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Overwhelmed by digging through all the news and social media posts about the Dobbs v. Jackson decision? Below, a lawyer explains what it actually does – and doesn’t do.
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization explicitly overturns the Supreme Court’s previous decisions finding and affirming a constitutional right to abortion. Critically, Dobbs does not make abortion illegal by any means; it only returns the decision of how to regulate abortion to the states.
So, what did the previous abortion cases (Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey) actually say? And why did the Court decide to overturn them?
The Roe Decision (1973)
In Roe, the Supreme Court decided that there was a constitutional right to abortion, and that this right comes from the constitutional right to privacy. Neither of these “rights” are explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. Therefore, the Court had to “find” the rights within other, explicit constitutional provisions.
The Court concluded that the right to privacy springs from some combination of the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments, without committing to any one explanation. If this reasoning sounds dubious, that’s because it is. Roe has always been recognized by constitutional scholars as poor judicial reasoning and an example of the Supreme Court overstepping its powers and acting like a legislature.
The Casey Decision (1992)
So, twenty years later, the Court again considered the constitutional right to abortion in Casey. Although Casey affirmed the abortion right in Roe, it rejected Roe’s legal reasoning. Instead, the Court relied on a legal doctrine known as stare decisis (the idea that, unless a court finds a really good reason not to, it should uphold the decisions it has previously issued). In Casey, the Court essentially stated that Roe was wrongly decided, but the Court will not overturn it.
To justify their decision, Casey reasoned that the right to obtain an abortion is actually found in a different part of the Constitution: the “liberty” protected by the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause: “No state shall . . . deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law[.]”
The Dobbs Decision
Then along comes Dobbs, and the Court revisits its abortion decisions. As stated in Dobbs, the central question is “whether the Constitution, properly understood, confers a right to obtain an abortion.” The Court answers “no,” overturning both Roe and Casey.
So, how does the Court do it? First, it pokes holes in the Casey court’s conclusion that the abortion right comes from the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. Then, it applies the stare decisis framework to Roe and Casey, concluding that this is an instance when the Court is not obliged to go along with its previous decision.
14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause
For a right to be “found” in the Due Process Clause, courts look at whether the potential right is deeply rooted in the nation’s history and tradition, and whether it is an essential component of something termed “ordered liberty.” Looking at laws and legal traditions before our nation’s founding and at the beginning of our nation, even through the first half of the twentieth century, the Court determines that a right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the nation’s history and tradition – in fact, until relatively recently, it was a crime in every state.
Next, the Court looks at Roe and Casey to determine whether abortion is an essential component of ordered liberty. Ordered liberty sets limits and defines the boundary between competing interests. Roe and Casey each struck a balance between the interests of a woman who wants an abortion and the interests of what they termed “potential life.” The Court concludes that people within various states may evaluate those interests differently, and the nation’s historical understanding of ordered liberty does not prevent state representatives from deciding how abortion should be regulated.
Consequently, the Court decides that there is no constitutional right to abortion. But even though the Court thinks that Roe and Casey got it wrong, it still has to consider whether to uphold the cases because of stare decisis.
Stare Decisis
Before beginning its analysis, the Court notes the established rule that stare decisis is at its weakest when the Court interprets the Constitution, meaning that the Court should try to come to its own conclusions. Regardless, the Court considers five factors and comes to the following conclusions in its decision to overturn Roe and Casey:
1. The nature of the Court’s error
Roe was “egregiously wrong and deeply damaging.” Casey “short-circuited the democratic process by closing it to the large number of Americans who dissented in any respect from Roe.”
2. The quality of the reasoning
Roe imposed on the entire country a detailed set of rules for pregnancy divided into trimesters, “without any grounding in the constitution, text, history, or precedent.” Casey refused to reaffirm or rejected important aspects of Roe’s analysis, provided no new support for the abortion right other than Roe’s status as precedent, and imposed a new abortion rule with no firm grounding in constitutional text, history, or precedent.
3. Workability
Workability is whether precedent can be understood and applied in a consistent and predictable manner. Casey imposed a constitutional right to abortion until the fetus’s viability, which has proved to be a moving target. Therefore, upholding Casey would undermine the “evenhanded, predictable, and consistent development of legal principles.”
4. Effect on other areas of law
The Casey decision has led to distortion of many important but unrelated legal doctrines.
5. Reliance interests
Overruling Roe and Casey will not upset a large area of law. The Dobbs ruling applies only to the question of whether there is a constitutional right to abortion.
The most important thing to understand about Dobbs is that it does not make abortion illegal. Rather, it confers that decision to the States, instead of the federal judiciary. Nor does it impede the federal legislature from passing a law regulating abortion. Rather, it returns the regulation of abortion to the people’s elected representatives, giving each citizen a voice in the ongoing abortion debate.
At its most basic, prayer is communication with God. We each have our own communication styles in our work, friendships, and other relationships – and it’s the same with our prayer life. How we communicate with God is rooted in who we are, and it can take some time to discover for ourselves. In the Catholic Church, there are many schools of spirituality that can offer a “spirituality type” that aligns with your needs, desires, and personality. Not sure where to start? Take our prayer style quiz to discover which may be your “spirituality type” and learn ways to start practicing it.
Prayer Style Quiz
1. When working on a project, which role do you take?
a. Project manager keeping everyone organized
b. Creative brainstormer
c. Catalyst that starts the project and motivates the team
d. The behind-the-scenes helper
2. When it comes to facing challenges, you:
a. Seek a challenge and face it head on
b. Avoid challenges as much as possible
c. Respond impulsively to challenges
d. Carefully plan and then respond to challenges
3. In your friend group, you act as the:
a. Leader
b. Peacemaker
c. Risk taker
d. Caretaker
4. You would say one of your strengths is:
a. A logical mind
b. Strong integrity
c. Flexibility or adaptability
d. A strong work ethic
5. A particular weakness you struggle with is:
a. Self-doubt or imposter syndrome
b. Being too outspoken
c. Getting bored easily
d. Tendency toward pessimism
6. An outsider may see you as:
a. Demanding
b. Needy
c. A boundary pusher
d. Too serious
7. Your friends would describe you as:
a. Clever and original
b. Empathetic and personable
c. Adventurous and playful
d. Dependable and devoted
Quiz Results and Prayer Practices
Count how many As, Bs, Cs, and Ds you circled to determine which letter you chose the most. Then, find your prayer style and give one of the prayer practices a try!
Mostly As = Thomistic Prayer Style
Characteristics of this spirituality:
Prefers orderly, routine, and organized prayers
Focused on growing close to God through self-discipline and intellectual pursuits
Prayer practices:
Mostly Bs = Augustinian Prayer Style
Characteristics of this spirituality:
Prefers symbolism and imagery in prayer
Focused on deepening understanding of being created and loved by God
Prayer practices:
Visio Divina (prayer with images)
Meditating on the Creation stories in Genesis 1-2 or Psalm 139
Mostly Cs = Franciscan Prayer Style
Characteristics of this spirituality:
Prefers prayer that is free-form and spontaneous or lived out
Focused on growing close to God through the senses, the Incarnation, and in service to others
Prayer practices:
Meditating on the Sermon on the Mount (Mathew 5-7)
Praying St. Francis’s ”Canticle of Creatures” or other prayers reflecting on the beauty of creation
Mostly Ds = Ignatian Prayer Style
Characteristics of this spirituality:
Prefers organized prayer that works with the imagination or the senses
Focused on growing close to God through traditional practices and the practical living of the Gospel
Prayer practices:
Mass
The Examen
Author’s Note: This quiz has been adapted from the ideas found in Prayer & Temperament: Different Prayer Forms for Different Personality Types by Chester P. Michael and Marie C. Norrisey.
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Do you feel like you always find yourself in relationships with really strong or demanding personalities, or that there is just no room for your wants and needs?
Do you feel like everyone relies on *you* or that it’s important to compromise your needs for the good of a relationship?
Do you tend to “lose yourself” in relationships or friendships, taking on the interests of that person and lessening things you used to love?
If you could relate to any one of these questions, the issue may not be the relationship - it may actually be… boundaries! Join us for an hour that could revolutionize your relationships as licensed counselor Julia Marie Hogan-Werner simplifies how to identify, set, and communicate boundaries so you can fully be yourself and thrive. Learn about the different types of boundaries we all need, examples of how to communicate and enforce boundaries, and open Q&A with Julia to ask your personal questions.
Join us for a live workshop on Tuesday, July 5 from 8-9pm CST.
Register to join here.
Julia Marie Hogan-Werner is a counselor in Chicago and owner of Vita Optimum Counseling & Consulting, LLC. She also leads workshops and writes on topics related to self-care, relationships and mental health. Her first book, It's Ok to Start with You, is all about the power of embracing your authentic self through self-care. Her second book, A Work in Progress: Embracing the Life God Gave You, is all the tools you need to live a meaningful life. She is passionate about empowering individuals to be their most authentic selves. You can find more of her writing online at juliamariehogan.com.
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When thinking about female saints, we might assume that they’re all quiet, submissive, and nuns. We don’t often picture women in positions of power, and we probably find women like St. Joan of Arc to be more of the exception than the rule. To bust that myth, here are five female saints who were political rulers and influencers in their day, working for good in the world.
St. Pulcheria, Roman Empress in Constantinople
The daughter of Emperor Arcadius, Pulcheria (399 – 453 AD) was named regent for her brother Theodore in 414 AD. St. Pulcheria ruled from a place of prayer and confidence in the Holy Spirit. She was well-respected in the affairs of the state as well as of the Church. So great was her wisdom that Pope St. Leo the Great asked her to speak before the Council of Chalcedon, hoping that her speech would enlighten the understanding of the bishops present. She built several churches and hospitals in Constantinople and became known for her care of the poor, so much so that she left all of her possessions to them.
St. Helen, Roman Empress
St. Helen (248 – 328 AD) is best known as Emperor Constantine’s mother and the finder of the cross on which Jesus died. Before her conversion, Helen had been divorced by her husband, who remarried a woman of more noble rank, leaving Helen to suffer alone and in exile. She was named Empress by her son and brought back into society, after which she used her wealth and influence to spread Christianity, build churches, and give money to the poor.
At 80 years old, Helen embarked on her famous pilgrimage to the Holy Land, bringing back the True Cross. She also ordered that the many places connected with Jesus and Mary in the Holy Land become pilgrimage sites and had churches built over them, providing the many sites that Christians continue to visit today.
St. Elizabeth of Portugal, Queen of Portugal
Known as a peacemaker, St. Elizabeth of Portugal (1271 – 1336) often worked for reconciliation and helped her kingdom avoid war. The great niece of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, she was the daughter of King Pedro III of Aragon and married to King Diniz of Portugal. While her husband often gave into various vices – including infidelity – and led the nobility in similar directions, Elizabeth remained a strong, faith-filled woman.
She cared for the poor and expected the women in her service to do so, as well. On two occasions, Elizabeth helped prevent civil war in her kingdom: first between her husband and her son and second between Portugal and Castile. Eventually, she also made peace with her husband, who renounced his infidelity and sinful life, and turned back to the faith.
St Bathildis, Queen of France
Sold into slavery as a young girl to the wife of the mayor of Neustria, St. Bathildis (626 – 680 AD) eventually rose to the rank of queen through her marriage to King Clovis II. Seven years into their marriage, Clovis died and their son became king, with Bathildis serving as regent. As queen, she was able to initiate many reforms, including the abolition of Christian slaves, elimination of simony among the clergy, and the foundation of hospitals and monasteries. After renouncing her royalty, she eventually became the first abbess of the Abbey of Chelles, leading in religious life, as well.
St Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Scotland
St. Margaret (1045 – 1093) was born to a princess of Hungary and the heir to the English throne, eventually becoming married to Malcolm, the king of Scotland. Margaret’s model of faith had a significant influence on her husband, calming his infamous temper and leading to his becoming known as a virtuous king. They eventually became known for being rooted in prayer and living by example in their care for the poor, providing an example for the whole kingdom.
Margaret had a great influence on Scotland as a whole. In the political realm, King Malcolm often turned to his wife for advice on state matters. Margaret also worked to improve education and the arts in Scotland, led religious reform in the local church, and worked toward justice for those in poverty.
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To commemorate Juneteenth, join us for a panel discussion with Black Catholic women on experiences bringing their full self to the Church.
"What does it mean to be Black and Catholic? It means that I come to my Church fully functioning. That doesn’t frighten you, does it? I come to my Church fully functioning. I bring myself, my Black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become, I bring my whole history, my traditions, my experience, my culture, my African American song and dance and gesture and movement and teaching and preaching and healing and responsibility as a gift to the Church." - Sr. Thea Bowman
Join us for a live conversation on Sunday, June 19 from 6-7pm EST.
Watch the recording here.
Panel:
Kara Dixon is a reporter in Norfolk, Virginia. She grew up in Winchester, Virginia and is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. At UMD, she participated in the CBC-UNC Diversity Fellowship Program led by UNC and WRAL. During college, Kara was a member of Capital News Service and ViewFinder presented by the University of Maryland. Both programs won numerous regional and national awards. She spent two years as a multimedia journalist at KFDM/KBTV in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered everything from historic flooding to crime. Her station was awarded the Texas Associated Press Jordan Flaherty Award in 2016. After spending two years in Texas, Kara joined the WAVY Team in June 2016. In June 2019, Kara was one of 120 young women chosen to participate in the Given Forum, a Catholic leadership forum held in Washington, D.C. In 2020, she completed the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership’s Emerging Leaders Program at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Leadership. Kara is also a member of the Diocese of Richmond's Young Adult Commission. In her free time, Kara volunteers at local soup kitchens and reads to students. She is an active member of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, the only Black basilica in the United States, and assists in a variety of ministries.
Chenele Shaw holds a B.A. in theology from Ave Maria University. She is the host of podcast Ave Spotlight with Ave Maria Press, secretary for The Human Condition Community, and is a contributing writer to various Catholic publications including The Grotto Network, The Catholic Woman, and Our Sunday Visitor. Prior to her current work, Chenele taught Theology and Catholic Social Teaching in New Orleans and spent a couple years as a Director of Youth Ministry in Denver, CO. She currently resides in Florida and can usually be found searching for the best local ice cream, hosting friends at her home, and planning her next national parks trip. Chenele is currently the co-director of the Before Gethsemane Institute. She believes that the church is in need of a revival and believes BGI can meet that need!
Justina Kopp is a stay-at-home mom living in the Twin Cities, MN with her husband, Matthew, and their quadruplet toddlers: Cora, Raphael, Theodore, and Benedict. She is a 2013 graduate of the University of St. Thomas – MN where she studied Catholic Studies and Biology, and she currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Catholic Studies. Before marriage and family life, Justina served as a campus minister at the University of Minnesota’s Newman Center. Her life story, marked with the tragic loss of her father in the I-35W bridge collapse and the surprise of her quadruplets, has been told through various media and podcast outlets. When she’s not chasing her kids around, you can find her cruising around town with Starbucks in hand listening to her favorite true crime podcasts.
Sophie Baril Sachs spent part of her childhood in Haiti, and then moved to Florida at a young age. Sophie earned her undergraduate degree from Nova Southeastern University and her master’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University in DC. Following her early career years in the international development sector, she transitioned to working in the public sector as an international economics professional. Inspired by Ecclesiastes 11:6, Sophie looks forward to helping women cultivate thriving careers and lifestyles.
Join us for a live conversation on Sunday, June 19 from 6-7pm EST.
Watch the recording here.
The University of Notre Dame recently changed the lyrics to the 114-year-old “Notre Dame Victory March” to specifically reference the women of Notre Dame. While once we cheered for Old Notre Dame “while her loyal sons [were] marching onward to victory,” now we will sing “while her loyal sons and daughters march on to victory.” This change coincides with the 50th anniversary of the admission of women to the University. But as with any other change to Notre Dame’s traditions, this lyrical change was met with mixed responses from alumni. A few initial conversations about this change made me wonder: When should we modify traditions to reflect new realities?
I believe that there is value in preserving traditions, especially those customs that create and sustain a sense of community. When the Italian side of my family gets together, I can count on a game of bocce ball. Every time we play, I’m reminded of our Italian heritage and I feel a sense of belonging to this group of people, my family. When I’m at a Notre Dame football game with other alumni and we hear the fight song, we all know the lyrics and the accompanying hand gestures. As we sing together, a sense of community arises.
In full disclosure, I have on several occasions complained about changes to Notre Dame’s traditions, and not always with good reason. This time, however, I wanted to actually think through the modification of a tradition. So, I read about the history of the “Notre Dame Victory March” in search of its original purpose. As a fight song meant to support the University’s athletes, it makes sense that the song was written in honor of Notre Dame’s “loyal sons” at a time when the University had exclusively male students, and therefore exclusively male athletes. However, this is no longer the case.
How Notre Dame's Daughters Have Marched on to Victory
Women have studied at Notre Dame since the fall of 1972. They have competed in intramural sports since that same semester and, at the initiative of several female athletes, they began competing in varsity sports in 1976 with the creation of women’s fencing and tennis teams. Ever since, Notre Dame’s loyal daughters have indeed marched on to victory: they won their first national championship in 1987 (fencing) and, in total, they have brought home 17 team (including 11 by the co-ed fencing team) and 7 individual national championships. Between 1995 - 2005, Notre Dame was one of four universities in Division I to win national championships in three different women’s sports. On the level of individual athletes, Notre Dame’s women have earned All-American recognition on 178 occasions and, on an academic note, their graduation rate is 20-percentage points better than the national federal graduation rate among all Division I institutions.
As we see, the “Notre Dame Victory March” stopped reflecting reality and fulfilling the purpose for which it was created. Ever since the start of women’s varsity sports at Notre Dame, the fight song’s lyrics failed to include all of its athletes. If it had been written exclusively for the all-male football team, or if its lyrics had read, “while her loyal children march,” then very well – I say leave the song as it is. But that was not the case, and so the “Victory March” needed an update in order to be what it was created to be.
Embracing the Contributions of Women
This brings me back to the question of traditions, those long-standing customs that we inherit, practice, and pass onto the next generation. To be clear, I’m not talking about Tradition, one of the sources of authority in the Catholic Church. But in terms of those long-standing customs, where else do we hold onto traditions that have stopped reflecting reality, and in particular, that neglect the contributions of women?
Pope St. John Paul II specifically honored the contributions of women in his Letter to Women, where he also lamented the failures to recognize women’s contributions throughout history. He said that “it is time to examine the past with courage, to assign responsibility where it is due in a review of the long history of humanity. Women have contributed to that history as much as men and, more often than not, they did so in much more difficult conditions. . . . To this great, immense feminine ‘tradition’ humanity owes a debt which can never be repaid.”
Women have something unique to offer, something of value that is distinct from the value that men bring to the table. The image of God is reflected in both woman and man, and so we need the contributions and perspectives of both His daughters and His sons. Are we willing to modify traditions for the sake of recognizing the contributions of women as women?
Throughout history, many of our ancestors failed to recognize women’s contributions, and even their ability to contribute. To correct this pattern, we must actively and intentionally include women, and give credit where credit is due. Sometimes, this will necessitate modifying long-standing customs. While preserving the value of traditions and without thoughtlessly throwing them away, I hope we will return to their origins, ask about the purpose for which they were created, and ask whether that purpose would be even better fulfilled if women were explicitly included.
We all have ups and downs throughout the month: sometimes you need a whole weekend of Netflix, other times you have the energy to knock out a month's worth of errands. Instead of feeling like you're in an unpredictable pattern, you can learn how to sync your self-care to your menstrual cycle. You need moments of stillness and rest, as well as times of action – but when these activities happen during your cycle impacts your return on investment.
The best self-care is the type that takes your whole self into consideration. Your motivation, desires, and abilities shift along with your hormones. When scheduling with your cycle and unique patterns in mind, you’ll feel better and enjoy a higher quality of self-care.
Ready to upgrade your self-care and create a sustainable rhythm? Here’s what you need to know.
Self-Care Strategies for the Phases of Your Cycle
During Your Period (Menstrual Phase)
Your hormones plummet in the few days before your new cycle starts and they remain low until a few days into the next cycle. Tanked hormones can leave you feeling…well, low. It is normal to be tired, emotional, or unmotivated. You may even notice that your inner critic comes out. During this phase, when you aren’t at the top of your physical or mental game, you may benefit from more quiet, stillness, and time for reflection.
Self-Care Strategy: Rest and retreat
This is a great time to rest and retreat. The kind of rest you need may look like trading your high intensity workout for a gentle walk or taking some time away from social media. Consider spending a night (or a weekend) in and using meal delivery, or spending time outside with some light reading.
After Your Period, Before Ovulation (Follicular Phase)
After your period, your increasing levels of estrogen (and a dose of testosterone) might leave you feeling energized, confident, and extroverted. You are primed to try new things, your pain tolerance is high, and you are focused on goals. You may also be more distractible than usual.
Self-Care Strategy: Socialize and do something new
This is an ideal time to schedule social activities like a brunch with friends, or to try something new such as an exercise class or a recipe. (And if waxing is a part of your routine, now is a great time to do it.)
You may want to cross a bunch of personal “to dos” off your list, too. And by all means, get things done!
After Ovulation, Before Your Period (Luteal Phase)
After ovulation, progesterone can leave you with a sense of inner calm. You might crave comfort, familiarity, and quality time with the people who mean the most to you. Activities that are slower or meaningful are generally more enjoyable. Sleep disruption and feeling extra hungry are also common after ovulation.
Self-Care Strategy: The Classics
To increase sleep quality, take an epsom salt bath an hour or two before bedtime. If you aren’t feeling as confident as you were before ovulation, a haircut or spending extra time on skin care may give you a boost.
Now is a good time to complete personal tasks that require extra focus, like decluttering and organizing your closet. Something else to consider is setting yourself up for more rest in your menstrual phase, maybe by preparing meals in advance or scheduling extra help with cleaning or childcare.
How to Start Upgrading Your Self-Care
Begin with rest.
While cycle syncing can help you achieve your goals faster – like scheduling sales calls near ovulation, when your confidence and communication skills peak – rest is your foundation. It keeps you in balance and supports your physical and mental health. Rest keeps you going and allows you to do all of the amazing things you were created to do (crushing your goals included).
You will likely find that you get the most benefit from resting near your period. Where you need it most may be a couple of days before your period arrives or it may be during the early days of bleeding.
Add in other synced activities slowly.
Less can be more, especially when you are just getting started with cycle syncing. Find a few things that work really well based on your goals and needs. After you’ve successfully incorporated a couple of things into your routine, then think about adding more.
Experiment and have fun with it!
While many women experience similar cyclical patterns, you are unique. Your cycle isn’t the same as your best friend’s or your sister’s, and what you need during each phase might be different, too. Cycle syncing isn’t a cut and paste formula. It is a process of getting to know (and support) yourself better.
Think of it like dating: You're trying to find a great fit. You make some educated guesses and test things out. Every experience will teach you something about your cycle and yourself.
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Women are advancing through college and their careers faster than ever, only to find that progress comes to a sudden halt when they have children. Even women who choose to dial down their careers find they are exhausted and depleted, wondering why they can never catch up. The problem? One significant contributing factor is the domestic load - the work women tend to do in families which includes activities like meal planning, thank you note writing, and shuttling children wherever they need to go.
In the New York Times bestseller Fair Play, Eve Rodsky argues that this “time tax” is preventing women from living fulfilled lives, ruining relationships, and preventing women from offering their unique gifts to the world. This invisible work that so many women do became evident during the pandemic, when “working from home” forced millions of women to leave the workforce altogether due to utter burnout from working a double shift.
For Catholics, there is a particular emphasis on family life and the reality that there simply is a lot of work that goes into building and maintaining a family home. So what are couples to do? Split housework 50/50? By how much money either spouse makes from their public work? How can women discern what they want and need in and outside of the home? And what should women be thinking about in dating relationships to prepare for these kinds of conversations in marriage?
Join us for a live conversation with expert Serena Sigillito on Thursday, June 1 from 1:30-2:30pm EST.
Watch the recording here.
Serena Sigillito is the Editor at Large of Public Discourse, the journal of the Witherspoon Institute. She recently completed a year-long Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship focusing on contemporary American women’s experiences of work and motherhood. Follow her work at serenasigillito.substack.com.
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.
Menstrual leave is making waves in the news, from an April BBC article on the topic to a bill introduced in Spain that would, in part, fund paid leave for women with painful periods. These policies acknowledge that women’s and men’s bodies are different, and this acknowledgement comes in a space that, historically, has not recognized this truth.
Corporate America has been eager to provide benefits like contraception, abortion, and egg-freezing as a way to eliminate fertility and pregnancy, rather than accommodate women. Many companies still offer no paid maternity leave.
However, the conversations about menstrual leave have overlooked the fact that the symptoms that require a woman to use this leave are not "normal" for a period: Debilitating pain, out-of-control mood swings, and unmanageable bleeding are not normal (or at least, they shouldn’t be). Women experiencing these symptoms deserve not to be penalized for missing work – but they also deserve authentic health care.
What Is Normal for a Menstrual Cycle?
Conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis are common and often run in families. Due to this, many women who experience symptoms like irregular cycles, heavy or painful periods, or premenstrual syndrome (PMS) think that this is normal because they know so many women who experience them. Severe menstrual cramps and dramatic mood swings, in particular, have become part of our cultural understanding of what a “normal” period is. We make jokes about them, we (sometimes) make allowances for them – but we never question them.
While a healthy period might be uncomfortable, and while you may need to take it easy or take some Ibuprofen, you should not be in so much pain that you can’t go about your normal daily activities. You might have some minor mood fluctuations, but you should not experience depression or anxiety that significantly interfere with your life.
Beyond Menstrual Leave, Provide Authentic Health Care
The standard “treatment” for these symptoms is to ignore them or prescribe hormonal contraception. While hormonal contraception can help women manage symptoms, it does not address their root cause. As a result, even women who experience relief – and even women who do so without any side effects – may still have a health condition that is not being treated and may even be getting worse.
Hormonal contraception works by flooding the body with synthetic hormones, knocking the natural hormonal cycle out of whack. For a woman whose body is already not cycling the way it’s supposed to, contraception doesn’t restore its natural functions. It doesn’t treat whatever is causing problems with the reproductive system; it shuts the system down.
Restorative reproductive health care protocols, such as NaPro Technology and FEMM medical management, identify the specific hormones that are out of balance in a woman’s body and then use approaches like bio-identical hormone supplementation, lifestyle changes, and diet to restore health. They treat fertility and a healthy cycle as something good to work toward, not something to be manipulated or eliminated.
A recent Scientific American editorial points out that women’s reproductive health conditions are shockingly under-researched and calls for the removal of stigma around menstruation. The author, Dr. Christine N. Metz of the Research OutSmarts Endometriosis clinical study, notes that although endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women, the National Institutes of Health has allocated $176 million to fund its research since 2008, compared with $2 billion for ulcerative colitis, an illness that affects only 1% of Americans of both genders.
Simply discussing periods in the workplace – let alone offering menstrual leave – is a good step in the right direction. It acknowledges that women’s bodies have unique needs. What’s left is for the workplace to acknowledge that women’s bodies are also uniquely good, and for health care professionals to treat them that way.
In 1980, as part of his teaching on the theology of the body, Pope St. John Paul II said, “The body, and it alone, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden since time immemorial in God, and thus be a sign of it.” It is time for our workplaces and our health care to reflect this reality: That women are made in the likeness of God, that the female body is good, and that fertility is not a condition to be prevented, but rather a gift to be supported.
On May 20, the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee announced a new paid parental leave policy for all diocesan employees. The new policy, which goes into effect on July 1, 2022, offers three weeks of paid parental leave in the event of a birth or adoption to employees at the diocese's schools, parishes, agencies, and pastoral center employees.
Renée Roden spoke with Bishop William Wack, CSC to discuss how the diocese's new policy came to be.
Renée Roden: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me again, Bishop Wack. When we spoke in March, you said that this is something you wanted to do and was one of your goals for the diocese. So we were excited to hear that it happened! Could you take a moment to explain the policy that the diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee has implemented for its employees?
Bishop Wack, C.S.C: I brought the question to our Presbyteral Council on May 12, with the idea that we would start with something.
At the time, we did not have a policy, really, outside of the Family Medical Leave Act. Paid parental leave was not something that we had really addressed before. I don't know if people had asked for it before I got here, but it wasn't being done.
As soon as I mentioned it, unanimously, all the priests said, “Oh my gosh, yes, let's do it.” And I just threw out, "How about two weeks?" And they said, “Let's do more. Let's start with three weeks.” So I got overruled. [laugh] But that's what the council is for.
Renée Roden: And what was the reasoning behind the three weeks?
Bishop Wack, C.S.C: I think the sense was, well, let's just start with this. We didn’t want to overwhelm people, especially the schools. It’s going to mostly affect schools, I think, because most of the people who would access those funds would be teachers.
So just knowing our budgets right now, we thought, let's start with this and see where it goes. We'll probably build more and lengthen it in the future, but we wanted to start with the three weeks.
Renée Roden: That's great. So this policy is for all employees across the diocese?
Bishop Wack, C.S.C: Yep. For all diocesan employees – over 1,300 of them.
Renée Roden: You met with the Presbyteral Council on May 12, and you announced it on May 20, just about a week later. That's a really quick turnaround.
Bishop Wack, C.S.C: We like to make decisions. We are a smaller diocese, one of the smaller ones, and we're also one of the youngest: we were founded in 1975. So we have this feeling that we can make decisions. I don't mean that others can't, but we just don't have a lot of history or a lot of layers of administration to go through.
So they often have to take their time, but we have the ability to act a little more quickly on something. So we do that for a lot of things. We do end up having to tweak things or say, "Ooh, that didn't go so well, let’s do something else."
But, you know, for me, this idea has been with me since December, when these two women approached me. Ever since then, I've been thinking about paid leave.
So I say we like to make decisions, but it wasn't that quick. December was, what, five months ago. It’d been long enough, so we decided to just put something in place.
And that's something I do that's my style: I try to get a lot of input, discern, pray about an issue, but then to act, to make a decision.
Renée Roden: So the Presbyteral Council is all clergy. What role did the laity play in this decision-making?
Bishop Wack, C.S.C: Well, as I mentioned the first time you interviewed me, two people – an employee of the diocese and another was her friend – contacted me separately in the fall, just asking about this. And that prompted me to go to Human Resources. And I found out that we don't really have a parental leave policy outside of the FMLA. So that got me talking to other people, talking to young people, teachers, some people here in the pastoral center, about their experiences and they said, yeah, we could have used a paid maternity and paternity leave policy.
It got me thinking. But it really began with two people bringing the issue to the forefront and then talking to others, saying, yeah, why don't we do that?
Renée Roden: That’s pretty impressive that two phone calls can produce this change, that it can be this simple for people to speak up and put things in motion.
Bishop Wack, C.S.C: It is. And that's how we’ve begun a couple of other ministries as well, one to formerly incarcerated, violent offenders. Some people said, "Why don't we start a ministry for them?" So now we do.
And then, "How about a ministry for elderly homeless men?" Now we have a house for them. "How about for pregnant women who are on the verge of being, or who are, homeless?" Now we have a place for them. I keep telling people that's how it begins.
What doesn’t work is when people say, “We need this,” and then they just walk away, but what works is when they say, “We need this, and I have several people who want to work on it.” And I say, “You have my blessing.”
Renée Roden: What has the reaction from the diocese been to this announcement?
Bishop Wack, C.S.C: We only just announced it a couple of days ago, so I haven’t heard much, but I’ve just heard gratitude and people saying that's fantastic. The superintendent of schools was thrilled. All I’ve heard so far has been positive.
Renée Roden: At the beginning of May, the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft decision prompted a lot of discussion about what the Catholic Church needs to do to support women and live out its pro-life mission. Did any of that come up in your discussions about this policy?
Bishop Wack, C.S.C: That’s not what drove it, but after our discussion, one of the priests on the council said this strengthens the Church’s pro-life position with whatever comes down the pike. But to be completely honest, it really is something that was begun with those two simple phone calls back in December.
But this policy is one more example of how we need to, as the bishops say in their program, walk with moms in need. And not just moms, but to really recognize what mothers, fathers, and families go through in raising children, having children, and choosing life. We need to not just say, “You should choose life,” but support them, walk with them, and give them the means as much as possible to do that.
We're all in this together. So how can we sacrifice maybe a little bit in our budget so that young families can have the means to use just three weeks with paid leave to really start bonding with their children and raise up their family?
We’re trying to step away from just saying we're anti-abortion to asking, “How can we be pro-life? How can we accompany and encounter and walk with young families?”
I think the paid leave policy is very much a part of that. Even though it wasn't driven by that, it dovetails nicely into where we want to be as a diocese.
Renée Roden: Well, thank you for speaking with us. It’s really encouraging to hear that two people call a bishop and, five months later, there are three weeks of maternity leave where there were none. I think that’s a testament to real cooperation.
Bishop Wack, C.S.C: Thank you. This is how things happen.
We sat down with attorney Mary FioRito, the former Vice-Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Here’s what she told us about how she uses her gifts in her career, as a working mother, and as layperson in the Church.
Using Her Gifts to Find Purpose in Her Career
Growing up, Mary dreamed of being a pediatrician. Later in life, however, she discovered that she excelled in reading, writing, and analysis. This self-awareness led her to explore careers where she could use her gifts.
“Law school seemed like the most logical next step,” Mary concluded. As the first person in her immigrant family to go to graduate school, Mary knew that she had to work hard to achieve her goals. So, she worked at the Archdiocese of Chicago during the day while attending law school at night.
This path would support her financially, but also let her to use her God-given gifts. Like many successful women, she realized that embracing her strengths could help her find purpose in her career.
Using Her Gifts by Working for the Catholic Church
After working as an assistant at a program supporting Catholic inner-city schools and eight years as the Director of the Archdiocesan Pro-Life office, Mary was named the first female Vice-Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago. This was a catch-all role that involved coordinating with the archbishop and parishioners. While the particular duties of the job vary by diocese, they involve working closely with the diocesan leadership.
One of especially interesting things Mary was tasked with was reviewing books labeled as acceptable to teach in local Catholic schools. Other highlights of her career included facilitating an adoption between a single mother and a family, and assisting with writing speeches for two Cardinal Archbishops that were given in national and international venues. She did all of this while “bringing [her] perspective as a laywoman, wife and mother to a high-level theological discussion.” Evidence of her professional accomplishments as Vice-Chancellor, she was recognized in Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 list.
While her role shifted at the archdiocese throughout the years, one thing remained constant: embracing opportunities to work on pro-life issues.
Navigating Career and Motherhood
As Mary’s family grew, she used her accumulated sick leave to care for her children. There was no paid maternity leave for employees of her archdiocese until 2016. When her work-life balance became more difficult to manage, she sought help and found an answer through a friend of the family. A widow who had raised seven sons was willing to support Mary and her husband by taking care of their daughters.
Entrusting the Future of Her Career to God
What’s next for Mary? Well, she enjoys her current work as a fellow for the Ethics and Public Policy Center, which gives her flexibility to spend time with her teen daughter. Wherever life or her career takes her, Mary is confident that God will provide a clear path and support along the way.
When asked about advice for discerning her family and career, Mary recommended opening up your heart to God and to those closest to you. Pray about it. Ask your loved ones to pray about it. And for single women who hope to be working mothers one day? It’s not too early to pray for your future spouse and family.
Mary Hallan FioRito is an attorney, public speaker, and commentator on issues involving women’s leadership in the Catholic Church, work/life balance for mothers, and Catholic Church administration. Her interests also include human life issues, primarily abortion, post-abortion aftermath, and contraception. Ms. FioRito serves on the Board of Directors of numerous pro-life and charitable organizations, including Aid for Women, a pregnancy resource center and maternity home, and the National Office for Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing. She and her husband are the parents of three daughters.