Women’s Ordination Worldwide was founded at the first European Women’s Synod in Gmunden, Austria, in 1996. Participants agreed the contact group for the new venture should rotate from country to country.

Women’s Ordination Conference, a U.S. group in existence now for 25 years, agreed to be the contact group for the first two years. Catholic Women’s Organization in Britain agreed to take on the coordination of the period leading to the first Women’s Ordination Worldwide conference.

Other member organizations are:

• The international movement We Are Church
• Ordination of Catholic Women, Australia
• We Are Church, Portugal
• Women’s Ordination Conference, United States
• We Are Church, Austria
• Women’s Ordination South Africa -- We are Church
• Maria von Magdala -- Initiative for Equality of Women in the Church, Germany
• Netzwerk Diakonat der Frau -- Women Diaconate Network, Germany
• Aktion Lila Stola -- Purple Stole Movement, Germany
• Women of the New Covenant, Australia
• BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ), Ireland
• Catholic Network for Women’s Equality, Canada
• Phoebe, Japan
• Catholic Women: Knowing Our Place, New Zealand

-- Patty McCarty

National Catholic Reporter, July 13, 2001

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