Good Samaritan Sister Ursula O’Rourke numbered among the first cohort of Australian women after the Second Vatican Council to hold leadership roles traditionally held by ordained men in the Church, reports the Catholic Leader in an article to mark International Women’s Day this month.

It was in the 1980s when then-Townsville Bishop Leonard Faulkner asked her to become director of liturgy for Townsville diocese, a position she held for nine years.

*Sr Ursula O’Rourke SGS. PHOTO: Catholic Leader.*

She has held many leadership roles in schools, dioceses and formation programs from Townsville to Brisbane in the 40 years since.

Sr Ursula says there has been a lot of progress in the inclusion of women in the Church in her lifetime.

There is also a lot of respect for women in leadership now, she says.

She remembers a time growing up when her father served on the local parish finance council and there were no women on it.

Now, she said, most parishes and committees in the Church strived for gender balance.

Her great inspiration as a Christian woman was her mum.

Her mum trained as a music teacher, raised eight children and went on to have a fulfilling career in schools following her passion.

“She had a great sense for a child’s gifts,” she said.

Sr Ursula had the chance to work alongside her at the same school during her first years of religious vocation.

“That was a special time for me,” she said.

“She’s been with God now almost 12 years – so we miss her.”

Sr Ursula said one of the great spiritual gifts of women was fidelity.

She said spiritual gifts always varied person to person, but she saw women across the spectrum doing a great job of spiritually supporting each other.

She saw this in women’s prayer groups, formation groups and religious communities.

“The role of women is vital to the life of the Church,” she said.

“It is essential to keep encouraging women to pick up that call of the gospel, to serve wherever they’re called.”

She said she had “great hope” for the future of women in the Church.

She said Pope Francis was the “sort of man who sees those gifts and he keeps inviting women into different committees and commissions”.

This article is part of a larger article on International Women’s Day written by Joe Higgins in The Catholic Leader. Read the full article here.