Commission for Women seeks members

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

BOYLSTON – The diocesan Commission for Women, emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, is again reaching out to and for women, and seeking new members.
On April 28 at St. Mary of the Hills Parish, Bishop McManus celebrated Mass for administrative assistants and others who work in parish and diocesan offices, an event sponsored by the Commission for Women. Then these women were recognized at a breakfast, by the number of years they’ve served.
“In a sense you are on the front lines. … You really serve the Church very, very well,” the bishop said before breakfast.
“I think it’s important that we acknowledge that women are seen as being important in our liturgical services,” Nancy Hughes, a commission member for four years, told The Catholic Free Press. “Personally, I know young women who are not interested in continuing in the Catholic faith because they do not see women as being respected. As the women leave the Church, the children will not come back to the Church. That’s why we had the synod listening session.”
The commission sponsored that listening session on March 26 at St. Mary of the Hills, to solicit women’s thoughts for the the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023. Pope Francis is seeking input from Catholics around the world for this synod.
Valerie Milosh, administrative assistant at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Dudley, expressed hope that the commission can raise more awareness about women’s roles in the Church and society and show “how powerful our voices can be.”
Ms. Milosh said she wanted to join the women’s commission for many years, but didn’t think to inquire about it until she was invited last November. Before joining, she talked to members to find out more about their work, she said.
Women at the breakfast were interested in having commission members speak at their parishes.
One of those women, Mary Ann DeRestie, business manager at St. Paul Parish in Blackstone, said she talked with Ms. Hughes about joining the commission. Ms. Hughes had called to invite her to the breakfast.
Before the pandemic, members visited women’s groups in parishes to talk about their work and invite others to join them.
“We met with Our Lady of the Lake Women’s Guild in Leominster and the Catholic Women’s Council at St. Denis Church in Douglas,” said treasurer Pamela Ashmankas, of St. Brigid Parish in Millbury. “We talked about the history of the commission and then discussed various chapters of the book ‘Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus’ by Sherry Weddel.” Ms. Hughes gave a presentation on Days for Girls, an international organization that makes reusable menstrual hygiene products and provides health education.
“The information was enlightening and inspirational,” commented Jeanne Bombara, president of the Douglas group. “They helped us see the work being done and the work that needs to be done to keep the faith going.”
Mrs. Ashmankas said she joined the commission in 2016 because she’d attended the commission’s  “Gather Us In” conferences and mornings of reflection and the Administrative Assistants’ Day. These events made her interested in becoming more involved.
“I feel that the work the commission does is very important,” she said.
“We’re really trying to serve the women in the diocese by offering programs,” said Susan Zybert, from St. Mary’s in Shrewsbury, a commission member for about 15 years.
The commission started in April 1989 under Bishop Timothy J. Harrington.
“I think our goal through the years has been to try to enhance the women’s spirituality and educate them on issues in the Church,” said Joan Talbot, of St. George Parish in Worcester, who joined the commission in 1991.
“I had read some articles in The Catholic Free Press written by Margaret Diggins about the commission,” she said. “I was interested in her advocacy for the advancement of women in both the Church and society.” At that time, there were about a dozen members, now there are about eight, she said.
The commission studied the issue of female deacons, and in 1997 produced a handbook about the permanent diaconate, which included instances in Church history when there were deaconesses and the possibility of having them today, Ms. Talbot said. She said their interest was re-ignited when Pope Francis established a commission to study the issue. While the diaconate was not opened to women as a result, Worcester’s women’s commission continues to be interested in the subject and is awaiting outcomes of the synod, she said.
“In recent years, we have continued to offer opportunities for women to think more deeply about their relationship with God and their faith,” Ms. Talbot said.

Editor’s note: For information contact Pamela Ashmankas at worcestercommissionforwomen@gmail.com or 508-798-2828.

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