By Anastasia Pinto
Six women representing “Donne in Vaticano,” an association of women who work or have worked in Vatican institutions, joined the Lay Centre community on March 13 for an ecumenical prayer, dinner, and a moment of dialogue about their life experiences. They also shared about their perspectives on the role of women in the Church, particularly within Church offices in Rome.
This is the first-ever association of women in the Vatican. Meeting them had special meaning for us this semester, as women now represent the majority of our community members. The association, which was founded in 2016, is a pioneering initiative that fosters friendship, solidarity, and professional collaboration among women who work in the Vatican – or those who have retired after several years of service to the Holy See or the Vatican City State.
The six members who attended the evening were:
- Margherita Maria Romanelli, president
- Maria Grimaldi, secretary
- Roberta Gisotti, counselor
- Gudrun Sailer, counselor
- Maria Dulce Evora, auditor
- Stefania Cicellino, treasurer
Maria Dulce recounted how a group of women in the Vatican came together to reflect on their collective identity and purpose. They began by asking themselves, “Who are we, as women in the Vatican? What can we accomplish?”
They sought to create an environment of mutual support and contribute meaningfully to the Church’s mission. Over the years, the association has organized a variety of events, including conferences and pilgrimages, to deepen the spiritual and professional lives of its members, while also addressing issues such as violence against women and the role of women in the Church.
New roles, new challenges
One of the most striking aspects of the evening was the testimony of Gudrun Sailer, who shared her awe-inspiring journey of 22 years working in the Vatican. Reflecting on the changing landscape for women in the Vatican, she said that ten years ago, “none of us would have imagined that a woman could be appointed as a Prefect of a dicastery.”
This was a reference to Sr. Simona Brambilla, M.C., who, in January 2025, became the first woman appointed to head a Vatican dicastery – the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Noting that under Pope Francis‘ leadership, more women have been appointed to high-level roles previously reserved for men, Gudrun said that women are not mere servants, but are called to serve the universal Church by sharing in the Holy Father’s ministry. Today, women make up 25% of Vatican employees, marking a significant transformation in the operational dynamics and reflecting changes in the role of women in society.
Karina Gandur, a Lay Centre resident from Lebanon/Russia and a theology student at the Pontifical Gregorian University, shared her experiences as a laywoman in the Russian Orthodox Church. She discussed the challenges women face in achieving leadership roles, particularly in male-dominated structures, but expressed optimism for the future.
As the evening drew to a close, in commemoration of Pope Francis’ 12th anniversary as pontiff, Filipe Domingues, director of The Lay Centre, read a passage from Evangelii Gaudium (119-120), reflecting on Pope Francis’ call for all baptized members of the Church to be active agents of evangelization. The apostolic exhortation, published in 2013, states:
“In all the baptized, from first to last, the sanctifying power of the Spirit is at work, impelling us to evangelization. […] In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients. The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized.”
A pilgrimage with Lay Centre community members
A significant aspect of the work of Donne in Vaticano is its spiritual life. They have the privilege of having Rev. Federico Lombardi, S.J., former director of Vatican Radio and the Vatican Press Office, as their spiritual director.
As part of the Jubilee Year, the association also organized its own pilgrimage, in which a few women from The Lay Centre also participated. Mihaela Zerjav, a Lay Centre resident from Croatia and canon law student at the Pontifical Gregorian University who attended the pilgrimage, said, “Walking through the Holy Door was a deeply transformative moment, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that allowed me to reflect on my faith in a profound way.”
She added, “The prayerful atmosphere, coupled with Father Lombardi’s guiding presence, helped me understand the true significance of the pilgrimage. The Mass that followed was equally moving, especially hearing words about peace and the dignity of women, reminding us of the importance of our voices and actions in both the Church and society.”
Photo: Karina Gandur
