and the Institute of Preaching of the Dominican Province of the Philippines. She completed her Ph.D. Theology in UST with a concentration on the Biblical Paul and finished a Biblical Studies Certificate at the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies. In addition, she has written manuscripts, articles, and textbooks in Religious Education and Pauline studies.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/04142024 to learn more about Dr. Bolaños, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Preaching for the Second Sunday of Easter, Layla A. Karst reflects on our call to be credible witnesses to the Resurrection in today's world:

"We are an Easter people, a community of missionary disciples, beloved of God and witnesses to the resurrection. Ours is a church that is called to be radically inclusive. Our Easter joy is abundant enough to share with all and still have more left over. Our joy is deep enough to hold grief and sorrow and anger and doubt without fear. We are recognizable by our joy, yes, but also by our wounds, and by the Spirit within us that greets all with a word of peace."

Dr. Layla A. Karst is an assistant professor in the department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University where she teaches and writes at the intersection of liturgy and ecclesiology. She is currently studying the theology and practice of lay preaching in Catholic communities and their implications for building a more synodal church. She holds a PhD from Emory University and an MDiv from the University of Notre Dame.

Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/04072024 to learn more about Dr. Karst, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.