“In transforming culture so that it supports life, women occupy a place, in thought and action, which is unique and decisive. It depends on them to promote a ‘new feminism’ which rejects the temptation of imitating models of ‘male domination’, in order to acknowledge and affirm the true genius of women in every aspect of the life of society, and overcome all discrimination, violence and exploitation.”
About Cultivating Catholic Feminism
The Cultivating Catholic Feminism video program is being created as a response to St. John Paul II's call for women to promote a “new feminism.” This series will provide a comprehensive look at feminism and the faith, and empower students to embrace and live out Catholic feminism in their own lives.
If you're a Catholic woman who is passionate about:
more deeply understanding Church's vision on women, especially as it relates to feminism at large,
promoting women's dignity and well-being in society,
living out Catholic social teaching,
then Cultivating Catholic Feminism is for you! In this series coming in 2021, we’ll dive into the Church’s theological vision on women, illustrate what this new feminism can look like through mini-documentaries on a diverse range of Catholic women, and address some of the common secular feminist questions of Catholicism.
Together, let’s explore what it means to be a woman. Together, let’s stand against the sins of sexism and misogyny, and simultaneously, be empowered to invite men and women into the Church along the way. Together, as Catholic women grounded in the truth of our faith, let’s champion a new feminism.
Our Program Writer & Presenter: Abigail Favale
Dr. Favale is a writer, professor, and speaker. She currently directs and teaches in the William Penn Honors Program at George Fox University. She is a convert from postmodern feminism to Roman Catholicism, a journey which she details in her book Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion. Read more about Dr. Favale and explore her writing on her website.
Behind-the-Scenes
After over a year of developing the program content, we finally started production for Cultivating Catholic Feminism this past spring! Here’s a look at our filming progress so far.
Stills from the Educational Content
With Abigail Favale
Stills from the Mini-documentaries
With Shannon Ochoa, Krista Corbello, Samantha Povlock, and Justina Kopp. These are from four of the mini-docs – we have one left to film this summer.
Credit to Nick Staresinic for the cinematography and stills
Sponsorship
We give a special thanks to the sponsors of Cultivating Catholic Feminism and the donors of The Catholic Woman who have made this program possible!
The GIVEN Institute
The GIVEN Institute is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to activating the gifts of young adult women for the Church and the world. GIVEN inspires and equips the next generation of female leaders to “receive the gift that they are; realize the gifts they’ve been given; and respond with the gift that only they can give.” Through leadership training, faith formation, and dedicated mentoring, GIVEN forms women for mission and for life. The Catholic Woman was founded as an action plan for the GIVEN 2016 Forum.
McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame University
The McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame is now a sponsor of Cultivating Catholic Feminism. The McGrath Institute partners with Catholic dioceses, parishes, and schools to address pastoral challenges with theological depth and rigor. By connecting the Catholic intellectual life to the life of the Church, they form faithful Catholic leaders for service to the Church and the world.
Louisiana Right to Life
The mission of Louisiana Right to Life is to promote the common good and the general welfare of the people of Louisiana through the advancement of reverence for human life by reaffirming the principle that all human beings from the moment of conception are created equal and are endowed with certain rights among which is the right to life, and conducting educational, legal, social and cultural programs to ensure those rights. Louisana Right to Life sponsored the travel and locations for one of the mini-documentaries in Cultivating Catholic Feminism, as the woman featured in the video used to work for LRTL.