In our present time of instant communication and ease of travel, the story of Mary Ward and her life-long desire to seek and know God’s will, can seem like a struggle way beyond human resilience. That an English woman, in Post-Reformation England, could believe the Catholic church would approve a plan for religious women to be free from the jurisdiction of the Diocesan Bishop but governed by one of their own, free from the obligations of the cloister, focused on the mission of educating girls in a similar way to boys, and flexible enough to respond to the needs identified around them, seems outrageous, shocking and misguided. This is what Mary Ward came to understand as God’s will for her. You are receiving this email as a valued supporter of our Mary Ward Network. To change your subscription or to unsubscribe please use the links below. |