Representatives from 46 countries gathered for the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) meeting in Athens. 

This was the first face-to-face conference in four years and highlighted the dire and cruel situations women suffer in many parts of the world.  

The theme was “Women builders of peace in a Church that goes forth”, and it was riveting to listen to the stories and conversations continued into the night, many of them almost unbelievable in our world today. 
Women from the Middle East highlighted the poverty in the region and the physical and mental difficulties of practising their faith. Sisterly support, prayer and belonging gives them the strength to keep going.

Representatives from Africa said how humbled they were to hear the heartbreaking stories, which made them feel so much better off than others. 

The Association of Greek Catholic Women provided a warm welcome and the Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, gave his blessing, along with the apostolic exarch to Greece of the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church, Monsignor Manuel Nin.

WUCWO’s aims include a mission of evangelisation and working for human development.
Pope Francis has nominated WUCWO president general María Lía Zervino as one of the first three women to join the Dicastery of Bishops in Rome.
He believes the Holy Spirit is leading women to dream together of a renewed Church, hand in hand with Mary, the Queen of Peace.  

Margaret Clark

National Board of Catholic Women