Australia: Church introduces 'leadership for women' course

Sr Ruth Durick

Source: Fides

The Catholic Church in Australia has launched a 'Leadership for mission' course for women who feel inspired by the Gospel to a vision of justice, freedom and dignity of the human being.

The Council for Australian Catholic Women said in a statement: "Through a series of training sessions, the program brings together women's leadership experiences within the Church in the context of an academic and collaborative learning environment.:

The two-year course, starting after the summer, is open to Catholic women from all over Australia and aged between 25 and 35.

The project stems from a joint initiative of the Council for Australian Catholic Women, of the Bishops' Conference of Australian bishops, of the Catholic Mission (the Pontifical Mission Societies in Australia) and of the Australian Catholic University.

Through the reading of the Scriptures, theology, spirituality and the basic concepts of leadership, the program aims to "invite the participants to explore how and in what ways their own vocation can contribute to a vision of leadership for the church and society, promoting equity, equality and reconciliation", reads the statement.

The initiative will be coordinated by Ursuline sister Ruth Durick OSU.

Sr Ruth Durick is the Australian Provincial of the Ursulines of the Roman Union and the President of Catholic Religious Australia (CRA).

Sister Ruth has ministered at St Ursula's College Toowoomba, O'Connor Catholic High School Armidale, St. Ursula's College Kingsgrove and Domremy College Five Dock.

She served as Principal at Ursula College, a residential college at the Australian National University and also as Co-ordinator of the Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship programme, a project of the Office for the Participation of Women in the Catholic Church.

She has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes in NSW for three years and the CRA Council for three years.

"Sr Ruth will provide a vast leadership experience, as well as a deep commitment to holistic training of young women in management roles. We could not have found a more suitable person," adds the note.

Sr Ruth Durick accepted the appointment stating that "there is a strong desire among women to be involved in leadership roles in the Church. There is also a strong appeal, in the 21st century, for space to expand so that women's gifts can flourish, enriching the whole Church and society."