During May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month to honor the contributions of Asian and Pacific Islanders to America’s history and culture, and to advocate for their future successes. Catholics of AAPI heritage have contributed to the life of the Church through their traditions, culture, and saints. This month, we’re highlighting the AAPI Catholic women who inspire us.

Sarah Hoyoung Ku

Sarah is a biracial (Korean and white) convert to Catholicism, wife, and mom living in Silicon Valley. She is passionate about sharing the diversity of the Church, particularly through the experience of Asian and Asian American Catholics. Sarah uses her social media platform to talk about Asian saints, traditions, and the influence that her heritage and faith have on each other. She shares her experiences and reflections through her podcast A Growing Home, her Sunday reflections at U.S. Catholic, her writing, and her recent partnership with the Hallow app. You can find Sarah on Instagram.

Lisa Canning

Lisa is an author, speaker, mindset coach, and mom of nine living in Florida. She is an interior designer (with a show on HGTV!), turned entrepreneur and coach, who is passionate about helping moms “build a business and wealth without sacrificing faith, family, or what matters most” through her own business, The Possibility Mom, which has been featured on the Today Show. Lisa hosts coaching groups for moms, The Possibility Mom Podcast and The Possibility Mom Conference, and is the author of Possibility Mom: How to be a Great Mom and Pursue Your Dreams at the Same Time. You can learn more from Lisa on Instagram and Twitter.

Rachel Wong

Rachel is a first generation Chinese-Canadian writer, speaker, and podcaster living in Vancouver. When she was 20 years old, Rachel had a radical encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist, and ever since she has been passionate about sharing her love of Jesus and the Church through her ministry. She primarily speaks and writes on the feminine genius, the intersection of faith and mental health, and race and representation in the Catholic Church. Rachel hosts The Feminine Genius Podcast, through which she hopes to “celebrate the diversity of the Catholic Church, one woman’s story at a time.” You can find Rachel on Instagram.

Rachel Bulman

Rachel is a Filipina, Catholic convert, wife, mom, writer, speaker, and podcaster living in Florida. She loves to share her faith with people of all ages, from kids to young adult groups, as a retreat facilitator and keynote speaker. Rachel and her husband, Jason, share more about their life through their Word on Fire Youtube show, Meet the Bulmans. You can find Rachel’s writing on the Word on Fire blog and at Catholic Mom. You can also learn from Rachel by listening to her talk for FemCatholic’s “Women,Sex and Empowerment” Summit and to her and Jason’s School of Humanity podcast. You can find Rachel on Instagram and Twitter.

Carolyn Woo, PhD

Dr. Carolyn Woo was born and raised in Hong Kong and came to the United States to study at Purdue University. Over the course of her time in academics, she was the first female dean to chair the accreditation body for business schools, AACSB. She also served as the President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services. Dr. Woo currently works at Purdue as the Distinguished President's Fellow for Global Development. You can find her writing in her column for CNS, “Our Global Family”, and most recently in her new book, Rising: Learning from Women’s Leadership in Catholic Ministries.

Rakhi McCormick

Rakhi McCormick is a wife, mother, artist, writer, speaker, and part-time minister at her home parish in Detroit. A first-generation Indian-American and convert from Hinduism, Rakhi loves to share about the beautiful diversity of the Catholic Church. Her creative work often features reflections on finding the light in the darkness and encouragement for cultivating one’s gifts to serve the world. Rakhi has a gift for holding space for nuance and messy conversations, which she hosts regularly on her podcast, A Place In Between. You can sample her writing on FemCatholic, check out her artwork on Etsy at her shop Rakstar Designs, and find her on Instagram.

Krista Corbello

Krista Corbello is a Filipina-American speaker, activist, and artist residing in LA. She serves as the President of the Board of Rehumanize International, co-founder of Friendship Explored, founder of Even This Way, and the campus minister at the Newman Center Pasadena. She is passionate about social justice, finding joy and beauty in living the Gospel, a consistent life ethic, and comprehensive education and human empowerment. You can learn more about Krista on her website and find her on Instagram and Twitter.

Sr. Maria Kim Bui, FSP

Sr. Maria Kim Bui is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and a woman religious in the congregation of the Daughters of Saint Paul (aka the “media nuns”). Originally from Tempe, AZ, Sr. Maria Kim now lives in Boston and works with the congregation’s publishing house as the Director of Marketing and Sales. As a Daughter of Saint Paul, her ministry is done primarily through social media, which offers glimpses into the daily life of a nun. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter.

Marianne Soratorio Dyogi 

Marianne Soratorio Dyogi is a wife, mother, and Creighton Model FertilityCare Practitioner in LA. She and her husband, Gary, founded As He Loves Ministries in 2009 to support engaged and newly married couples. A former Catholic school teacher, Marianne now serves her parish and surrounding community by teaching the Creighton Model. She is also a speaker, having recently given a talk on realizing your gifts and how to share them for the GIVEN Institute. You can learn more about Marianne on Instagram.