By Stephanie Thomas

This article was published in "The Good Oil"

To celebrate the centenary of International Women’s Day (March 8), Stephanie Thomas, speaks with a Good Samaritan Sister who spends her days providing a safe haven for women and children who find themselves homeless.

New chair for the Council for Australian Catholic Women
Media Release
4 March, 2011

The Bishops Commission for Church Ministry (BCCM) has appointed Natalie Lindner L’Hullier as chair of the Council for Australian Catholic Women (CACW).

The CACW, a Council of the BCCM oversees the work of the Office for the Participation of Women (OPW) and meets to discuss ways in which women’s participation can be fostered in the Australian Catholic Church.

Dear friends,

It is with great pleasure that we announce that the CACW has a new Chair, in Natalie Lindner L'Hullier of Brisbane.
Natalie brings a wealth of experience to this role, including post-graduate studies in theology, with a particular interest in indigenous spirituality.

By Alisse Graffiti

Media Release from Australian Catholic University

Professor Gabrielle McMullen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Australian Catholic University (ACU), has retired after 15 years with ACU.

Dear Friends
This will be my last newsletter for a while.  I am taking leave for three months and hope to return rejuvenated and energised!  Thank you for your continued support of the work of the OPW and CACW.  The richest blessings of working in the OPW come from meeting with women throughout Australia and hearing of the ideas, programs and gatherings you put into action.  I will enjoy being a recipient of Women Matter during my leave and look forward to being nourished by the news from around Australia.

At the last CACW meeting it was decided to make a concerted effort at including reflections by women in Women Matter.  Today we bring you the first of these prepared by Pauline Small.  Pauline Small is a retired teacher who lives in Adelaide and worships in the Cabra Chapel Community. She holds a degree in Theology and has been involved in Aboriginal and refugee issues over many years. She and her husband George have a joint passion to make their home 'a place of welcome and hospitality'. This is a reflection Pauline wrote in response to the readings of the 7th Sunday in Ordinary time. (Leviticus 19: 1-2, 17-18, 1 Corinthians 3: 16-23 and Matthew 5: 38-48.)

To read Pauline's reflection, click here.

My best wishes to you,

Kim Davis

This article was taken from UCA News

New Orleans, La., Feb 20, 2011 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- Imagine a nun going undercover, walking the streets at night rescuing women and children caught in the world of human trafficking.

Dear Friends,
In our newsletter last week we mentioned that the Council for Australian Catholic Women is keen to see profiles of diocesan contacts and diocesan women’s groups included in this newsletter.  You will see in this edition of Women Matter a variety of stories about women – everything from stories of religious sisters, financial administrators, parish secretaries, teachers, volunteers, theologians and doctors. We hope that you enjoy the wide range we have included, and that this will inspire you to contribute to Women Matter!

There is still lots of jewellery available for purchase from www.movinghearts.org.au,

The purchase of even one pair of earrings for $10 or a broach or hairclip for $5 can enable so much.

By following this link, you can see the amazing work of the women of Paraguay and support them to continue this project.
To order jewellery, simply send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your address and which jewellery you would like.
Payment for the jewellery can be made by cheque, money order or transfer.

To see a video of these women and their work, click here.

By Linda Esguerra

This article describes the work of Filipino NGO Gawad Kalinga. For more information contact Linda on 0409 472 404

This year’s Young Once Great Adventure Tour (YoGAT) left from Australia to Manila on the 23rd  of October 2010, for a 10-day Odyssey in Gawad Kalinga (GK), meaning “to give care” – the answer to eradicating poverty through its holistic approach on housing, education, health, livelihood and the environment.

By Claire Mitchell

This article was published in the Catholic Voice

The Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn has appointed a new financial administrator, the first woman to hold this key position.