In celebration of International Women’s Day, we are highlighting some of our favorite Catholic women who are changing the landscape and leading the way in sharing the faith and shaping the culture.

In this list, you will find women making strides in Catholic and women-centered spaces for:

Infertility
Miscarriage, Stillbirth & Infant Loss
Sexual Addiction
Surviving Church abuse
Healthcare
Birth & Motherhood Journey
NFP
Fertility Awareness
Mental Health
Inner Healing
Feminism
Gender & Sexuality
Racism
Diversity
Liturgical Living
Creativity
Culture
Storytelling
Comedy

Here are our favorite 25 Catholic women to watch in 2024

(in no particular order)

Rachael Killackey

Ministry Leader, Speaker & Author
Founder and Executive Director of Magdala Ministries
Take her course: Female Pleasure & Deprogramming from Purity Culture
Book: Love In Recovery

Why we love Rachael:
Rachael started Magdala Ministries to help women on the journey of healing from sexual addiction.
Her new course about Female Pleasure & Deprogramming from Purity Culture shares what the Catholic Church ACTUALLY teaches about the importance of female pleasure.

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Fabiola Garza

Disney Artist & Author
Books: Princesses of Heaven, A Boy Who Became Pope: The Story of Saint John Paul II
Instagram

Why we love Fabiola:
Meeting Fabiola is kind of like meeting a real life Disney princess, and now she’s even got a book about princess saints that is a beautiful treasure for little girls and women alike.
Her new book Princesses of Heaven is available now.

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Anna Liesemeyer

Home Design, Decor, & Business Owner
Shop: Maris Home
Instagram

Why we love Anna:
‍Watching her and her husband renovate their home is mesmerizing and like you’re watching an episode of Fixer Upper for Catholics. She shares beauty as a pillar of a vibrant faith life, mixing in a healthy dose of real life journey as a mother of 7 (and one on the way!).

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Clare McCallan

Poet, Author & CatholicTV host
Books: Courage To Create, Stations, Mangers
Founder & Creative Director of St. Joseph’s Home for Artisans
TV host: The Renaissance Room, This Is The Day
Podcast: Letters from the Least
Instagram Website

Why we love Clare:
The words that flow out of this woman are pure poetry. Probably why she’s a poet and author. Clare is raw, down to earth, bubbly and lovable. She can easily float between asking you about your love life and your deepest struggles with your faith.
Her new book Courage To Create is available now for pre-order.

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Erica Campbell

Artist, Business Owner & Author
Shop: Be A Heart
Books: Living The Seasons: Simple Ways to Celebrate the Beauty of Your Faith Throughout the Year, Written by Hand
Instagram

‍Why we love Erica:
Imagine Catholic gifts that are as beautiful as our faith. Erica’s shop Be A Heart has produced many gorgeous creations over the years for Catholic women, mothers, and children. Erica herself is a refreshingly authentic presence as she shares about the joys and sorrows of motherhood, business ownership, and mental health.
Her new book Living The Seasons is the perfect elevated companion for women and mothers looking to live liturgically and incarnate the beauty of their Catholic faith throughout the year through crafts, activities, and simple ways to celebrate each season in the Church.

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Regina Boyd, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist & Author
Founder and Therapist at Boyd Counseling Services
Book: Leaving Loneliness Behind: 5 Keys to Experiencing God’s Love and Building Healthy Connections with Others
Take her course: The Art of Communicating Sexual Needs & Boundaries

Why we love Regina:
Regina tells it like it is, and has helped countless married couples navigate choppy waters - giving them the tools to nourish and grow their relationship.
Her new course about The Art of Communicating Sexual Needs & Boundaries provides a Catholic perspective to identifying and communicating sexual needs with your spouse.

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Jennifer Fulwiler

Comedian & Author
Comedy Special: The Naughty Corner
Books: Your Blue Flame, One Beautiful Dream, Something Other Than God
Instagram Website

Why we love Jennifer:
Jen is like the life coach we all actually need. She is seriously funny and keeps it real. As a mother of 6 and Catholic convert, she’s got relatable and hilarious stories for women in every season.
She’s got jokes about being Catholic, failing at homeschooling, and being fake on Instagram.

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Sister Josephine Garrett, CSFN

Writer, Speaker, and Mental Health Counselor
Religious Order: Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
Book: Hope: An Invitation
Podcast: Hope Stories with Black Catholics
Instagram

Why we love Sister Josephine:
Her infectious joy and deep empathy for others shines through all the ways she makes space for the stories of others and their journey of faith. Her limited podcast series, Hope Stories, emphasizes the beauty of Blackness in the Church. She interviews seventeen Black Catholics from all over the United States and how they have held onto the hope of Christ in the midst of their own struggles interwoven with their Black identity.

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Sarah Ku

Writer
Asian Saint Stories on the Hallow App
Articles exploring Asian-American Catholic spirituality
Instagram Substack Website

Why we love Sarah:
Sarah is a mother of five deeply committed to sharing and exploring the Catholic faith through an Asian-American lens. She’s leading a pilgrimage to South Korea in September 2024 with Verso Ministries.

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Caroline Hartley, FNP

Family Nurse Practitioner
Executive Director of Fiat Integrative Health
Instagram

Why we love Caroline:
Caroline is paving the way for integrated health in Nashville, TN - her clinic aims to serve the whole person, addressing physical, spiritual, and mental health needs.

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Dr. Julia Sadusky

Psychologist, Author & Speaker
Owner & Counselor of Lux Counseling & Consulting in Littleton, CO
Books: Start Talking to Your Kids about Sex: A Practical Guide for Catholics, Emerging Gender Identities: Understanding the Diverse Experiences of Today’s Youth, Gender Identity and Faith: Clinical Postures, Tools and Case Studies for Client-centered Care, Understanding Transgender Identities: Four Views
Take her course: Identifying Your Sexual Scripts And Practical Tips for Healing Shame
Instagram Website

Why we love Julia:
Dr. Sadusky is a psychologist paving the way for sex conversations in the Catholic Church. Her work is filling the gap on faith-based resources on sexuality and gender.
Her new course about Identifying Your Sexual Scripts And Practical Tips for Healing Shame is for anyone who has felt shame around their sexuality and sexual expectations.

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Abigail Favale, Ph.D.

Writer & Professor
Professor at McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame

Gender Studies and Feminist Literary Criticism
Books: The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory, Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion, Irigaray, Incarnation, and Contemporary Women's Fiction
Take her course: Cultivating Catholic Feminism
Website

Why we love Abigail:
Abigail is a leading scholar on gender, feminism and women’s issues from a Catholic perspective. As a professor she teaches on topics like Edith Stein’s Theology of Woman and Religion & Literature.
Her recent book The Genesis of Gender is a vital, timely resource for anyone seeking to better understand the gender and sexuality paradigm—and how to live beyond it.

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Maria Benes, Ph.D.

Political Scientist & Award-Winning College Instructor
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage Project Lead at Modern Catholic Pilgrim
Co-Director of Before Gethsemane

Why we love Maria:
Maria is coordinating two routes of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage this summer (first time that has ever happened!). She is a force to be reckoned with and is leading the way with creating safe spaces for respectful conversations around controversial topics like abortion, racism, and immigration policy.

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Chenele Shaw

Writer, Speaker & Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Orlando
Co-Director of Before Gethsemane
Podcasts: Antidepressing Show, Ave Maria Spotlight
Speaker on Hallow App
NEP Project Lead at Modern Catholic Pilgrim
Instagram

Why we love Chenele:
You’ll be hard pressed to find a woman so willing to work on herself and share her journey along the way as Chenele Shaw. She cares deeply about mental health, abolishing racism, and cultivating community with other Catholic women - all while being able to laugh at herself and unashamedly watching The Bachelor and Shrek for the 57th time.

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Brya Hanan, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist & Author
Founder of Hanan Hope & Healing
Book: Befriending Your Inner Child: A Catholic Approach to Healing and Wholeness
Instagram

Why we love Brya:
Brya is like the friend who gently challenges you when you need it. Apart from her work as a therapist and developing a vast library of inner healing resources, Brya shares often about the tender joys and genuine struggles of marriage and motherhood.
Her new book Befriending Your Inner Child: A Catholic Approach to Healing and Wholeness is available for pre-order.

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Dr. Emily Jurschak

Pelvic Floor Therapist
Founder of Fiat Physical Therapy
Take her course: Pelvic Floor Pain: Sex Doesn't Have to Hurt 

Why we love Dr. Emily:
Dr. Emily Jurschak is striving to integrate education about the pelvic floor with the Catholic faith - and how physical pain and healing often intertwine with emotional, spiritual, and mental hurdles.
Her new course, Pelvic Floor Pain: Sex Doesn't Have to Hurt, is for any woman who’s unsure about the state of her pelvic floor and struggles with discomfort or pain during sex. Dr. Emily walks you through the anatomy of the pelvic floor, factors to pelvic pain, and her approach to treatment and healing.

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Mary Bruno

Life Coach & Author
Infertility, Adoption, Vaginismus, Fertility Awareness & More
Creighton Practitioner & Marriage Prep Mentor
Co-Founder of FAbM Base
Book: Twelve Stripes Deep: How Infertility & Other Suffering Delivered My Greatest Joys
Instagram Website

Why we love Mary:
If you struggle with infertility, Mary is the friend you want to have. Her own expertise comes from years of her own infertility struggles, and she shares vulnerably what’s helped her (or hasn’t) along the way and takes you on the journey.
Her new book Twelve Stripes Deep dives deep into her infertility journey and how God turned that suffering into beauty by rediscovering her feminine genius. It explores the root pains of infertility, motherhood, fertility awareness, restorative medicine, IVF, adoption, hysterectomy, vaginismus, and more. If you’ve ever struggled with any of these, we highly recommend this book.

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Dr. Abigail Jorgensen, Ph.D.

Professor & Author
Professor of Sociology & Health Care Ethics
Birth & Bereavement Doula
Founder of Bereavement Doulas
Book: A Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss: Compassionate Answers to Difficult Questions
Instagram Website

Why we love Dr. Abby:
Dr. Abigail is the friend who holds - space, conversation, emotions, faith, doubt, grief, joy. With 9+ years of walking with parents through miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss, Dr. Abby is a wealth of resources for grieving families. She is currently compiling a database of every single resource for perinatal loss in every diocese in the United States, which will be released this year.

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Christina Valenzuelas

NFP Instructor (Boston Cross Check Method)
Owner & Creative Director of Pearl & Thistle
Book: The Language of Your Body: Embracing God’s Design for Your Cycles
Instagram Website

Why we love Christina:
Christina teaches body literacy to Catholic women of all ages - combining her expertise in theology and as a Boston Cross Check NFP Instructor. She has countless NFP resources including self-paced courses, handbooks, and more.

Her new book, The Language of Your Body, will be released spring 2024.

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Emily Frase

Fertility Awareness & NFP Coach
Co-Founder & President of FAbM Base
Podcast: The Total Whine Podcast
Take her course: Reframing Low Libido (coming soon on the FemCatholic Course Hub)
Instagram Website

Why we love Emily:
Real, honest, and funny - Emily doesn’t shy away from the messiness and difficulties of practicing NFP. Her corner of the internet is a safe space for awkward questions, doubts, and celebration.

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Sisters of the Little Way

A new religious order serving those who have been wounded by the Catholic Church
Instagram Website
Support their work

Why we love Sisters of the Little Way:
Their mission is to start a new religious order to serve people on the fringes or outside of the Church, especially those who have been wounded, abused, or scandalized by members of the Church. Sr. Danielle Victoria and Sr. Theresa Aletheia recently spoke out about their own experience with abuse, which is equally horrifying and inspiring - that these women are standing up to both personal and institutional abusive patterns in the Catholic Church, finding hope in the darkness and holding space for others in the process.

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Sara Larson

Executive Director of Awake
Instagram

Why we love Sara:
Sara is cultivating a community much needed in the Church: a space for Catholic abuse survivors. Her community, Awake, provides resources, hosts virtual survivor meetings, and more.
Awake is a community of abuse survivors, concerned Catholics, and allies responding to the wounds of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Just this year, Awake went from only serving Milwaukee to now expanding into a nationwide organization.

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Leah Jacobson

Speaker, Author & Lactation Consultant
Founder & CEO of The Guiding Star Project
Book: Wholistic Feminism: Healing the Identity Crisis Caused by the Women’s Movement
UST Masters Program on Sexuality & Gender Studies
Instagram Website

Why we love Leah:
Leah, also known as The Wholistic Feminist, aims to empower women in their identity, fertility, and motherhood journey. Her organization, The Guiding Star Project, seeks to help women protect their fertility and identities as mothers through their network of life-affirming medical centers and healthcare.
Leah recently helped launch a new University of St. Thomas Masters program on Sexuality & Gender Studies - created to equip Catholic leaders to address issues related to sexuality and gender that now regularly confront them in their work and ministry. The courses are available online and enrollment is flexible, so any working professional has access to this important education to help them in their own field of work.

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Dr. Denise Montagnino

OBGYN & Speaker
Take her course: Gynecology 101 (coming soon on the FemCatholic Course Hub)

Why we love Dr. Denise:
Dr. Denise Montagnino is an obstetrician-gynecologist in Nashville, Tennessee and is presently employed by Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She received her medical degree from Nova Southeastern University - College of Osteopathic Medicine and has been in both private and academic practice for over 10 years.

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Katie McGrady

Radio Host, Author & Speaker
Radio Show: The Katie McGrady Show
Podcasts: Like A Mother, Ave Explores
Family Mass Prep series on Hallow
Instagram Website

Why we love Katie:
Genuinely relatable and deeply faithful, Katie shares her thoughts and stories like you’re meeting a friend over coffee.

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So many amazing women in the Catholic Church

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There are endless Catholic women who inspire us, and it was very hard to narrow it down. 
Who is a Catholic woman you think should be on this list next year? 

Submit your nominations for 2025 by emailing femcatholic@gmail.com

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