In an age where cultural narratives are loud and unrelenting, the Catholic Church offers a quieter, but no less revolutionary, vision of womanhood. It is a vision that does not reduce women to roles or pit them against men, but instead elevates them as vital participants in the divine mission of salvation history. At the heart of this vision lies a truth both ancient and new: women are essential to the mission of evangelization. 

This truth is embedded in the very fabric of the Church’s life, woven into the stories of saints, martyrs, mystics, mothers and consecrated women who have borne the Gospel to the world not in spite of their femininity, but through it. 

St. John Paul II coined the phrase “feminine genius” to describe the unique strengths and sensibilities women bring to the Church and to the world (Letter to Women, 1995). This genius isn’t measured by corporate success or societal accolades but by the ability to nurture, to cultivate life, to see the person in front of us and to call them to holiness. In short, it is the capacity to love and nurture in a way that transforms.  

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The femininity with which God endowed us is not in conflict with the professional or societal roles we may be called to fulfill. Far from being a limitation, this gift of femininity — expressed in our unique capacity to nurture life, whether biologically, emotionally or spiritually — reflects the very heart of God. Unlike the assertions of modern feminism, which often views such traits as constraints to be overcome, the Church teaches that through embracing our feminine nature we participate most fully in our vocation as women and bear witness to the Gospel in the world. 

And what is evangelization if not that? What is evangelization if not to love another soul enough to desire their eternal good and to accompany them toward Christ? What is evangelization if not to also teach, to encourage and to inspire — in imitation of Christ, who instructs us through His Word and manifests the depths of divine love through the sacrifice of His Passion — and to follow the example of Our Blessed Mother, the perfect model of discipleship and spiritual motherhood? 

Women are uniquely poised to shape saints. We help awaken souls to the reality of divine love and we shape the new generation of saints. No matter what the world tells you ladies, embracing our faith and values with conviction makes us anything but insignificant and we have a sacred and special role to play in the Body of Christ.  

Evangelization begins in the cradle, in the classroom, in the heart of every woman who dares to say “yes” like Mary did. And from there, it ripples outward. 

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The prophet Isaiah speaks often of the virtues that flow from a life aligned with God: charity, justice, peace, humility, righteousness, faithfulness and compassion. These are not signs of weakness, but of true strength, values that build civilizations of love, not cultures of self. And it is precisely in living out these virtues that women find their fullest dignity and most powerful witness in the Church and in the world. 

The Gospel frees us not from motherhood or dependence, but from the lie that power and self-assertion are the highest goods. It reveals that true greatness is found in humility, in obedience to God’s call and in pouring ourselves out for the sake of others. 

Where new wave feminism sees motherhood as a limitation, the Church sees it as a vocation. Where the culture prizes self-empowerment, the saints show us the beauty of self-gift. Where the world says, “You do you,” the Church says, “Be who God created you to be — and you will set the world on fire; lead by example and others will follow.”  

Our generation is hungry for holiness. And it will be women — anchored in Christ, formed by the Church and unafraid of the culture — who help to feed that hunger. We do this not by shouting over the noise, but by living lives that make the Gospel visible. By loving the people in front of us. By embracing our vocations with courage, conviction and creativity. By remembering that our place is in the very heart of the mission. 

So, to every woman wondering if there is space for her in the Church’s evangelizing mission: there is not only space — there is a desperate need. 

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The next generation of saints is watching us and in need of guidance in a world where there is so much noise and conflicting messaging. Ladies: let’s raise them well. 

(Santos is a Catholic wife, mom, writer and legal professional in Toronto. This version has been edited and first appeared in Catholic Moms.)