The Ekklesia Sophia
Ekklesia Sophia is an ecumenical catholic community for women who aspire ordination in Holyorders or a consecrated life under vow in a Catholic Church of their choosing.
For whom?
Ekklesia Sophia seeks to assist women from both Protestant and Catholic traditions or all who are
otherwise called to religious life to discern their vocation to either the consecrated or ordained life
in a Catholic Church through the process of community, study, contemplation and spiritual
accompaniment.
Principles
Ekklesia Sophia is inspired and guided by the charism of Original Blessing as witnessed in
mysticism as well as the universalism of early Christianity. She holds that religious calling is in the realms of the soul which transcends gender roles. We value the practice of the Sophia Meditation as well as The Hours alongside contemplative practices.
Current opportunities
There are currently many opportunities for women to follow a calling. Within Protestant churches there are opportunities as well as in Anglican churches. The so-called Independent Sacramental Movement has also many opportunities for women to follow a calling but women from the Roman Catholic tradition in particular, are unaware of such opportunities. Indeed, many women who live in what are now post Roman Catholic countries, such as Spain and Ireland, may never have seen an ordained woman in their life although they are aware that ordained women exist. This is because in these Roman Catholic countries the reformation was rejected and the only religion that survived after the reformation was Roman Catholicism. Sadly, the Roman Catholic Church has moved away from the historic tradition of the early Church and is choosing to ignore the historical facts that demonstrate that women were ordained in the early Church. There is a broad range of arguments that endorse women’s ordinations as well as consecration under vow. Ekklesia Sophia wishes to highlight these arguments as well as the history of the early church were women functioned as clergy.
The founders of Ekklesia Sophia
Bishop Paula-Willemijn van Rooijen, “Bishop Paula”, of the Old Catholic Apostolic Church,
Diocese of Europe - Contact here
Deacon Debra Maria Flint who is the author of 'No Place for a Woman' and has, by the grace of
God, a dual vocation with OCAC and OEC - Contact here
Founded on Our Lady Annunciation, 25th March 2024. Promulgated at the Principal Synod of The Old Catholic Apostolic Church, 12 - 14 July, AD 2024, Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK.
Deed of Establishment of Ekklesia Sophia
